The Chapel

Chapter 20:

"I can get the supplies. My father works at a hardware store," Billy said to the three of us—Jesus, Ally, and I.

"I'll find some recruits. Maybe one of them will be the fourth," Ally suggested.

Jesus turned to me.

"I'll uhh... I guess work on a Sermon? Read the Bible or something? I don't know."

Ally rolled her eyes. "Of course, you get the easy one."

"I don't think I would call this easy," I said. "Do you even know what this crap means?"

"Not 'crap', Max. It's confusing but it is not 'crap,'" Jesus said.

"Sure, yeah. Sorry."

"I will go with Billy," Jesus said. He and Billy took off in Billy's car. Ally drove away to recruit people and spread awareness.

I sat alone in the front of the chapel and opened the bible. When Jesus returned with Billy with the supplies, we began ripping out weeds and tearing down wood. Even some of the pictures had to be replaced with new ones. Finding better ones would be Ally's job.

"Find some with my good side painted," Jesus said with a wink.

"I think you look fine with either side painted," Billy said.

"No," Jesus said.

~~~~~~~~

"Do you know what this means?" I asked Jesus. He took the bible and propped it open on his lap.

"What? This here?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Well, what do you think it means?" Jesus asked me.

"I hate it when you do this," I muttered under my breath. Jesus glared at me, and I continued speaking, "Uh, be a good person? Don't lie? Be a good kid? Listen to your parents?"

"Now you're just listing things the bible says except way out of context," Jesus said. He handed me back the bible. "Listen for the Spirit. He will instruct."

"I'm not hearing him lately. The last time I heard him was at dinner."

"Well, Max," Jesus paused. "Typically, you don't hear the Father's audible voice. He does speak in different ways, however. Mainly through his word."

"Okay, I get what you're saying."

"Just read it, the Spirit will guide. Not hearing an audible voice is very normal."

It was a day and a half when the meaning of the passage finally clicked.

~~~~~~~~

The chapel is finally weeded out; the wood that needed to be replaced was replaced thanks to Jesus' excellent craftsman skills.

Ally had no luck finding anyone who wanted to help three kids and a homeless man put together a church, however. That was still a problem. The chapel's inside and outside was fine though. Tomorrow, Ally is supposed to go pick up the new décor for the chapel. After that, the chapel is complete. (Well, except for people and a preacher).

Billy burst in earlier this morning with a little girl looking like crap.

"What's wrong, Billy?" Ally asked as he locked the doors of the chapel.

"My dad—he's in a mood."

No one dared say anything after that. The girl turned out to be Billy's sister. She struck up a conversation with Jesus when he returned and now, she comes with Billy to work on the chapel. For awhile Ally and I wondered if she was the fourth, but Jesus never said anything, so we left it at a 'no'.

~~~~~~~~

Jesus liked the new paintings. "You know these are a lot nicer than the previous ones? I can see the resemblance."

Billy looked to me, wondering whether there was a resemblance. I shook my head no.

"I saw that, Max. Careful."

~~~~~~~~

Ally came in with a friend of hers' today. She said he could help with the electricity problem we were having, especially with the lightning that was nonexistent.

"Zack!" Jesus exclaimed upon seeing him.

"Have we met?" he asked very confused.

"Not face to face." Jesus winked. "He is the fourth."

We had to explain what that meant to Zack. Afterwards, after realizing who stood before him, Zack helped Jesus with the lighting gleefully, asking him questions about heaven. He was oddly infatuated with heaven.

"He recently lost his sister," Ally explained to me when we were alone. "She was a Jesus- Freak, so it makes sense she was in heaven."

Jesus held back almost nothing to Zack, except for a few things because he knew, and I quote, 'eventually Zack will be a loudmouth about this.'

Jesus and Zack had many heart to hearts, but we never spoke about them. Of course, Zack did talk to me, but never really about the deep stuff. He kept that to himself.

Finally, after 6 months of work, we had the chapel ready. Ready for what? I have no clue.