Over two decades ago I wrote a fable I entitled “The Jewel, the Caterpillar and the Well.” I wrote it to describe the frustration of how I felt as I tried to awaken my friends and family to the national dangers that appeared to be lying ahead of us in the near future. There were plenty of signs that things were going awry in this land of the free but the brave were no longer listening. They were carpooling and working overtime, and embracing the theology of materialism that pressured them to provide an abundance of material things for their children, which often meant sacrificing the things that really mattered. All this running to and fro left little time to engage in the politics of the day – especially when things seemed to be going along fine just the way they were.

Although over 20 years have passed since I wrote the fable, it rings more true today than it did back then – except that the signs of danger have manifested themselves in reality and the road to restoration has become even harder to find – almost beyond our grasp. Unfortunately, one thing has remained the same: apathy remains our number one weapon of destruction. Therefore, I thought it was entirely fitting to resurrect this fable in the hopes that it will speak to some hearts and awaken some of those who have been sleeping while others have been pouring out their hearts and souls to save America. For me there is another constant: I still believe that with the help of God this nation can be restored…but only if our citizens wake up and replace apathy with passion and self-imposed deafness with a willingness to hear and a willingness to act.

The Jewel, the Caterpillar and the Well

Fifty years ago I took a stroll in the forest of Nod. It sat like a precious jewel in the hand of God. Nod was the most exquisite forest one could imagine. Its stately oak trees towered above the clouds and you could almost taste its fragrant berries and fruits simply by breathing in and breathing out. Melodic songs composed by babbling brooks harmonized with those being sung by exotic birds of every color as beams of golden sunlight danced upon the dew-drenched leaves. Nod’s well-carved paths meandered in and out of the rainbow carpet that nurtured its flora and fauna of every kind and color under the sun. This jewel called “Nod” was truly a place beyond dreams and beyond fears.

It can be hard to imagine a place where parents could send their children out to play without supervision and without apprehension. But it really did exist only 50 short years ago. Some called Nod the New Jerusalem. I simply called it home.

Unfortunately, my friend, there is no such thing as a flawless jewel, and Nod was no exception. It was barely visible to the human eye – a small, fuzzy, furry caterpillar called Apathy. Ironically, the Apathy caterpillar was anything but apathetic. It had a voracious appetite. However, the citizens of Nod weren’t too concerned about Apathy. As a matter of fact, life was so wonderful and sweet that they were even a little apathetic. After all, Apathy was kind of cute in its own way. Some of the adult played with Apathy – some of the children did too. Its warm and fuzzy tickle had a calming effect – one that proved deadly over the course of time. One of its most dangerous characteristics was its subtlety. There just wasn’t any immediate reaction to its deadly bite, and so its life-threatening poison has gone virtually undetected for nearly 50 years.

Play with Apathy, play with fire

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I too played with Apathy, and I have the scars of indifference to prove it. For nearly 50 years I had nodded off in this dreamlike forest, and it’s only by the grace of God that somehow I have been awakened. Instead of standing on a well-carved path, I look down at a floor that seems to be moving. On closer examination I realize that the floor isn’t moving at all. It’s totally covered with Apathy. I wouldn’t be surprised to find Apathy listed in God’s book of demon names – such a little thing – such massive destruction.

Apathy wasn’t the only unpleasant thing that awakened me. The sweet fragrance of Nod was replaced by the smoke of burning wood and the repulsive odor of decay. In the distance I could hear a faint voice crying, “Fire! Fire!” Perhaps it was that small voice that awakened me out of my 50-year nap. I can barely hear the crackling of the fire as I strain my senses to try to find out where it’s located. Bad news! The fire is everywhere! My first instinct is to sound the alarm, blow the trumpet, and scream to the inhabitants of Nod: “We’re burning! We’re burning!”

Worse news: no one is listening. Why? Why do they keep sleeping? I can’t believe it. There are wells of living water all around the forest; inexhaustible wells everywhere; wells with buckets; wells with more than enough water to put out this fire. If only the people will wake up, we can fight this fire together. Together we can win. Our children too can play in the beautiful land of Nod. If only they will awaken.

May God have mercy on our souls and may God have mercy on America.

Reprinted from The Daily Rant, copyright 2015 Mychal Massie. Used by permission.

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