Years ago I heard a story that impressed me so deeply at the time, I’ve never forgotten it. It goes something like this:
Lt. John Blanchard was a young soldier stationed at an Army Base in Florida during the first part of WWII. One day he was reading through a book he had borrowed from the Base Library. He was impressed with some of the notes written in the margin. They were written in feminine handwriting and they were so tender and so thought provoking that he looked back at the fly-leaf to see who had been the previous owner of the book. He found it was a woman named Hollis Maynell.
Blanchard did some research and found her address in New York. He wrote her a letter telling her how much he appreciated her insights in the book. The next day he was shipped overseas but for the next thirteen months, John Blanchard and Hollis Maynell corresponded back and forth. They developed a tremendous relationship through their correspondence and found they had much in common and they thought very much alike.
They began to realize they were falling in love with each other though they had never met. Blanchard asked Hollis Maynell if she would send a picture but she refused. She wrote, “if you really care about me, it wouldn’t matter what I look like because it’s character and what’s inside that really counts.”
After thirteen months the day finally came when he was to meet her. They made arrangements to meet at Grand Central Station in New York City at 7:00 p.m. on a particular night. She said, “you’ll be able to identify me by the red rose I’ll be wearing in my lapel.”
Lt. Blanchard waited with anticipation. Finally, a group of people got off a train and were coming toward him. Out in front was a slender, blond woman with great poise and beauty. She came in a pale green dress that looked like the freshness of Spring and his heart leaped out of his chest as he started toward her.
Then he saw that she did not have a red rose in her lapel even though she was looking directly at him. As she went by with a provocative smile she said, “going my way, soldier?”
Suddenly, he felt a strong desire to follow her but then right behind her he saw Hollis Maynell. She was over forty years of age, had graying hair and was vastly overweight but she was wearing a rose in the lapel of her wrinkled coat. She had gray eyes and a kindly expression but he was so disappointed.
Everything within him wanted to chase after the beautiful blond who was now disappearing. But then he remembered the relationship he developed through those letters and even though this probably wouldn’t develop into marriage, he realized maybe it would develop into something very meaningful, a friendship, a companionship perhaps that he had not known before.
So, without hesitation, he handed her the book which identified him to her and reached for her bag and said, “Are you ready to go to dinner?”
“Young man, I don’t know what this is all about,” she said, “but that blond woman begged me to put on this red rose and she said if you asked me out to eat with you I should tell you that you were suppose to meet her in the restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test.”
Lt. John Blanchard passed the test. Would we?
I’m not sure why this tired story is so often repeated. I’m even less sure why it would be repeated in a blog. This is not a very effective use of writing. I’d enjoy more original thoughts and ideas. In addition, as is with many stories like this one, the ideas are sexist. I’m really not clear at all what biblical passages would be used to show how this story. Just imagine if the story was told with the roles reversed and Lt. Jane Blanchard was tested like that.
I know I’ve seen this story repeated. Why do you think this is appropriate? To me it is simply not appropriate, and I really wonder why a Christian would think it was.
I think what makes me hate this story is how the Lt.’s reward seemed to be a beautiful woman. It screams at me of sexual impurity and idolatry. How would the story be any less effective if the woman had been in a wheelchair? How about if she had been simply overweight? Or short? Or Asian or Black or Indian?
Why was her being so beautiful an important aspect of the story? To me, if he had met her, and if he had been able to remember who she was in the letters and had gotten past what his eyes were seeing, the story might have been more helpful.
Otherwise, what does this part of the story mean? “They began to realize they were falling in love with each other though they had never met. Blanchard asked Hollis Maynell if she would send a picture but she refused. She wrote, “if you really care about me, it wouldn’t matter what I look like because it’s character and what’s inside that really counts.”
