The Open Door - Belec

[First published Monday, September 15, 2008]

Once upon a time there was a door. The door, slightly ajar, beckoned the curious girl. Should she heed the counsel of the wise? After all they were the ones who had affixed the 'do not enter' signs Were they not the ones who knew best; who knew what was good for her; who knew what really lurked there in the darkness?

The girl did not want to enter the way via the ominous door but the urge was overpowering; luring; impossible to resist.She had been warned in a dream long ago that she might discover this inviting, open door one day, but she had also been cautioned in a second dream, about the perilous path connected to the door. She had paid no heed over the ages, thinking it a bit of a foolish delusion.

Now, compelled, the girl reached for the handle. A sudden rush of pain surged through the girl's body and she immediately tried to release her grip. But she couldn't. Soon she was pulled behind the door. "No! No! She cried. Her tears fell. Unrelenting. Before she knew it she found herself spiralling down, down down. Her landing offered only thuds and more pain.

"Self-inflicted," someone said. "If she hadn't gone through the door, this would not have happened."

"If only she would have listened and not believed the lies then this may not have taken place. The people gathered and peered in, not daring to tread even close lest they get drawn nearer to the abyss.

The girl heard the muffled moans and the cries of the wise ones above. She worried what she might do to escape, to flee, to run and hide from the darkness. She wanted to return to the familiar, the comfortable, the place where accountability was shrouded in what worked best for her. Being with the wise ones made her feel secure. Why did she choose the door? She chastised herself and waited for the wise ones to drop the rope and rescue her.

As the girl lay, waiting, hurting at the bottom of the pit, she became cognizant of her blindness. Her eyes were open but the light would not, could not, pierce the moment. Her terror slowly turned into panic. Screaming. Dreading the end. The darkness settled as a fog but for a split second, the girl caught a glimpse of light. Her flailing arms ceased. Her laboured breathing steadied. The blindness began to subside. Shadows appeared.

The girl listened for the voices of the wise ones. She heard no moans or calls. As her eyes adjusted to the strip of light she tried to make sense of the shadows. Her heart hurt for a moment for she sensed the wise ones had used their knowledge to her detriment. She knew the mindset of the wise ones. She knew they had decided that better one lost than an entire populace.

The girl wiped her eyes. Her sadness pulsated for a moment. As she turned her head toward the light, she felt a chilling, refreshing shiver. The light was the direction. The girl's heart quickened. She could see no ground before her, yet her senses were heightened.

"Trust...trust...trust..." the sound reverberated from within. She journeyed on. Clueless. Yet she experienced an odd sense of peace. It was a peace that seemed to pass any understanding that she had ever experienced before in her life. It was a peace that defied any words offered by the wise ones. The peace was indescribable; comforting; real.

Soon the girl realized the darkness had dissipated. She looked around the vast, green fields that lay before her. She reached out. Fine ferns brushed against her face, caressing her like a mother's gentle hand. Creatures, great and small frolicked and played in the meadow before her. She wanted to call them animals or insects but she could not find words appropriate; satisfying; suitable.Then she spotted the people. The people. Glorious people. Radiance abounded. The Light enfolded each one of them as they danced reverently around the throne.

The mighty, adorned throne shone as a spectacular, radiant jewel. Brightness and beams of light travelling from the throne to the people defied magnificence. A deep longing filled the girl's soul.

"What must I do to receive this Light?" she asked.The people turned to face the questioner."Confess...believe...trust..." The chorus echoed in superlative song. The girl listened for a long time. The voices continued and she felt loved like never before.

The girl looked up. "I confess...I believe...I trust..."A symphony of voices joined the girl as she rejoiced.

"But what about my people?" The girl concerned herself for the wise ones who had cared for her.

The Light stood up. The people were jubilant and joyously worshipped. The Light pointed to a set of stairs on the other side of the throne.

"Your journey begins. Go tell the others what you have seen...Tell them what it means to be truly wise."