Apathy

Frantically trudging through the mud and blood of the battlefield a lone soldier fell to his face. The sounds of warfare choked his ears, the screams of bullets and men ricocheted off his mind, the light of the moon and fire illuminated the chaos and the smirk of the bomb that lay at his side.

Opening eyes that begged him not too he found himself in a hospital bed. Wounded but alive the pain informed him that recovery would take time. A moment later his mind serenaded only one thought, at the other side of the world was someone he loved, the person for whom he went to war.

She must know that he was alive and more than this, she must know how much he loved her.

Every week that followed he poured his love into words and placed them on paper sending them through the air to the letterbox of a door he craved to open. Every week his heart dictated its ache to be near her and every week without fail there came no reply. Nevertheless the letters flowed, his unwavering love emptying his pen.

Months passed, limbs regained strength, and finally the journey home to the embrace for which he longed began. After an eternity he found himself standing at a door he closed so long ago. His knock proclaimed more than a visitor; it announced the return of a hero. Slowly the door opened and there standing in the hallway shrouded in beauty was the woman he loved. Her shocked face done nothing to hinder the advance of his arms as they surrounded her. Suddenly however he stopped, just over her shoulder he noticed them, his letters, all of them neatly stacked on a shelf and all of them unopened.

Telling his arms to retreat he stared at her and asked "why....why did you not open the words telling you how much I loved you?" She stared back expressionless, she had no reason, his efforts and devotion seemed pointless and misplaced. Her ungratefulness did not allow her to even open a page and only now she realised it. Only now she realised that true love was walking away from her door and never to return. Her eyes slowly began to bleed their sorrow.

Can any of us imagine doing such a thing? What a tragedy it would be for us whether we are male or female and let such love slip away from us especially for such a ridiculous reason as apathy.

My friends you may be shocked to know that most of us are no different from this lady because somewhere in our house there are words written especially for us that we have never read. They were written by someone who loves us so much that He went to war for us, He died for us and He is right now knocking on our door.

The Bible is an account His love, it tells of how this man fought and won a war entirely on His own because he loved you so much. Oh some may say that "I hear it read" or "I read this bit once" but anyone who has ever received a letter of love will tell you that it is read repeatedly, it is studied, it is pondered on, it words resonate in your mind constantly, how much more attention then do the words of God deserve.

Do not allow the tragedy of never knowing how unique and special you are to happen. I urge you to read the gospel of John, in this you will discover just how loved you are. Read with an open heart and allow the words to fill you. Do not be like this young lady but open and read these precious words and more importantly, reply by believing them.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20)

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Trevor Slattery is a Lay Pastor and a newspaper columnist in Ireland Co. Tipperary.