An Alaskan Midnight

Prologue

Eddy glanced over at his mother and sister, who were singing passionately in the church service. He looked out the window at the windy Illinois plains and dusty small town, sighing internally.

He didn't normally attend church, but he wanted to meet with his family before leaving for the research project. Because they were religious, and because he happened to visit them on a Sunday, attending church service was practically obligatory. It had been years since he had last attended a church service like this, and the random mix of all-too-familiar memories and strange new happenings nearly overwhelmed him.

After the hymns were over, the pastor walked onto the podium. He certainly looks different from what I remember, Eddy mused. Over the past years, the pastor had developed a stubble that nearly resembled a beard. He was dressed nicely, but certainly not the formal, professional way he used to. A few grey streaks brushed along his hair as well.

After rambling random announcements, the pastor began the sermon. "There is literally no one who would die for you as a Christmas gift. They may give you nice things, but certainly not their life. But Jesus did just that..."
Eddy snickered to himself. Even though he hadn't studied Christianity in a while, he certainly remembered that Jesus died on Good Friday, the weekend of Easter. Not Christmas.

Then his thoughts wandered.

What would he do if someone were willing to sacrifice their life for him? Would anyone be willing? Eddy glanced at his mother, tears in her sensitive eyes. Although she loved him, he couldn't really see her die for him. They didn't really know each other super well, and his few years' absence as a scientific researcher had only widened the gap.

Then he looked the other way, to his sister. Maybe... Eddy shook his head. She had made her frustration about Eddy not being a Christian very clear. She definitely wouldn't -- unless she thought he would convert.

Then Eddy looked down the aisle, at his girlfriend Lucy. Sticking to conservative tradition, they did not sit together during service. As a shy, timid girl, she probably wouldn't die for him -- she didn't even join Eddy in his research because she was afraid of the dangers and travel. It was understandable though -- Eddy's profession wasn't necessarily the most stable, and she did really try to maintain a solid long distance relationship. It just made things difficult sometimes.

Then the next question came... would he die for anyone?

He thought through the same three people -- the only ones he really knew and maintained a friendship with. His mother, maybe -- but they didn't know each other super well. His sister, probably not unless he was trying to show her non-Christians can be sacrificial too. His girlfriend, as much as he didn't want to admit it, probably not. He was a bit of a chicken sometimes too.

At the realization that he would never sacrifice for anyone either, he felt a twinge of guilt. But then he realized, maybe he just hadn't met that person yet.

Before Eddy knew it, the service was over. Had he really been mulling over that question this whole time?

"Ready for lunch, Eddy?" his mother asked. Then she noticed the pensive look in his eyes. "Hey, you doing alright?"
His sister walked up to him, taking what she saw as an opportunity. "I know the pastor's sermons can be convicting. If you want to talk, we can go somewhere." She sappily touched his shoulder. "Jesus can still accept you, no matter what you've done. God told me you'd be convicted this morning."

Eddy pulled away. "I wasn't thinking about that honestly."
"I'm sorry, I was probably a little overbearing." She grabbed his hand in an overbearing manner. "We can talk about it in private."
Eddy broke away. He looked around at the frustrated, disappointed, and hurt faces of certain members of the congregation, all staring and hoping. He shook his head, completely shocked.