The Conversation!
By: Frank Reilly
THE CONVERSATION!
BASED ON A TRUE STORY. The following is an enactment of a conversation between two men in 21st century America. Names have been changed to protect the guilty. THE PLAYERS... Curt is a main stream American evangelical Christian, active in his Church, "on fire" for the Lord, and educated in his faith by the mainstream Church in America today. He goes to Sunday school classes, attends Church every Sunday, and is considered a good Christian man. He has three children, all boys, and a beautiful wife who shares all of his spiritual convictions. He is a very well to do man, who runs his own business, spending approximately 60-70 hours each week at the office, and even spends 10-12 hours at home each week on his Computer and on the phone, working out business details, he is a hard working man.
Jacob is a Christian as well, who has experiences with the Lord ranging back as far as three decades. He was once very active in his Church, and had a ministry to the youth, with a strong emphasis on personal evangelism. He has however, within the last two years, returned from a long hiatus from Church attendance, and his fellow Christians look at him with skepticism and concern, assuming that his spiritual life is hanging in the balance of so many years away from the Church. He has a job, and is happily married with one Child, also a Boy. Jacob spends many hours each week reading the word and praying, and has never left his faith behind, in fact does not even really have an explanation as to why he stopped attending Church. Recently, realizing how long he has been out, he returns to the Church to enjoy the fellowship he once enjoyed there.
THE SETUP...
Returning to church feels good to Jacob. He misses the fellowship, and the warm feeling of security he receives from being a member. He decides to join the Men's Bible study, which occurs each Wednesday evening, for additional fellowship with the same men he used to fellowship with back when he attended regularly. Although the Bible study topic is the book of Romans, due to the recent attacks on American soil, the Bible study leader (who is Curt), feels led to discuss current events in order to teach what he believes to be a proper world view for the Men attending this study. He gives a heartfelt speech about the need for justice for the thousands that were killed that day, He talks about how the terrorists need to be eradicated from the earth, and that it is our Christian duty to support the President in his foreign policies, and that it is against God to be in opposition to the war in Iraq. He talks about how America is a holy nation, and that God is with the US in its doings. He ends the Bible study with a prayer rebuking those who oppose the war, those who oppose the President, and prays that God will continue to bless America as he always has.
Jacob sits dumbfounded at the things he is seeing and hearing in this bible study. He remembers 10 years earlier, attending bible studies where it was discussed that the world was an evil place, and that the kingdoms of the world were under the influence of the God of this world, which he believes the Bible states clearly, and always has. During the course of the study Jacob looks around and realizes he is among a group of people that he used to know, but who have drastically changed. He notices his old church friend John, who used to be a fairly poor man, he remembers how Happy a man John was and how full of love for God he used to be. Now he looks and sees John in a nice suit with a beautiful Gold watch, an expensive hair weave, and he notices his Mercedes key sitting on the table in front of him. John seems heavy and stressed now, he is roused by the words Curt speaks, and says hearty Amens over the things that Curt prays. Suddenly Jacob realizes he is not looking at the same situation he left a decade ago. He feels sick to his stomach knowing that he can not sit by and not say something. After the study is over, and the other men have left, he approaches Curt...
See the astounding contents of this conversation here...
"The Conversation!"
Writer for 11th Hour Ministries
"11th Hour"
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