But when he met her, what she looked like did matter, didn’t it? He went from “falling in love” to “She had gray eyes and a kindly expression but he was so disappointed”. Are to be impressed because he was so noble as to not follow some sexy woman, “Going my way”, and actually continue on to dinner with this woman “forty years of age, had graying hair and was vastly overweight”?!? Why? All he did was not follow a brazen hussy and stick to his commitment to have dinner, all the while acknowledging that after all the “falling in love” he had done through the many months of letters that it had all changed now because of how she looked! He is rewarded for his actions “Are you ready to go to dinner?”, but we seem to overlook his thoughts, feelings, motives and intentions! He did NOT overlook her looks, and that was the test that was supposed to be passed! He failed, didn’t he? He will not continue a love relationship because of her physicality! He failed!
Being able to see the beauty inside is a precious gift. Some people have it and others don’t. I didn’t. But since I became a Christian I have changed. Now when I look at people I don’t seem to notice their appearance so much as the light that comes from inside. From their eyes, their smile or their laugh. I feel that I am being shown people as He sees them.
The good Lt. noticed her appearance, and while he went to dinner, he did so only after making up his mind that there was no way he could get over her looks and remember that she was still the woman he had fallen in love with.
[…] I know I’ve seen this story repeated, and just this month our pastor regurgitated it in his blog (INTEGRITY AND THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN Insight for the Journey). To me it was a waste of ****e, but hey, he can write whatever he wants. Pillar, why do you think […]
kb you have great thoughts about this ‘parable.’ It’s a funny thing about parables and short stories, often as Jesus did they are told with one main point in mind. However, we as humans have imperfections and tend to look deeper into parables and find many imperfections with them. For this story the main point is about character, one of the most unappreciated qualities in America at this time. I would have to say that the reward for character is often even better than a beautiful woman.
I know this probably won’t change your opinion on the parable; however I would like to point to Rex’s ingenious model of keeping the core things core, convictions convictions, and preferences preferences. I would think that this ‘imperfect’ parable being told or not would land in the preference area, though you may feel it would be a conviction. The best part about this is that we can have these vastly different convictions or opinions and still be Christ followers.
-a fellow follower of The Savior
It made me think of the coming of anti-christ as foretold in 2 Thes. 2 and Rev. 6 as well as other place’s in the OT… and how many will be fooled by his coming !!!
Myself, i would like to hear some of this coming from the pulpit… many will be fooled, even the elect… satin is coming and will be doing so just as Christ and the body needs to be warned!!!
I recommend including an attribution to the original author, S. I. Kishor. I’ve read that it was originally published in a 1943 edition of Colliers and later in Readers Digest, May 1951. Although I have not verified either source, the source of that information (Snopes) has been reliable in other instances. In fact, I recommend Rex check all his stories at Snopes before repeating them either in a blog or a sermon, particularly ones that are presented as truth rather than parable (I took this as parable).
As far as I’m concerned, the only integrity issue in the story is the soldier keeping his word and meeting the woman as promised. Honestly, big whoop. To say a man or woman should ignore physical attraction in choosing a mate is hogwash.
Hey, Mark. I’m wondering why you say “ignore physical attraction”? Are you saying (and I’m not saying you are) that it is hogwash to put physical attraction in perspective? Are you inferring that physical attraction must be a factor?
Where do you see in the story, or in the posts, that physical attraction “should” be ignored? Are you referring to when she said “if you really care about me, it wouldn’t matter what I look like because it’s character and what’s inside that really counts.”?
Jut curious.
I think you have all missed the boat here.
I believe the story was to point out the fact that just because the package may look good from the outside; the inside could very well be a disappointment.
I enjoyed the story which reinforces the fact that character above all comes first, and then, and only then, if you past the ‘character test’; beauty is merely icing on the cake.
I think you all read entirely too much into this.
Thanks for this reminder Pastor Keener.
SW,
We may have missed the boat, but you might be paddling with one oar.
Guess what direction that keeps you going?
Good luck with that.
I love this story. I believe it is a christian teaching . Growing up in the 50’s …intergity was so important and even more important was a christian walk and talk. I feel this has been lost in the “Facebook..MySpace era” It is all about what makes you FEEL good or LOOKS good that counts. That would not be what Jesus teach. l
Look into the heart and that determines the persons values. Yes…..I will take that as a biblical lesson and you may choose not to…please don’t be so judgemental of those of us that see the beauty and value in this story.
I think this is a great story.