Hollow

Those church doors, once open wide, are closed. Hinges rusted and ancient thorn bushes, once trimmed, now block entry. Inside, the pews are barren. The pulpit, a dust-covered monument to an age gone by. The stained-glass windows, shattered. No hymns echo through the rafters, no prayers or pleas for forgiveness are whispered in the dark corners. There is no one left to ask for salvation. The people have all but vanished, like ghosts on the wind. Their faith in God lost, their souls released from bondage. But somewhere in this hollow church, amidst the echoes and the dust, the spirit of God lingers still, waiting to be reborn within us all.