The Black Door

Recently, a friend handed me a short story by Paul J. Meyer called "The Black Door." As I read it, I saw myself in the story's prisoner: fearful of the unknown behind a door.

In the story a spy is captured during a desert war. The wise old warlord, who sentences him to death, gives him the choice to either face a quick death by the firing squad or take his chances by passing through a mysterious black door.

Minutes before the execution, the warlord asks the frightened spy, "What have you chosen: the firing squad or the black door?"

Imagining terrible torture behind the massive black door, the spy tells the warlord that he chooses the firing squad. Moments later, rifle shots signal his death.

The old warlord turns to his aide and says, "You see how it is with people? They will always prefer the known to the unknown. That man went quietly to his death though I gave him a choice."

"What lies beyond the black door?" asks the aide.

"Freedom," replies the warlord, "and I've known very few men brave enough to take it."

I thank God He gives me strength to face the unknown.