The Ladder: A Christmas Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young man named Joe who enjoyed walking out into the fields each day.  In every field stood hundreds – no, thousands – of ladders stretching into the clouds.   One person stood by each ladder.  Some stood at the base, others were halfway up, and still others climbed and climbed until only their feet could be seen through the cloud cover. 

Joe walked these sunny fields every day in search of his own ladder to climb.  Looking to his right as he walked, he saw an old man about twenty steps up, solemnly climbing.  He did not look at Joe so Joe called up to him.  “Hello, sir!  How’s it going?”

The old man smiled.  “I pray three times a day, tithe once a week – and I even helped bake the bread for communion last Sunday.  Yessir, I’m on my way!”

“What exactly are you climbing the ladder for, sir?” Joe asked.

The old man bobbed his head wisely.  “Well, son, there’s a great reward up there.  Gotta keep climbing to get it.”

Joe nodded and moved on.  Next he overtook a woman in her mid-thirties who looked enraptured with the clouds above her.  She was almost halfway to the sky. 

“Hello, ma’am!” Joe called.  “How’s it going?”

The woman looked down at Joe.  “Greetings!  Can you believe it?  I am almost halfway there.  Just a bit more meditation.  With the right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration I will reach the top!”

“What’s up there for you?” Joe asked.

“Nirvana!” the woman answered joyously.  “Goodbye now!”

Joe strained his eyes to see his own ladder and kept walking.  Next he came upon a man in his forties who was climbing at a very fast pace.  “Hello there!  How’s it going?”

The man stopped and looked down at Joe.  “Hello!  It’s going very well!  I am ahead of almost every other person here.  I say the shahadah; I pray five times a day; I give alms; I fast during Ramadan; and I’m on my way to Mecca!  I’m completing all the requirements and so far my good must outweigh my bad!”

“What’s up there for you?” Joe asked.

“If Allah allows me entrance, eternal life!” the man answered.  “Goodbye now!”

Joe walked at least another mile until the sun began setting and he could no longer see many of the ladders.   Having still not found his own ladder, he sighed and started back the way he came.  As the dusk settled around him, he passed the ladder where he had last stopped to talk.

The Muslim man was climbing down slowly, quite out of spirits.

“Hello again, sir!” Joe called.  “Did you reach the top?  Why have you come back down?”

The man reached the ground and slowly turned to Joe.  “I did reach the top, but . . . He said there was nothing up there for me.  He closed the door.”

“Who did?  What door?” Joe asked, but the man had already begun walking away, his head down.

A little while later, Joe came upon the Buddhist woman, who was also climbing down her ladder.  “Hello again, ma’am!” Joe called.  “Did you reach the top?  Why have you come back down?”

The woman looked stricken.  “I do not understand it!” she replied.  “I reached the top, but . . . He said there was nothing up there for me.  He closed the door.”

“What door?” Joe asked.  “Who closed it?  What is up there?” but the woman had already begun walking away, her head down.

A bit frightened now, Joe kept walking.  A little while later he came upon the old man, who was also climbing down his ladder.  “You too, sir?  You reached the top and the door was closed?”

The old man sighed.  “Not exactly.  I saw Him, but He said He never knew me, and I could not earn my admittance into that place.  Then He shut the door.  It was awful.”

“He who?  What door?  What is up there?  Please, I don’t understand!”

“Find out for yourself,” the man pointed.  “There is your ladder.  But I warn you, don’t do what I did.  It’s no use.”

Thoroughly confused, Joe ran to his ladder and stared up into the darkening sky.  “If I can’t earn my way, how can I ever get there?  Please!” he shouted to the sky.  “I want to come up!”

As he stared intently up his ladder, Joe noticed that someone was climbing down.  When the man came into earshot, Joe called, “Oh, I’m sorry; this is your ladder.  I thought it was mine.”

“It is!” said the man as he continued his descent.  “And these are MY heavens.  You say you want to come up?  Well, you cannot earn your way up there.  The others found that out the hard way.  The only way to come in is if I come down to get you.  And I did!  On a night much like tonight, actually – a night that is celebrated throughout the world, but the meaning of which is largely ignored.  The world celebrates with presents and Christmas trees and family, but the real meaning is lost.  The real meaning is that I came down to get you, Joe – to save you when nothing else could.”

The Man stopped when He was one rung from the ground. 

“Why have you stopped?” Joe asked.

“The other people tried to climb the ladder to reach Me, but they couldn’t.  No one can earn their way into My Home.  I am the only Way in!  And I have done all that it necessary to take you Home with Me.”

Still a bit confused, Joe said timidly, “But . . . can’t I do anything to go Home with You?”

“Yes you can!” the Man answered, smiling.  He stretched out His hand, and Joe noticed a hole in the wrist.  “Take My hand and climb up the first step.”

Thank you, Lord, for Jesus!  He is the only Way, the only One who comes down the ladder to get us, instead of us trying to climb the ladder to Him!  Hallelujah!  He is Emmanuel -- "God With Us"!!!

Merry CHRISTmas, and God bless!  <3