A journey

1

Jonathan  and  Claire  sat  quietly  as  they  drove  through  the  village  streets  in  Jonathan's  old  and  abused  Oldsmobile. It's  light  blue  paint   peeling  away, leaving  burnt  orange  rust  spots  and  scratches  all  over  it's  exterior.  It  was  a  cool  summer  night  in  Fisherman's  Peak  Village, and  the  biting  breeze  which  swept  through  the  car's  open  windows  thus  helped  to  make  the  atmospher chillier. It   was  a  full  moon  that  night, and  between  it's  illuminating  glow  combined  with  that  of  the  blue, fluorescent  lights  of  the  streets  old- fashioned  lightposts, the  couple  could  easily  see  the  dissatisfied  looks  upon  each  other's  faces.2

Claire, a  rather  attractive  young  woman  with  firey  orange  hair  and  intense  olive- green  eyes  kept  her  stare  fixated  on  Jonathan. He  was  a  ruggedly  handsome  but  very  old  twenty- seven  year  old.The  color  of  his  hazel  eyes  seemed  to  change  about  as  frequently  as  his  mood, and  tonight  they  were  a  bluish  gray  color. As  Jonathan  stubbornly  kept  his  eyes  steady  on  the  bumpy  road  a  head  of  him  an  unsettling  silence  filled  the  air. The  silence  seemed  to  scream  anxiously, and  it's  sound  was  finally  broken  with  a   bursting  just  as  Jonathan  stopped  at  the  red  light  before  his  turn  onto  Witness  Drive.3

" I  want  you  to  keep  your  promise, Jonathan!!! "  Claire's  voice  crackled.4

Jonathan  sighed  as  he  rolled  his  eyes. He  did  not  turn  to  look   at  Claire. She  began  to  turn  angry  as  she  continued  speaking.5

" I'm  serious. It's  been  a  long  time....and  I  want  you  to  see  the  inside  of  this  church  before  we  get  married  in  it. "6

Jonathan  sighed  heavily  as  he  pulled  up  next  to  the  towering  brick  church. It  appeared  to  have  at  least  four  stories. What  appeared  to  be  the  second  or  third  floor, most  likely  the  sanctuary, filled  with  dimly  lit  stained- glass  windows- images  of  Jesus, Mary, and  other  religious  figures  still  unknown  to  Jonathan. At  the  peak  of  the  church's  dark, red  roof  stood  a  tall, thin  cross- one  that  was  especially  noticable  with  the moonlights  glow  reflecting  behind  it.  A  large  set  of  heavy, wide  stone  steps  lead  up  to  the  building's  main  entrance, which  consisted  of  two  heavy  wooden  doors  with  glistening  golden  handles.7

To  Jonathan  the  church  seemed  to  rise  above  the  tiny  village  and  all  of  it's  smaller, " insignificant "  buildings  as  though  it  were  the  fortress  of  an  up- and- coming  potentate. For  all  Jonathan  knew, it  was  ready  to  capture  and  destroy  anyone  or  anything  that  stood  in  it's  way. Jonathan  eyed  the  " monster "  suspiciously, and  then  turned  his  gaze  across  the  street  toward  a  smaller  and  more  innocent  looking  gingerbread  house.  It  was  the  house  Claire  grew  up  in, and  what  a  friendly  home  it  was! Jonathan  knew  from  personal  experience  that  it  was  the  type  of  home  that  would  surely  become  best  friends  with  any  living  soul  that  set  foot  in   it. Jonathan  sat  there  for  a  few  moments  and  observed  the  front  yard  as  the  scattered  wild  flowers  danced  in  the  breeze. Even  the  thin  leaves  and  delicate  branches  of  the  lone  fig  tree  also  seemed  to  shake  happily. A  row  of  about  a  half-  dozen  teacup  lights  led  to  the  front  door, in  which  a  rainbow  " Welcome "  sign  hung. A  small, ivory  colored  kitten  napped  on  the  stoop. When  Jonathan  thought  of  Claire  looking  outside  of  this  lovely  home  everyday  only  to  see  the  menacing  giant  across  the  street, he  nearly  shuttered  from  fright!8

After  contemplating  his  thoughts, Jonathan  finally  turned  to  Claire. She  stared  at  him  questioningly, with  her  head  cocked  over  to  one  side. In  a  quivering  voice, he  mustered  up  the  courage  to  ask  her  the  ultimate  question  that  had  been  haunting  his  mind.9

" Claire, didn't  it  bother  you  living  across  the  street  from  the  church? "10

