Believe

8 : On Your Knees

"Why do people deny that God exists, if they can know him by reason? " Luke read out loudly.

"Luke, read it in your mind. We're having a pretty serious discussion here." Derek warned him.

"To know the invisible God is a great challenge for the human mind. Many are scared off by it. Anoth-..." Luke continued but Derek stopped him again. "Hey knock it off. I'm serious."

"Calm down Derek. He's just reading from the Youcat, not a comic book. It's good to read it. It's really inspirational." Maura said.

"Yea, tell him that Maura." Luke said, and continued reading, but this time, to himself.

"Read that whole thing Luke. From the beginning." Sasha said.

"Alright. The question is why do people deny that God exists, if they can know him by reason?" He read out, paused for a second to take breath, and continued. "To know the invisible God is a great challenge for the human mind. Many are scared off by it."

"I think this is your problem Derek." Sasha said. "You were afraid of those pictures of Saint Francis, weren't you?"

"Well..." Derek said.

"Continue Luke." Diana said.

"Another reason why some don't want to know God is because they would have to change their life. Anyone who says that the question about God is meaningless because it cannot be answered is making things too easy for himself." Luke continued. "Okay, what does this mean?"

"What are you guys doing here early in the morning? Did you all have breakfast? " Father Angelo came out of nowhere. "And why are you all sitting in front of the grotto, and that too on the ground? Come on in."

"We came here to spend our time. Last few hours in our church. We won't be seeing this again in a few hours from now, isn't it?" Peter said.

"Hmm." Father said. "Alright. There is something you can do until then. Just clean up the mess those choir members from-..."

"Father we didn't do that. Jason and his group did that." Derek said immediately.

"Yes I know. But it's our church, and it's our duty to keep it clean." Father said in a low voice.

"Jason calm down." Sasha whispered.

"What did they do? " Rebecca asked.

"They messed up a few of those games stalls set up by our committee members." Derek said impatiently.

"Don't worry father. We'll clean it up." Rebecca said.

"Alright. I'll make a move then. Brother Joel and some committee members are waiting for me." Father said, and walked off slowly in his dark brown usual cassock.

"I know you're pissed off. Don't talk like that in front of father." Maura said.

"Did you notice how worried he looked? "Dexter said.

"Where will he go back after today? " Isaac asked.

"Back to where all the priests and brothers of his congregation reside." Abel said. "Even brother Joel will go with him."

"I feel so bad for him." Rebecca said. "I wish if I could do something to stop this."

                                                                                                          *

Everyone gathered outside the church on the evening of demolition. It was at around seven in the evening. All of them stood there, reluctantly, watching the workers striking their hammers into the old, cracked and rugged walls. Father didn't come to watch it.

All the choir members were standing near the entrance of the church, watching the sight, helplessly.

"Stop. Get the statues out first." Jacob yelled to them. "Get Saint Michael's statue out first."

"But sir, that statue is big. It'll be really heavy." One of them said.

"Do as I said." He yelled back angrily. "Get Saint Michael's statue out first."

There must have been some twenty workers who tried to push the statue, but it didn't move an inch.

"Looks like it's been attached to the base of the wooden stand. Try hammering the base of the statue." Jacob said. "Come on. All of you, together."

Some of them were reluctant. They looked at each other, puzzled. Some of them scared.

"What? What's wrong? I paid you do get this job done. Do as I say." Jacob yelled angrily.

One of the workers raised his hammer high in the air, and struck it hard at the base of the statue. Suddenly, there was a loud rumble, a dazzling white light that appeared from within the statue. It lit up the entire church. It blinded all the people who were there. The whole area shook, like an earthquake, for a couple of seconds. No one spoke after that.

"HELP...SOMEBODY HELP !" Jacob screamed in terror and ran out. Veronica, the workers, and some others ran out with him, terrified. The others fell on their knees and worshiped, but some doubted.