"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 8:32."
Anne noticed Bill's gratuitous nod. His wife, Sarah, wore thick makeup to cover a bruise, this time on her right cheek.
"What is truth? John 18:38." The pastor repeated Pilate's question. Another nod, this time from Jane whom she had seen stagger from local restaurants three times in the last month, each time with a different drunken man. Anne grieved that a few hypocrites kept people away from church.
"I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life," he quoted Jesus.
"John 14:6," Anne whispered.
This is my submission for this week's 100 Word Challenge from www.velvetverbosity.com Two hundred words wouldn't have said all I'd like to say, but the challenge is to get across what you want to say in one hundred, so here ya go. My trouble is I have waaaay too many words to say on anything you ask me about! :) I would have liked to address the never ending comments that we shouldn't be judgemental, but alas it would have taken more words because that observation isn't as biblical as people think it is. Maybe next time the word will be something I can build on. :)
This is heartbreaking, because it's true. The people in the pews can sometimes be the biggest obstacles that the church has to deal with. My heart breaks. I pray for it to be different.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, wonderful story. Love it.
ReplyDeleteHypocrisy is always revealed through the word, isn't it?
ReplyDeletePerfect, June.
Ooohhh, so true it breaks my heart! I agree with your commentary as well. We're all hypocrites and we all need to be called on it. (Some worse than others :)
ReplyDeleteSo poignant and heartbreaking. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am probably more cynical than the others, but I also took this to hint that maybe Anne had her own secret she was hiding.
ReplyDeleteSo very true...we all have our secrets and our flaws, because we're all human.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all. Funny how something can mean one thing to one person and another thing to another person. I never thought about Anne having her own secrets, but you surely could read it that way, couldn't you????
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience with my post which was translated somewhat differently than I was thinking, but that's part of writing. You write it and let go of it because once it's out there people will read what their own experience overlays onto it.
ReplyDelete(Not that you have secrets Tara :P )