" No  Jonathan, it  didn't. Anytime  I  had  a  problem  I  could  just  go  across  the  street  and  talk  to  Pastor  Parker. I  kinda  liked  it, actually! "11

" Oh, "  Jonathan  looked  down  at  his  steering  wheel, toying  with  it  back  and  forth  with  his  hands. " You  better  go  up  and  get  your  parents  now. "12

After  opening  up  her  car  door, Claire  turned  back  in  and  looked  at  him  before  getting  out.  In  a  softest  and  most  understanding   voice  she  reminded  him, " These  are  kind, loving, honest  people  in  this  church. They're  really  not  like  what  you  knew  growing  up. I  wish  you'd  give  them  a  chance  so  you  could  see  that. "13

Several  minutes  after  Claire  left  him, Jonathan  decided  to  get  out  of  the  car  and  stretch  for  a  while. The  summer  nights  air  continued  to  get  cooler, and  a  soft  slow  chill  crept  up  his  spine  as  he  listened  to  the  voices  of  the  choir, which  echoed  out  of  the  church. Leaning  against  his  car, Jonathan  gazed  up  at  the  clear  night  sky, and  then  back  at  that  church, which  he  felt  was  hovering  above  him  menacingly. It  was  not  that  Jonathan  had  always  been  so  anti-church, or  even  anti-religion. In  fact, Jonathan  actually  believed  that  there  was  something  out  there- whether  it  was  God  or  some  other  mystical  Force, such  as  in  the  Star  Wars  movies, however, he  did  not  know. He  searched  for  life's  answers  by  studying  astronomy. Science,  he  felt, was  the  true  key  to  knowledge. NOT  organized  religion.14

While  staring  up  at  the  large  brick  church, it  seemed  to  Jonathan  like  it  was  only  yesterday  when  he  was  just  a  young  child  attending  a  non- denominational  church  with  his  parents. His  father, upon  becoming  a  born- again  Christian, decided  to  join  the  church  after  it  was  recommended  to  him  by  a  friend  from  his  job. Jonathan's  mother  was  already  a  Christian  and  loved  all  churches  and  all  people, so she  found  many  good  things  about  the  church. Jonathan, however, could  not  find  the  good  in  it. Instead,  he  found  corruption  and  phoniness. He  found  the  reverend  cheating  on  his  wife  with  another  woman, only  a  week  after  booting  a  man  out  of  the  church  for  commiting  the  same  exact  sin. He  observed  as  people  were  nice  to  a  person one  minute, but  then  gossiped  about  about  them  behind  their  backs. He  eavesdropped  in  front  of  closed  doors, and  listened  as  the  reverend  planned  how  to  get  more  money  from  the  members  of  his  congregation. He  could  never  understand  how  a  man, who  was  never   even  seen  in  the  grocery  store  without  his  collar  around  his  neck  and  his  Bible  in  his  arm, could  in  reality  be  so  deceitful!  Upon  graduating  high  school, Jonathan  decided  that  it  was  time  to  move  on. He  left  home  for  college,  and  permanently  said  good-bye  to  organized  religion. He  majored  in  astronomy, and  decided  that  the  answers  to  life's  most  pertinent  answers  were  only  found  in  the  study  of  science. Now, at  the  age  of  twenty- seven, he  was  standing  below  the  church  he  was  to  be  married  in. Though  he  deeply  loved  Claire, he  just  wasn't  sure  he  was  ready  to  set  foot  in  it. Though  this  church  was  a  denominational  church, and  looked  nothing  like  the  one  he  grew  up  in, the  thought  of  setting  foot  in  it  still  brought  back  horrible  memories  for  Jonathan.15

Jonathan  was  still  contemplating  his  many  thoughts  and  emotions, when  he  thought  he  heard  someone  coming  up  behind  him. He  turned  to  his  right, and  saw  a  man  looking  at  him. In  the  dark, the  gentleman  appeared  to  be  in  his  early  sixties, with  white  hair  that  was  apparently   receeding. He  was  about  5"7, and  was  wearing  baggy  dark- colored  shorts, a  white  t-shirt  that  glowed  in  the  moonlight, and  sandals. The  man  stood  there  smiling, and  Jonathan  assumed  that  he  must  be  one  of  the  choir  members. Even  in  the  dark, Jonathan  could  tell  that  the  man  had  kind  and  loving  eyes. Because  he  seemed  pleasant  and  harmless  enough,  Jonathan  decided  that  it  was  probably  okay  to  talk  to  him  for  a  few  minutes.16

