Love's Never Ending Flame

Love’s Never Ending Flame

Rodney Lewis stood across from his wife Lindsay. The two had just gotten married a week ago, and now they were here waiting to get executed. They were the last of the known Christians for at least a hundred miles, and two of only a thousand for almost five hundred miles. Rodney had begged Lindsay to escape with the others, but she wouldn’t. She insisted on being here, with her husband in his time of need.
“You ready for this?” he asked her. The two locked eyes and he began to cry. “This isn’t how I imagined us together,” he said. I imagined us moving to America and starting our own lives. This scenario never even crossed my mind… Why are you still here Lindsay? You should have gone with the others.”

Lindsay knelt down from the platform, and picked up a flower that was implanted on their post. It was a white rose, her favorite, and was one of the many things that Rodney never forgot. It was a symbol of purity and innocence, traits that he loved about her, and traits that he wouldn’t trade anything in the world for. Lindsay handed him the rose, and rubbed his hand softly.
“Remember how you first tried to get me to go out with you?” she asked. Rodney looked at her confused, then said: “Yeah, I gave you a dozen white roses, which you eventually through on the ground.”

The two couldn’t help but laugh, and they kissed. Rodney could hear two of the guards talking behind him, and he turned around to see if he could hear any better, but before he could make out anything they were saying. The guard on the left, who was noticeable bigger than the others, came walking towards them, with a large gun in his hand.
“This is your last chance,” he said. “Tell us who really committed the crime, and you can go… Look I know you didn’t do this, so why are you taking the blame? Don’t you want a life for yourself?” Rodney looked at his wife, who stared at him, and smiled. The two of them knew it wouldn’t be easy doing this Jesus thing, and they embraced the idea everyday. Everywhere they went, they spread the gospel, teaching about Jesus. They had only been together about a year, and married for a week, but the two of them worked vigorously to spread the gospel, and together they were able to touch the lives of many people, and now the two of them stood here together, awaiting execution.

Rodney turned towards the guard and smiled.
“No, I am just fine where I am.” With that, the cart began moving, and they entered the arena. Hundreds of people were looking at them, waiting to see what would happen. Rodney noticed that every political leader his country contained was here for the “Special Occasion” as some called it. The more the merrier, he thought. The carriage he was on did a complete circle, and then rested facing the leaders. Each one was in their fine cloth, and they were all looking to the sky. It was as if they were praying, but Rodney knew it wasn’t to his God.

One of the leaders who was obviously the head stood up, and walked to the microphone. Silence filled the air, as the anticipation was consistently growing with the more silence there was.
“Do you two have any thing to say for yourself?” he asked. Lindsay began to rub Rodney’s shoulders as he began to speak.
“The only thing I have to say is this. Twenty years ago, I received Jesus Christ into my hea—
“That’s enough,” said the leader, but Rodney kept going. “Twenty years ago, I was lost in darkness, and I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I was a lot like you all in the audience. I came here almost every time they had an execution, just to see the faces of everyone that was going to die. But they all had something in comm”
“Stop this man from speaking anymore!” someone yelled.

Rodney could see at least twenty men rushing towards him. He had little time to finish, so he had to make it quick.
“Common. They were all happy. Everyone that was in the position that I am in right now, were all happy, and I thought to myself, how can I get the same thing that they have?”
The guards were closer now, but he still had time. Thank you Lord, he thought. “The answer is Jesus Christ,” he continued “And I hope that you all will find Him as soon has possible. Every single one of you knows what I’m talking about,” but before he could finish what he was saying, one of the guards struck him across the head, knocking him out cold.

Rodney awoke with Lindsay in his arms. They had fallen asleep together, and they had obviously knocked her out to, as she had a massive bruise on her head.
“I love you,” he whispered. She didn’t answer, but Rodney couldn’t help but notice her beauty. How did I get so lucky God? He asked himself. Rodney noticed some clanging in the background, and it was getting louder. Soon the noise filled the room, and four guards opened the gate, and walked in.
“It is time,” one of them said. Rodney awoke Lindsay, and she quickly got to her feet, and then helped Rodney to his.

The six of them slowly made there way to the top, with two guards leading the way, and two other behind them. They eventually got to the top, and were lead to an elevated platform in the middle of the arena. Rodney could smell a strong stench of gasoline, They were going to burn him? Lindsay looked at him nervously, then smiled.
“Don’t worry,” she said. The two were told to stand at the top, or be tortured almost to death, only to be lead back here if they tried to escape.

One of the guards struck a match, and lit the wood that was beneath the platform. The flames began to rise slowly but steadily as Rodney began to realize this was the end.
“This isn’t how I imagined us,” Rodney said as he began to cry, but Lindsay stopped him.
“You have already told me this, but don’t worry; soon we will be in heaven.” The two of them began to laugh with joy at the thought. They were almost home. Lindsay took Rodney’s hand into hers, leaned forward and kissed him. The fire spread all around them, and the heat was almost to much to bare.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you to,” he replied. Rodney puller her close to him, and hugged her as the fire began to crawl up his leg and onto his body. With his last breath, he kissed her, and the two of them slipped into eternity into each other’s arms…

The fire from where they stood took two days to put out. Everyone in the arena that day understood that Love is a never-ending flame.