be enough—”
“No!” Morgan insisted. “We came here to share observations, and I’m going to share mine. Religion is a cry of the human heart for meaning. Every tradition has its myths and visitations, and this case is no different.”
“You’re saying this is all a myth?” Paul Daley asked.
“A myth,” Burton said with a nod, his arms crossed. Then he added, “Not that myths aren’t a legitimate expression of culture—”
“I don’t want to get sidetracked on that,” Morgan cautioned.
“Well isn’t that what we came to determine,” Sid asked, “whether we’re dealing with myth or reality?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What doesn’t matter?” asked Howard.
“What matters is what it all means . I don’t want us to get into a big fight over whether this is God, demons, or myth and miss the deeper causes.”
“But you said it was a myth,” Andy protested.
She brought her chin low over the table and scolded him. “I did not say it was a myth! I said—”
“Arnold’s healing is real enough,” said Al.
“Well what was your point?” Sid asked, trying to help out.
“This is a human thing.”
“A human thing!” Burton repeated with another nod.
“So Arnold healed himself?” asked Al.
“The pilgrims aren’t visiting Arnold,” Paul observed.
“ May I finish?” Morgan’s Janis Joplin voice was rising. The others backed off. “When people have religious experiences like these, I take that as the expression of a need. Now we can expend our time trying to attribute this stuff to God or demons—or myth— or we can look for the spiritual needs these occurrences represent and be ready to minister to those needs in practical ways.”
“But you’re totally overlooking the deception that could be involved,” Kyle countered.
She shook her head emphatically. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter! The truth always matters!”
“Whose truth? Yours or theirs?”
Burton raised his index finger and plopped it down. One more point for Morgan.
Al jumped in, addressing Kyle. “These people are not worshiping an idol! They are waiting and seeking the God the image represents.”
“They don’t need an idol to do that.”
“It’s not an idol!”
“They don’t need any mediator save Christ himself!”
“Judging, judging, judging!” Armond Harrison bellowed. “Of all the arrogance!”
Sid was shaking his head, looking toward heaven. “Our Lord must weep.”
Paul Daley looked at me. “Well Travis, what’s your view on all this?”
“NO!” Sid shouted—and shouting was something he rarely did. “I don’t think—”
“He’s no longer a part of this ministerial!” Armond growled.
“Then let him speak as a layman,” said Bob Fisher.
“You don’t get it,” Morgan lamented, still on her previous subject. “You just don’t get it.”
Burton Eddy said something about my prior record, but by now everyone was talking at once and I couldn’t make it out. Armond heard it and bellowed out his agreement, but Paul was still harping on getting feedback from everyone present while Morgan was still trying to make her point, whatever it was. Howard and Andy had gotten into an argument that somehow drew in Bob Fisher, and Sid was trying to straighten out Kyle on what was and was not acceptable in a ministerial meeting. Nancy Barrons was having trouble taking notes.
I did hear Al Vendetti counter Sid. “I might like to hear what he has to say.”
“Me too,” said Bob, turning from Howard and Andy.
“If he speaks, I’m leaving this table!” said Armond.
“Now, now . . .” Sid tried to calm things.
“He’s my guest!” Kyle objected.
“If either one of you says another word, I’m leaving the table!”
Kyle rose from his chair. I reached over and pulled him down again, but that didn’t keep him from saying another word. “We are commanded by the Word of God to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints, and if there are
“No!” Morgan insisted. “We came here to share observations, and I’m going to share mine. Religion is a cry of the human heart for meaning. Every tradition has its myths and visitations, and this case is no different.”
“You’re saying this is all a myth?” Paul Daley asked.
“A myth,” Burton said with a nod, his arms crossed. Then he added, “Not that myths aren’t a legitimate expression of culture—”
“I don’t want to get sidetracked on that,” Morgan cautioned.
“Well isn’t that what we came to determine,” Sid asked, “whether we’re dealing with myth or reality?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What doesn’t matter?” asked Howard.
“What matters is what it all means . I don’t want us to get into a big fight over whether this is God, demons, or myth and miss the deeper causes.”
“But you said it was a myth,” Andy protested.
She brought her chin low over the table and scolded him. “I did not say it was a myth! I said—”
“Arnold’s healing is real enough,” said Al.
“Well what was your point?” Sid asked, trying to help out.
“This is a human thing.”
“A human thing!” Burton repeated with another nod.
“So Arnold healed himself?” asked Al.
“The pilgrims aren’t visiting Arnold,” Paul observed.
“ May I finish?” Morgan’s Janis Joplin voice was rising. The others backed off. “When people have religious experiences like these, I take that as the expression of a need. Now we can expend our time trying to attribute this stuff to God or demons—or myth— or we can look for the spiritual needs these occurrences represent and be ready to minister to those needs in practical ways.”
“But you’re totally overlooking the deception that could be involved,” Kyle countered.
She shook her head emphatically. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter! The truth always matters!”
“Whose truth? Yours or theirs?”
Burton raised his index finger and plopped it down. One more point for Morgan.
Al jumped in, addressing Kyle. “These people are not worshiping an idol! They are waiting and seeking the God the image represents.”
“They don’t need an idol to do that.”
“It’s not an idol!”
“They don’t need any mediator save Christ himself!”
“Judging, judging, judging!” Armond Harrison bellowed. “Of all the arrogance!”
Sid was shaking his head, looking toward heaven. “Our Lord must weep.”
Paul Daley looked at me. “Well Travis, what’s your view on all this?”
“NO!” Sid shouted—and shouting was something he rarely did. “I don’t think—”
“He’s no longer a part of this ministerial!” Armond growled.
“Then let him speak as a layman,” said Bob Fisher.
“You don’t get it,” Morgan lamented, still on her previous subject. “You just don’t get it.”
Burton Eddy said something about my prior record, but by now everyone was talking at once and I couldn’t make it out. Armond heard it and bellowed out his agreement, but Paul was still harping on getting feedback from everyone present while Morgan was still trying to make her point, whatever it was. Howard and Andy had gotten into an argument that somehow drew in Bob Fisher, and Sid was trying to straighten out Kyle on what was and was not acceptable in a ministerial meeting. Nancy Barrons was having trouble taking notes.
I did hear Al Vendetti counter Sid. “I might like to hear what he has to say.”
“Me too,” said Bob, turning from Howard and Andy.
“If he speaks, I’m leaving this table!” said Armond.
“Now, now . . .” Sid tried to calm things.
“He’s my guest!” Kyle objected.
“If either one of you says another word, I’m leaving the table!”
Kyle rose from his chair. I reached over and pulled him down again, but that didn’t keep him from saying another word. “We are commanded by the Word of God to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints, and if there are
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