" It's  a  beautiful  night! "  The  older  gentleman  exclaimed.17

" It  is. " Jonathan  answered  politely.18

" God  really  outdid  himself  tonight. The  air  is  crisp  and  fresh. The  moon  is  round  and  full..It  looks  beautiful! And  look  at  that  night  sky! It's  so  clear...It's  the  perfect  night  to  go  stargazing  on  the  beach! "  19

" You  like  to  go  stargazing  on  the  beach? "  Jonathan  became  curious.20

" Yes. My  wife  and  I  used  to  go  all  the  time. Every  once  in  a  while  we  still  like  to, when  we're  not  too  busy  with  church  events. The  night  sky  is  truly  one  of  God's  greatest  wonders... "21

The  man  looked  up  at  the  sky  admiringly. Being  a  lover  of  the  night  sky, himself, Jonathan  knew  the  man  was  serious, and  truly  appreciated  his  interest  it. He  was  slowly  beginning  to  take  a  liking  to  this  older  gentleman.22

" What  beach  do  you  usually  go  to  for  stargazing? " Jonathan  decided  to  ask.23

" We  go  to  Overlook  Beach  because  it's  nice  and  peaceful  and  quiet. Not  many  people  think  to  go  there, but  it  really  is  a  wonderful  spot. I  usually  bring  my  telescope- though  I  never  quite  learned  how  to  use  it  properly- and a  few  astronomy  guides  to  see  what  I  can  find. My  wife  and  I  always  enjoy  ourselves. "24

" I  usually  take  my  astronomy  students  to  Overlook  Beach  for  field  trips! It  is  a  very  good  beach. " Not  only  was  Jonathan  impressed  with  the  man's  love  of  astronomy, but   also  his  taste  in  beaches.  25

" Really??? " The  older  man  paused  for  a  moment, in  a  way  that  almost  made  Jonathan  feel  strange. " You're  Claire's  fiancee, aren't  you? "26

"  Uh, yes. I'm  Jonathan  Starbuck. " 27

" Well, it  is  certainly  a  pleasure  to  meet  you, Jonathan! I'm  John  Parker! I'm  the  pastor  of  this  church! "28

Jonathan's  head  suddenly  began  to  spin. Was  this  man  really  a  pastor? Could  he  be  a  pastor? But  he  seemed  too  nice! Too  genuine  and  down  to  earth! Where  was  his  Bible? Why  wasn't  he  wearing  his  collar? Jonathan's  mind  filled  with  so  many  questions, that  he  really  did  not  how  to  respond.29

" You're  the  pastor??? Really??? " 30

" Were  you  expecting  Lord  Vader? "31

Suddenly,  the  man  began  to  crack  a  smile. He  reached  out  his  right  arm  toward  Jonathan  and  lowered  his  voice  three  octaves. " Come, join  my  church! "32

Jonathan  wasn't  sure  what  to  think  anymore, but  all  he  could  do  was  laugh. He  was  beginning  to  feel  ridiculous. Him  and  the  pastor  laughed  together  for  a  while, until  the  pastor  stopped  to  speak. 33

" Are  you  waiting  for  Claire? "34

" Yes. We're  picking  her  parents  up  from  choir  practice, and  then  we're  going  out  to  eat. "35

" I'm  on  my  way  to  a  meeting. Why  don't  you  come  in  with  me, and  I'll  show  you  where  they  are? Then  you  can  see  the  inside, if  you  haven't  already. You're  getting  married  here  the  beginning  of  next  year, aren't  you? "36

Jonathan  looked  up  at  the  church. Suddenly  it  didn't  seem  so  big  anymore. It  was  big, but  it  no  longer  loomed  over  him  menacingly. It  almost  looked....friendly  and  welcoming. Then  he  looked  back  at  the  pastor, in  his  baggy  shorts  and  sandals. Jonathan  wasn't  sure  just  what  to  make  of  him  yet, but  he  knew  he  liked  him. He  was  real.  A  warm  breeze  began  to  beat  softly  against  Jonathan's  cheeks, and  he  realized  that  it  no  longer  seemed  chilly  outside.37

" Sure, I'd  like  to  go  up  with  you  and  see  the  church. " Jonathan  replied.   38

As  the  two  made  their  journey  up  the  stone  steps, and  into  the  church, the  pastor  filled  Jonathan  in  on  the  history  of   his  church, the  architecture, and  all  of  the  ministries  and  services  the  church  had  to  offer. He  invited  Jonathan  to  the  9:30  AM  service  on  Sunday. With  little  hesitation, Jonathan  decided  to  accept   the  pastors  invitation.    39