In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity you have been accused of being a believer, arrested, and dragged before a court.
You have been under clandestine surveillance for some time now, and so the prosecution has been able to build up quite a case against you. They begin the trial by offering the judge dozens of photographs that show you attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in various prayer and worship services. After this, they present a selection of items that have been confiscated from your home: religious books that you own, worship CDs, and other Christian artifacts. Then they step up the pace by displaying many of the poems, pieces of prose, and journal entries that you had lovingly written concerning your faith. Finally, in closing, the prosecution offers your Bible to the judge. This is a well-worn book with scribbles, notes, drawings, and underlinings throughout, evidence, if it were needed, that you had read and reread this sacred text many times.
Throughout the case you have been sitting silently in fear and trembling. You know deep in your heart that with the large body of evidence that has been amassed by the prosecution you face the possibility of a long imprisonment or even execution. At various times throughout the proceedings you have lost all confidence and have ben on the verge of standing up and denying Christ. But while this thought has plagued your mind throughout the trial, you resist the temptation and remain focused.
Once the Prosecution has finished presenting their case the judge proceeds to ask if you have anything to add, but you remain silent and resolute, terrified that if you open your mouth, even for a moment, you might deny the charges made against you. Like Christ, you remain silent before your accusers. In response you are led outside to wait as the judge ponders your case.
The hours pass slowly as you sit under guard in the foyer waiting to be summoned back. Eventually a young man in uniform appears and leads you into the courtroom so that you may hear the verdict and receive word of your punishment. Once you have been seated in the dock that judge, a harsh and unyielding man, enters the room, stands befor you, looks deep into your eyes and begins to speak.
“Of the charges that have been brought forward I find the accused not guilty.”
“Not guilty?” your heart freezes. Then in a split second, the fear and terror that had moments before threatened to strip your resolve are swallowed up by confusion and rage.
Despite the surroundings, you stand defiantly before the judge and demand that he give an account concerning why you are innocent of the charges in light of the evidence.
“What evidence? he replies in shock.
“What about the poems and prose that I wrote?” you reply.
“They simply show that you think of yourself as a poet, nothing more.”
“But what about hte services I spoke at, the times I wept in church and the long, sleepless nights of prayer?”
“Evidence that you are a good speaker and actor, nothing more,” replied the judge. “It is obvious that you deluded those around you, and perhaps at times you even deluded yourself, but this foolishness is not enough to convict you in a court of law.”
“But this is madness!” you shout. “It would seem that no evidence would convince you!”
“Not so,” replies that judge as if informing you of a great, long-forgotten secret.
“The court is indifferent toward your Bible reading and church attendance; it has no concern for worship with words and a pen. Continue to develop your theology, and use it to paint pictures of love. We have no interest in such armchair artists who spend their time creating images of a better world. We exist only for those who would lay down that brush, and their life, in a Christlike endeavor to create a better world. So, until you live as Christ and his followers did, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then, my friend, you are no enemy of ours.”

2 Comments

  1. Wow! I am speechless…in awe of your message and the intriguingly profound way you deliver each one.
    I only stumbled upon your blog yesterday while doing a google search for "Yak", but I must tell you that you have a gift like no other. Your doubt and humble honesty about your path was refreshing to say the least!
    Thank you for inspiring me and reeigniting my faith in my beloved God! I am not what many consider the perfect Christian – doing all things popurlarly perscribed to meet that definition. However your posts on the fables struck me because I have always felt that I have more faith in the good Lord than most others,; yet I don't do confirm (if you will) to the same criteria that most others believe must be met to be a good follower of Christ……
    I could go on forever, but my point is: THANK YOU!
    Your words reminded me of my uniqueness and that the ways in which I believe and glorify God are important. Not to be discounted. It is all about love. The words I live by are "Never judge a man until you walk a day in his shoes.". My interrpretaion of oje of the greatest commandments: Love your neighbor as yourself. 😉

    God Bless you on your journey and know that you have touched the soul of someone struggling. God spoke though you and for that I am grateful!

    Lauren
    Laurenmprince@gmail.com

  2. Thank you so much Lauren for your kind words. They mean more to me than you know. I hope to get back into blogging mode before too awful long. These parables are by Peter Rollins and can be found in his book The Orthodox Heretic which is an absolutely fantastic read.

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