It began with one. One person, then two, then all were sick. The plague spread over the land and no one escaped the fright that it brought. Soon in every home, from morning till night, the cries of those left behind were heard as they mourned the deaths of those that fell victim to the plague.
It was no respecter of persons, striking both rich and poor, known and unknown. From the oldest member of the family to the youngest child, the terrible disease struck. There was a constant stream of mourners as death ruled. No one was able to defeat its grip.
The responses of the people to the terrible plague were as varied as there were people. Some tried making rules to keep them from suffering the consequence. They made rules, do this, don't do that, you can touch this, you can't touch that, wear this, don't wear that, but the cold hands of the plague still grabbed whom it wanted and brought forth death.
Some accepted the reality of the plague by adopting the eat, drink and be merry, tomorrow we die philosophy. Their lives were marked by the seeking of any and all physical pleasures. "Grab all of life you can because tomorrow you may be dead. All you have is today, there is no hope, so don't consider the consequences" they told each other.
Others decided that possessions were the answer. With more possession came positions of power and prestigue. Since the reality of the plague meant that life was short, the best life could be found in ruling over others, having more than others means having more money to buy bigger and better toys to enjoy what little time life offered them.
And there were those that decided that working for things and pleasure was not the way to gain such things, but that taking such things from others was far easier. They became the biggest,the strongest, and the meanest. They simply took what they wanted from others, not fearing any consequence.
There were a few others who took a different approach. They moved into the hills, the rocks and the caves and totally tried to separate themselves from others, hoping that they would not catch the dreaded plague but even from the hills came the cries of the living, weeping over the loss of those who lived this hermit life.
Attempt after attempt was made to discover a cure, but all failed. Death continued to take its toll, grabbing rich and poor, young and old. No one escaped its grip.
But then a man came; a man who did not have the plague. He walked among those who were dying and was not affected by the plague of death. A careful seach revealed that the cure was in his blood. A cure had been found, death could be defeated.
At first only a few believed the news and were willing to recieve the treatment. But as soon as they were treated by the blood, they could sense the difference. Their life became filled with hope and joy and as you could imagine, they went out telling others the good news.
You would have expected that this news would have been received with great joy, but alas, it was not so. Some were convinced that it was only a hoax, that the method they were using to cure the disease was just an illusion, so they refused treatment. In fact, they resented the implication of those that told them they had found the only way.
Others said they were having too much fun. They were enjoying the physical pleasures, they were so addicted to some pleasures that they chose not to believe that the cure could really help them.
Soon, the few who had been treated became discouraged. Not many were listening, not many were coming to be treated, they were tired of being rejected when they knew they had such good news. They returned defeated. But as they gathered together, the man who had brought the cure told them that the reason he had come to them was that he had heard they had the plague of death, and that unless someone came, someone who was not infected by the plague of death, someone who was willing to give his blood, their plight was hopeless.
Who is it that needs this cure? Is it not you, your family, your friends? Is it not your neighbors and coworkers? Do not even your enemies face the plague; hopeless in their futile battle to defeat it? Can you not be motivated by your love for them, motivated by their hopeless condition, motived by the reality that death is sure and coming quickly? Friends, go back out into every place and tell everyone that you can. Tell them if they will come to me, I will turn no one away, I have enough cure for them all. Go again and keep going, for there is no other way.
