Another chapter. I had a good chuckle reading this chapter again, but no joke, this was a grievous time in my life where i was looking to connect with others intent on following Jesus. Unfortunately, i kept coming across stuff like this, although i use symbolism.
And not that I'm perfect myself, just saying.
Under the Influence
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. ~Hebrews 12:14-15
The next day Sarah woke up early with a desire to return to her home church. When she had first discovered it she was nursing some hurts and wounds from the tensions that divided the body of Christ. With their focus on the love of God it became an oasis from it all; a place where she could heal and recover. Thus, it held a warm place in her heart.
After sufficient recovery she began to fade away, although today she found a renewed desire to attend service, not doubting a good deal of it had to do with the events that took place the previous day. Before falling asleep that evening she had already decided to return to Christian Stepfordville and felt this would help keep her grounded.
Pastor gave a lovely service about Jesus being our Shelter and help in time of need. It was exactly what she needed to hear that morning and she offered a whispered, "Thanks," heavenward.
Although Sarah noticed many of her neighbors still in attendance, she didn’t stick around after service for she was eager to be on her way. Sarah then drove her car right back to Christian Stepfordville and checked in with the guard. She made an attempt at some small talk in the hopes of breaking the ice, but he still didn’t warm up to her. So, after receiving clearance, she saw no reason to stick around and continued on her way.
Sarah came to a brief stop in front of Alex’s subdivision where she contemplated where to go next, and as she eyed the neighborhood across the street she spotted a young man motioning to her and waving her in. Shen then crossed over.
The setting was in stark contrast to that of their neighbors. The homes were what you would find in any low income neighborhood and in desperate need of repairs. Meanwhile, the streets were filled with teenagers playing loud music and buzzing with much activity, seemingly oblivious to the trash that spilled over from the yards.
Further along she came across a familiar sight. It appeared this neighborhood was also equipped with its own marketplace and that is where she decided to park. As she drew closer she was struck with a sense of déjà vu. Just a few yards away in the center of the plaza there stood a classy, contemporary diner with a retro-look. The exterior was a rich mixture of bold coloring, sharp lines, and distinctive features. Sarah was acutely aware of its stark contrast to the shops and restaurants looking as if they were condemned to demolition.
It’s the same contrast I saw in Alex’s neighborhood with the café and shops, but here it’s in reverse.
As Sarah contemplated the relevance of this she saw JC pass within her line of vision and enter that very diner. Her heart leaped at the sight of him and she immediately began to follow after him, but after just a few steps she was suddenly distracted by a young man that bumped into her as he came flying by. Sarah nearly lost her footing, although she was able to recover. She then turned to see if he was alright, but he had faded into a crowd huddled in a circle.
Wondering what all the commotion was about she walked over there and worked her way in with the intention of only staying for a moment; just enough time to check things out. On a platform in the center of the crowd there stood a young man with long, dark hair that appeared to be on fire. He was dressed all in black and overweight for his frame, but it was his strange glasses that captured most of her attention.
He spoke about a growing revolution, while pausing periodically to take long drags from the cigarette in his hand. "Let us continue the fight for our liberty and rights. Do not be bound again by the chains of religion with its controlling men full of self-indulgence and ill intentions. Don’t listen to them. They’ll make you sick, then blame you for it."
Sarah’s eyes followed the steady stream of smoke he exhaled into the crowd. She then witnessed others also engaged in their own unhealthy indulgences that they freely shared amongst themselves. Just then electrical currents began to pulsate through the crowd, igniting their flesh. It reminded her of the time her stove was not properly grounded and nearly caught fire. Then, as the sound of coughing broke out among them, she knew this atmosphere of second-hand smoke mingled with the stench of flesh was a ripe breeding ground for sickness and diseases.
Her vision then turned to two youngsters with slightly bulging stomachs. Alarmed, she worked her way towards them when she heard someone yell out, "Hey! You stepped on my foot! Did you see that? She stepped on my foot!"
Sarah offered a quick apology over her shoulder while continuing on her way intent on reaching the two. A sinking feeling ran through the pit of her stomach when she found them sharing a cigarette. With visible distress that was mounting by the minute, she began to address them, "You really shouldn’t be inhaling all this smoke. I know it isn’t always easy giving up a bad habit, but there is help out there available. This isn’t healthy, even life threatening . . ."
The younger of the two stared her down in bitter resentment before angrily replying, "You’re not my mother!"
