So Close

Recently, we replaced an older refrigerator in our home. No one was sorry to see it go, and as we wheeled it out of the kitchen to make room for the new one, we made a discovery. All the jostling shook loose onto the floor a dry, shriveled carcass of a mouse. From the look of things, it had been there awhile. 

I am no fan of mice, especially in the house, so its condition caused me no distress whatsoever. But I was struck with the irony of the beast’s ignominious demise in the bowels of our refrigerator. Here it was, within inches of a veritable cornucopia beyond the wildest imaginations of any mouse you care to mention, trapped and starving to death with no way to access the feast inside. So close, and yet so far!

How similar is this situation to the condition of men and women when they strive after satisfaction in life but cannot access the true source of that satisfaction. Scriptural statements such as “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and “without God and without hope in the world” come to mind, with a host of others. Indeed, every idol man has ever devised out of his own imagination is really nothing more than an attempt to access the riches of the Eternal through other doors than those appointed by the Creator of all.

Think about that poor deluded mouse. No doubt the heat under the fridge was comforting and appealing. Occasionally there would be crumbs dropped and kicked underneath to nibble upon. The space underneath would seem to be a safe haven away from pets and people. And its size would ensure that it would not be going anywhere. An outwardly impressive residence for any self-respecting mouse, to be sure. But there was no access to the life-giving food inside from where the mouse was living. Furthermore, even if the mouse could identify the right door to open, it had no ability to do so whatsoever. The fridge was ultimately a death trap.

Now consider the plight of those that hover close to the Church, or simply religion in general. There is a certain degree of comfort in the proximity of the Church: fellowship, mutual help, nostalgic or emotional services, warm music, meaningful liturgies, and social interactions are all wonderful things. And if one happens to glean some useful tidbits for getting along in life every so often, so much the better. One can escape within the four walls of the Church from the daily stresses of life in the pursuit of finding something more satisfying than the chaos of life as usual. Solemnity, learning, companionship, and emotion all combine to give one the impression that this place is going to last, and that what it offers is enough. But if that impression is all that you have, it is an illusion…you are missing the real food that gives and sustains life. “There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) So close, and yet so far!

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” Jesus said in John’s Gospel (14:6). He is the only true door. Knowing that is crucial, but so is realizing that you can’t open it. He has to do so. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9) So humble yourself before him, repent of your sins and cry out to Him for mercy, and believe that He saves to the uttermost those that trust in Him. Only then can you enjoy the life your Lord created you to know.