The following is an out-take from one of my upcoming books, "Where All Worlds End." I thought it was appropriate for this Easter Season.
“Ginna?” Jael’s voice interrupted her memories. “I think I’m losing my faith.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Well,
I can’t seem to pray anymore. The Lord
has left me—that’s what it feels like.”
“But
in The Book he tells us, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ You know, Jael, I think you’re the one who so
often quoted that—especially when we were wandering lost in the Galaxy, trying
to find Maia—Mother Earth.”
“But
when we found it, the problems were still the same. I thought at first that the Lord must be
testing us. But now it seems that it
will never end.”
“What
will never end? The world—or our
troubles?”
“Both,
I guess, Ginna.”
“Well,
you know The Book warns that as this world draws to a close, there will be many
who scoff and try to make us believe that the Lord is not returning. But he has warned us so we can be prepared to
fight against these challenges.”
“I
know. I remember telling my sister about
that. But what if I can’t believe it
anymore myself?”
“That’s
the little voice in your mind that lurks in the dark and whispers, ‘There’s no
way out.’ But it’s a lie. Don’t believe it, Jael. I know how it feels, though—I’ve been there
many times.”
“You
have?”
“Lots,
especially when I was struggling to be a good single parent to my daughter,
only to have her turn her back on my faith and all I stood for. It was almost enough to make me want to die.”
“But
things are better now, aren’t they?”
“Yes,
Jael, they are—when I’m actually in my own time, with my loved ones.”
“Including
your new husband, I take it? I bet you miss him right now, while you're here in my time.”
She
only nodded—somehow her voice was lost in a wave of emotion.
“I’m
sorry we messed up your life to try and help my sister.”
“Please
don’t feel badly, Jael. I came because I care about her, and she needs me.”
Suddenly
he gave a high-pitched cry and gripped her hand in a fierce hold.
“Ouch!" she cried. "What’s the matter?”
“I’m
sorry, Ginna. I just had to grab onto
someone so that he wouldn’t take me away.”
“So
who wouldn’t take you?”
“I
think it was the Serpent, or one of his demons.” Jael was sweating and panting by this
time. Ginna quickly began to massage his
arms, and pulled his head down into her lap.
“Breathe
long slow breaths, Jael. Think of the
most beautiful, calm place you can. The
Serpent is gone, remember?”
Gradually
his breathing returned to normal, and Ginna did her best to calm herself also.
“Ginna,”
he murmured at last. “How can we know
for sure the Serpent is really gone—or that what The Book tells us about the
Lord is really true? What if it’s just a
story or myth someone made up?”
“Jael,
you saw the Evil One with your own eyes!”
“I
got a glimpse—yes. But I didn’t see the whole battle, remember?”
She
took his hand gently. “I know.”
"I feel so weak and useless sometimes. Especially since the Serpent held me captive so long. ”
Now
she pulled him into her embrace. “That’s
why the evil ones can get to you. But
keep on being brave, Jael. I know the
King still has plans for you. Besides,
have you already forgotten what The Wise One, Johan, told us just the other
day--about how many tests of historical reliability The Book has passed?”
“Please
help me remember, Ginna. I think I’m
sinking into the depression that seems to run in my family.”
“You’re
just emotionally exhausted, Jael. I
would be too, if I was facing what you are—especially after all the other
things you’ve been through.”
As
she collected her thoughts, she continued to slowly massage his temples, and
run her fingers through his blond hair.
Again, she had that quick electrifying sense of her younger brother’s
presence—just for an instant. At last
she spoke:
“Well,
I know you and Johan have talked a lot about the creation and the beginning of
all things--”
“And
about the end times, too.”
“Let’s
look at some of the historical events recorded in The Book.”
“Right
in the middle of Earth history?”
She
nodded. “Let’s look at the central
element of the Believers’ faith—the resurrection of the Lord.”