The other got a good laugh at that. "He’s right, you know. They’re always trying to scare us into submission and control."
Sarah’s face dropped in astonishment. What is wrong with
these kids? Has everyone gone mad?! The way others kept missing her heart in this community she was starting to feel invisible. Thinking a better route may be to try and reason with the young man, she began to walk away.
"Miss, are you ok?" The concerned query stopped her in her tracks. Recognizing a window of opportunity had opened she took a deep breath in an attempt to hold onto her own sanity, then turned to face them again and opened her mouth in the hopes of helping them see the light.
Before she could even get a word out their attention was diverted by an angry shout, "Get out of the way!" Sarah scanned the crowd to see where it was coming from, but instead she found everyone’s eyes glued to their host with such intensity. He now stood with his back towards them, while staring into the darkness before him. Her vision then zoomed in on the many wounds on his back. When he turned to face them again, he had a glass in hand and offered up a toast, "To liberty, equality, and justice for all. For this cause we continue to struggle and fight."
The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping, then rushed to a table filled with more glasses and joined in the toast. Suddenly, a chant broke out among them as they roared in unison about their cause and fighting for their rights. It reminded her of some of the wild, rock concerts she had attended as a teen and wondered if they were under the influence. Just then a dreadful chill filled the air and she thought she saw a dark figure float by, but she didn’t give it much attention as she quickly proceeded towards the table determined to see what they were consuming.
At the table she began to inspect its contents. Sure enough, it was filled with kegs of beer and strong drink. She even spotted tequila with worms in the bottle.
Sarah continued to watch in dismay as the young crowd reached for the liquor as if it were Kool-Aid. How irresponsible! she thought angrily. And where are their parents?!
With each consumption their shouts grew louder, the sound
becoming deafening. To add to her distress, she saw their host approach with a cart filled with more strong drink that he used to replenish the bottles.
That’s it! her heart screamed. This can’t go on! Someone’s got to look out for these kids and care enough to say something!
And with her heart bent on their well-being, she approached the young man and abruptly asked, "What are you doing? These are just kids."
In a drunken stupor he muttered something about new wine. Then, with the expertise of a bartender, he prepared a mixed drink and offered it to her. It was then that she caught sight of that dark figure once again, now intently watching her as if to see what she would do.
And not that I'm perfect myself, just saying.
Under the Influence
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. ~Hebrews 12:14-15
The next day Sarah woke up early with a desire to return to her home church. When she had first discovered it she was nursing some hurts and wounds from the tensions that divided the body of Christ. With their focus on the love of God it became an oasis from it all; a place where she could heal and recover. Thus, it held a warm place in her heart.
After sufficient recovery she began to fade away, although today she found a renewed desire to attend service, not doubting a good deal of it had to do with the events that took place the previous day. Before falling asleep that evening she had already decided to return to Christian Stepfordville and felt this would help keep her grounded.
Pastor gave a lovely service about Jesus being our Shelter and help in time of need. It was exactly what she needed to hear that morning and she offered a whispered, "Thanks," heavenward.
Although Sarah noticed many of her neighbors still in attendance, she didn’t stick around after service for she was eager to be on her way. Sarah then drove her car right back to Christian Stepfordville and checked in with the guard. She made an attempt at some small talk in the hopes of breaking the ice, but he still didn’t warm up to her. So, after receiving clearance, she saw no reason to stick around and continued on her way.
Sarah came to a brief stop in front of Alex’s subdivision where she contemplated where to go next, and as she eyed the neighborhood across the street she spotted a young man motioning to her and waving her in. Shen then crossed over.
The setting was in stark contrast to that of their neighbors. The homes were what you would find in any low income neighborhood and in desperate need of repairs. Meanwhile, the streets were filled with teenagers playing loud music and buzzing with much activity, seemingly oblivious to the trash that spilled over from the yards.
Further along she came across a familiar sight. It appeared this neighborhood was also equipped with its own marketplace and that is where she decided to park. As she drew closer she was struck with a sense of déjà vu. Just a few yards away in the center of the plaza there stood a classy, contemporary diner with a retro-look. The exterior was a rich mixture of bold coloring, sharp lines, and distinctive features. Sarah was acutely aware of its stark contrast to the shops and restaurants looking as if they were condemned to demolition.
It’s the same contrast I saw in Alex’s neighborhood with the café and shops, but here it’s in reverse.
