The Forest

In my first foray into blogging I want to share a short story I wrote recently. It's very short and called The Forest. It shares a view on what happens when people discover the Kingdom of God.

The Forest

There was a man who lived in the dark dangerous forest with many other people. The dark dangerous forest had roots to trip you up, had brambles to catch and snare you, had low branches to whip and hurt you, and falling trees to crush and maim you. Now this man found a clearing in the forest, a beautiful clearing where the sun shone through and warmed you, where the grass was soft under your foot, the flowers grew brightly, there was a stream with the freshest coolest water, there was everything the man needed and more in the clearing. The clearing was so good. There was enough for everyone. He made up his mind, he had to tell the people in the dark dangerous forest all about it. He had to tell them they didn’t have to live that way anymore, so he returned and braved the conditions to tell as many people as he could.

Now, not everyone he told believed him. These people remained in the forest and persuaded others the man was either a liar or was stupid to believe in something ridiculous like a clearing.

Some did believe but didn’t want to make the journey. Even though the forest was hard, they had made a good life for themselves within it, why should they give up what they’ve got and go looking for a clearing.

Some wanted to believe and said surely the clearing would come to them. They never found the clearing.

Some were so consumed by the forest they simply wouldn’t listen to the man.

Now there were some who did believe, and followed the man. When they found the clearing, several things happened…

Some of them, despite having the curiosity and desire to make the journey and seek out the clearing, were so relieved to be there and to feel safe at last, they just sat down and never did another thing.

Some explored small parts of the clearing but were afraid to go deeper into the clearing for fear of finding something so wonderful that they would have to return to the forest to tell others.

Now there were a few, just a few, who believed the man and on following and then finding the clearing, explored the clearing and discovered how good and deep and wide the clearing was. They ended up loving the clearing so much that they, like the man, went back to the forest to tell the others the good news.