New Believers Of God

CHAPTER NINE

That Sunday, I was standing in the pew with my parents, singing Alleluia, which I always referred to as the midpoint song, indicating we were halfway through the mass, and it had to be the most repetitive thing ever written. Just one word, over and over again, the only difference being key. I almost wondered how it became so iconic.

Once we were done, Father Stanley walked to the ambo, holding his red Gospel Book.

"The Lord be with you." he said.

"And with your spirit." we replied.

"A reading from the Book of Romans."

"Glory to you, oh Lord."

As we said this, we marked our foreheads, lips, and hearts, similar to the sign of the cross.

"You know," he told us "It's not very often when a young man comes up to me and asks "Father, if you don't have any kids, why do we have to call you that?" and I respond, "Because, I am a leader to the family of Christ. We are all God's children." and he says "Oh, so I guess that means I'm adopted, doesn't it?"

Everybody laughed for a couple of seconds, as if they were watching a stand-up show. Father Stanley could certainly be funny at times. In fact, I loved it when he made jokes like that. But with any priest, I always wondered, had this always been what they wanted to do with their lives? Was there a point in time when they wanted to do something else before they were said to have their calling? Maybe that was the case with his sense of humor. Maybe he was once planning to be a comedian. Now, this was the only way he could fulfill that dream. In the form of a forced fantasy.

Moving on though, he proceeded to begin reading the scripture.

"Against all hope, Abraham believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and that Sarah's womb was also dead."

There was no doubt that these stories were highly entertaining. Even at the youngest age, I was fascinated by them. Although that doesn't mean I really followed them. To me, they were just the same as hearing fairytales.

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to him, being fully persuaded that he had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words were written not for him alone, but also for us, and to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our jurisdiction."

Suddenly, my perspective was completely anew. At that moment, for the very first time, I finally understood something. Abraham, even at the end of his life, never once lost his trust in God. He continued forward and stayed committed when there was nothing left for him, when anybody else would most likely give up. But in his mind, there was still a reason. That was the deep meaning of this.

"Folks," Father Stanley added "It is important that we keep our beliefs at heart. In many cases, such as this one, it's the only thing we've got. No matter what, God will never leave you when you're in need of him, and all he asks for in return is your reliance. This is what makes us believers. This is why we mustn't fail him and do what he wants of us. Stick with love. Stick with forgiveness. Stick with mercy. Stick with hope. Stick with faith, and never forget the importance of it."

Everything was coming together. Our lives as worshippers of this religion were a mission, a journey to finding not only who we were, but who God was as well. People like Father Stanley served as volunteers who had already figured that out for themselves, and now, was making it his life's goal to help us realize it too. I honestly don't know how I didn't see that sooner.

"The word of the Lord." he said.

"Thanks be to God." we said back.