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With the morning still new and promising, Stone
Hawkins moseyed into town. He
enjoyed seeing the community uncluttered with people, and tried to make mental
notes of the different businesses he needed to visit that day. But first things first: Stone wanted to find the church and possibly meet the pastor. It had been years since he’d known the luxury of sitting under good
Godly teaching, and though he and the warden had fellowshipped and studied
God’s word together on a weekly basis, he longed to be part of a thriving
brethren. As he neared the quaint
little building on the opposite end of town, his spirit felt like a man walking
in the desert, who’d finally found an oasis.
From the outside Stone could see someone, and since
the man was installing a new window, Stone guessed that he must be the pastor. Before entering, Stone also noticed the church’s bruises from
yesterday’s attack; mild stains were splattered along the front of the
structure. He figured the vandals
probably caused the need for the new window too.
“Mornin’,” greeted Stone. “You the pastor here?”
“Yes. I’m
Pastor Tom Gaines,” he said after securing the new window in place. He seemed far from enthusiastic at the sight of a newcomer. “You must be Stone Hawkins. I’ve
already heard a lot about you; you’re the talk of the town lately.”
Stone suddenly felt like a man who’d been thrown
from his horse.
“I’m sure none of it was too good.”
“You might say that. ‘Course it depends on who you talk to. Some folks are convinced you’re up to no good, but I’m sure a few of
the younger fellas ‘round here probably think you’re some sort’a hero. Not me though.” He faced Stone with folded arms and a solid stance, as if
trying to make his small frame seem more formidable. “I ain’t one for welcomin’ desperados and trouble.”
“Looks to me like ‘trouble’ done paid you a
visit,” said Stone sarcastically, referring to the new window.
Pastor Tom tried to mask his embarrassment, feeling as
though it reflected poorly on him as a pastor. There was no denying that the town had its share of troublemakers (namely
Buck, Rowdy, and Cody), and that their making a mockery of the church was an
issue that Pastor Tom had been battling for a few years (to no avail).
“Look Pastor, I’m not here to stir up any
trouble,” Stone said, regretting his rude remark. “Now, obviously, you heard that I spent some time in prison for robbin’
banks. That’s true. And I’ve done my time. But
what you didn’t hear is that I’m a born-again believer, livin’ my life for
God. The past is all behind me now,
and I’d like to become a member of the church.
Silence grew thick as Pastor Tom merely stared at the
stranger. His brain chewed on
Stone’s words, then spit them out like filth.
“Is that right?”
“Yessir.”
“How long you been out of that prison?”
“Just a few days.”
“Now what would my congregation say if I just let
you walk in here like you was nobody? I’d
lose what few people I have. And
how can I believe what you say? You
were a thief, son.”
With a cool gaze and an unflinching composure, Stone
pondered those words. While he
could understand the man’s hesitation to welcome him with open arms, Stone
wasn’t prepared for the clergyman’s harsh judgment of him.
“Pastor, do you believe in forgiveness?” Stone
asked unemotionally.
“Sure.”
“And do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for
our sins, so that we could become new creatures, and be reconciled to God?”
“’Course I do, and I know what you’re getting
at. All right, maybe you’ve asked
God to forgive your sins, but Mr. Hawkins, look at what you done. You were a violent criminal and probably would’ve killed
people if you hadn’t been caught. So
I think for now, you’d better just worship at home, until you can polish up
your reputation a bit. Then if you
prove to be a good citizen, maybe we can talk about this again.”
Stone walked to the door with a somber face and
paused.
“Maybe you’re right, pastor. Maybe I should just stick to worshippin’ the Lord at home. I wouldn’t want to be part of a church that didn’t preach and believe
in the Bible.”
“Well of course I preach the Bible…,” Pastor Tom
remarked with a raised voice.
“Have you ever made a mistake, pastor?”
“Plenty of ‘em.”
“Have you ever sinned against God?”
“The Word says we all have,” Tom said impatiently.
“And where does the Word say that forgiveness is
only for certain sins? Or that you
have to ‘prove’ yourself before God will forgive you? Sounds to me like you might be preachin’ salvation thru works. And my Bible says that salvation only comes thru the Lord Jesus Christ,
lest any man should boast. So
you’re right, preacher, I don’t want no part of a church that judges a man
solely by his past, and not his potential.”
Stone opened the door, prepared to leave.
“Maybe you need to remember that this is suppose to
be the house of God, and not the house of Pastor Tom Gaines.”
Pastor Tom was too appalled and angered to make an
intelligent reply as Stone closed the door behind him.
©2003 StoriesByEmail.com
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