As Sarah contemplated the relevance of this she saw JC pass within her line of vision and enter that very diner. Her heart leaped at the sight of him and she immediately began to follow after him, but after just a few steps she was suddenly distracted by a young man that bumped into her as he came flying by. Sarah nearly lost her footing, although she was able to recover. She then turned to see if he was alright, but he had faded into a crowd huddled in a circle.
Wondering what all the commotion was about she walked over there and worked her way in with the intention of only staying for a moment; just enough time to check things out. On a platform in the center of the crowd there stood a young man with long, dark hair that appeared to be on fire. He was dressed all in black and overweight for his frame, but it was his strange glasses that captured most of her attention.
He spoke about a growing revolution, while pausing periodically to take long drags from the cigarette in his hand. "Let us continue the fight for our liberty and rights. Do not be bound again by the chains of religion with its controlling men full of self-indulgence and ill intentions. Don’t listen to them. They’ll make you sick, then blame you for it."
Sarah’s eyes followed the steady stream of smoke he exhaled into the crowd. She then witnessed others also engaged in their own unhealthy indulgences that they freely shared amongst themselves. Just then electrical currents began to pulsate through the crowd, igniting their flesh. It reminded her of the time her stove was not properly grounded and nearly caught fire. Then, as the sound of coughing broke out among them, she knew this atmosphere of second-hand smoke mingled with the stench of flesh was a ripe breeding ground for sickness and diseases.
Her vision then turned to two youngsters with slightly bulging stomachs. Alarmed, she worked her way towards them when she heard someone yell out, "Hey! You stepped on my foot! Did you see that? She stepped on my foot!"
Sarah offered a quick apology over her shoulder while continuing on her way intent on reaching the two. A sinking feeling ran through the pit of her stomach when she found them sharing a cigarette. With visible distress that was mounting by the minute, she began to address them, "You really shouldn’t be inhaling all this smoke. I know it isn’t always easy giving up a bad habit, but there is help out there available. This isn’t healthy, even life threatening . . ."
The younger of the two stared her down in bitter resentment before angrily replying, "You’re not my mother!"
The other got a good laugh at that. "He’s right, you know. They’re always trying to scare us into submission and control."
Sarah’s face dropped in astonishment. What is wrong with
these kids? Has everyone gone mad?! The way others kept missing her heart in this community she was starting to feel invisible. Thinking a better route may be to try and reason with the young man, she began to walk away.
"Miss, are you ok?" The concerned query stopped her in her tracks. Recognizing a window of opportunity had opened she took a deep breath in an attempt to hold onto her own sanity, then turned to face them again and opened her mouth in the hopes of helping them see the light.
Before she could even get a word out their attention was diverted by an angry shout, "Get out of the way!" Sarah scanned the crowd to see where it was coming from, but instead she found everyone’s eyes glued to their host with such intensity. He now stood with his back towards them, while staring into the darkness before him. Her vision then zoomed in on the many wounds on his back. When he turned to face them again, he had a glass in hand and offered up a toast, "To liberty, equality, and justice for all. For this cause we continue to struggle and fight."
The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping, then rushed to a table filled with more glasses and joined in the toast. Suddenly, a chant broke out among them as they roared in unison about their cause and fighting for their rights. It reminded her of some of the wild, rock concerts she had attended as a teen and wondered if they were under the influence. Just then a dreadful chill filled the air and she thought she saw a dark figure float by, but she didn’t give it much attention as she quickly proceeded towards the table determined to see what they were consuming.
At the table she began to inspect its contents. Sure enough, it was filled with kegs of beer and strong drink. She even spotted tequila with worms in the bottle.
Sarah continued to watch in dismay as the young crowd reached for the liquor as if it were Kool-Aid. How irresponsible! she thought angrily. And where are their parents?!
With each consumption their shouts grew louder, the sound
becoming deafening. To add to her distress, she saw their host approach with a cart filled with more strong drink that he used to replenish the bottles.
That’s it! her heart screamed. This can’t go on! Someone’s got to look out for these kids and care enough to say something!
And with her heart bent on their well-being, she approached the young man and abruptly asked, "What are you doing? These are just kids."
In a drunken stupor he muttered something about new wine. Then, with the expertise of a bartender, he prepared a mixed drink and offered it to her. It was then that she caught sight of that dark figure once again, now intently watching her as if to see what she would do.