“I
remember reading somewhere that if the resurrection is false, then all of the
beliefs in Christ are for nothing.”
“That’s
right, Jael. It even says that in The
Book: ‘And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching
is useless, and so is your faith. More
than that, we are found to be false witnesses about God’.”
“Where
does it say that, Ginna?”
“It’s
in a letter by Paul, to the Believers in Corinth Greece
“But
what does it have to do with us?”
“But
didn’t you notice how Paul said if the resurrection isn’t true, then everything
he was preaching was a lie? Think of the
early Believers, and all the persecution they faced.”
“Like
what Believers have faced here, and in all of the Galactic System.”
“That’s
right,” she tried to smile. “Believers
have been persecuted in all ways imaginable down through time. But stop and think of this: would all these
people who were persecuted and killed have gone through all that, if they knew their faith was based on a lie?”
“Of
course not! But how could they know it
was true?”
“They
were basing their faith on the testimony of those who went before.”
“Recorded
in The Book!”
“That’s
right, and in other writings, too—by godly men and women who also trusted in
The Book. And if we go all the way back
to those men and women who were eyewitnesses of the resurrection--”
“Oh,
I remember talking with Johan about the value of eyewitnesses!”
“Okay,
good. So, the people who actually saw
the risen Lord were among the first ones who gave their lives for the faith.”
“So,
what does that prove?”
“Think
on it, Jael! They were the ones who
would have known for certain whether the resurrection was true or a
fake—right?”
He
nodded, looking puzzled.
“They
were the ones who went through all kinds of physical and mental torture for
their faith. And they were willing to
endure all that because they knew
their faith was based in fact, not fiction.”
“Okay,”
he nodded slowly.
“More
than that, though,” she smiled. “The
Lord gave us a few extra details to make sure we could trust the evidence.”
“Like
what?”
“Well,
it was a group of women who found the empty tomb first--”
“Why
does that make any difference?”
“Because
back in that ancient time, Jael, women were of little consequence. They couldn’t vote or hold citizenship. They weren’t even permitted to worship with
men—and their testimony was not allowed in a court of law.”
“But
they were the first eyewitnesses?”
“And
when the men, the disciples, went to see for themselves, it was just as the
women had told them.”
“Okay,
so their testimony was more valuable then?”
“Yeah,
and I think it was the Lord’s way of giving women some of their first hints of
freedom.”
“Is
there anything else unusual, Ginna?”
“Well,
there was also unfriendly testimony.”
“Unfriendly?”
“Right. The enemies of Christ also knew he had risen,
and they tried to invent a lie to cover it up.
Over the centuries, many people have tried to come up with excuses for
the resurrection—like maybe the disciples stole the body, or the soldiers
guarding the tomb were bribed.”
“But
they weren’t?”
“Actually,
the soldiers were bribed--but not by who you think. It was Christ’s enemies who bribed them. They were told to start the rumor that the
disciples had stolen the body.”
“Which
was not what happened was it, Ginna?”
“Of
course, it didn’t happen. If it had, why
would the religious leaders have needed to start the rumor by paying off the
soldiers? They could have just left
things as they were, knowing the truth would eventually come out.”
“And
did the truth come out?”
“Yes,
it did, but not the truth the religious leaders hoped for. Nearly every disciple in that time was
martyred for his faith. Would they have
died for something they knew was a
lie?”
“It’s
not very likely,” Jael smiled slightly.
“I guess you’ve convinced me, Ginna.
I’m afraid to let any of my doubts and questions out when I’m with the
others, especially my sister. So, I’m
really grateful that I can truly be honest with you.”
She
smiled and sighed. “I’m glad, Jael.
Having questions and doubts isn’t a sin, you know. It can be a way to help us grow—by seeking
the truth even more, and really knowing why we believe what we do.”
If this makes you want to know more about these two characters, they are featured throughout The Peaks at the Edge of the World Saga. The first four books are available, and there are three more to come.
