In a Bible study today, we read through 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 ("One Body with Many Members"). One of the verses that really struck a chord for me was 26. "If one member suffers, all suffer together, if one member is honored all rejoice together." This, along with the chapter that it is leading up to (the classic love chapter: "The Way of Love") led me to the realization that apathy is not there.
Whether we are suffering or rejoicing, there is something there. If we are loving, we feel the love for others. There should be no absence of love, there should be no constant nonchalant cool-mindedness, and no apathy. This is one of those times that what the verses didn't say really meant something.
I had been reading through The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis and did a great job at showing what an absence of apathy really meant. The world had been turned upside down. Narnians were led to believe in a false god. They began to thing, "Tash is Aslan: Aslan is Tash." Which is an unforgivable fallacy.
The End of Days had been drawing closer to the world of Narnia. This book was meant to show a vision of the end of the world. There had been those who forgot their God and there had been those who just didn't care. There were some who were too self-focused to be able to see heaven unfold about them. "They never looked round or took any notice..." There were those who ended up being cast aside in the shadow of Aslan because of their disloyalty. "I don't know what became of them." And, then there were those who gave their all. They had finally reached the paradise that they had always dreamed of. "My happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound."
Wouldn't you want to be able to say that you really gave it your all? The main characters died because of their loyalty to Aslan. But, their death was more glorious than painful.
There was even a unique tale of a foreigner/Gentile. He had not known that he knew the Lord. But, he still searched for him. Because he had searched, he had found him. Although he didn't recognize him, he was saved. "Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
Although, emotion, virtue, and works are never enough to save someone (not even a Narnian), they are traits that should be flowing from the Faith that has been gifted by the Holy Spirit.
We are to love God, love each other, and love our progress in the vocations that we have been given.
"Take the adventure that Aslan sends us."
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