A heavenly messenger takes a young man, Christian, on a trip through time and space to meet and learn from biblical characters. The content for this post comes from Gene Edwards, The Inward Journey. 1
(Reading time 3 mins.)
“Wait here,” ordered Messenger.
Christian paused and looked down. They were on a narrow ledge high on a mountainside. A craggy precipice lay just beneath his feet. Sighing, he leaned back and pressed hard against the mountainside.
“Who goes there?” came a frightened cry.
“A friend,” replied the calm voice of Messenger. Christian edged forward, straining to glimpse the mysterious encounter that was taking place a few feet beyond his view. The sight of this meeting would be denied him. Christian could only listen.
“Are you of the king’s court?” came the second question.
“None of this earth,” was the steady reply of Messenger.
“Then who are you?”
“A friend,”
“How did you find me? Do others know of this place?”
“Your secret is ours alone and will remain so.”
“What do you want of me?” came a slightly more confident voice.
“A moment ago, as we approached, were you singing?” inquired Messenger of the man squatting in front of a small cave on the side of the mountain ledge.
“Yes, I often do. There is little else I can do.”
“But there is surely reason beyond that.”
“Things I feel here, deep inside me, I often write them down.”
“The contents of the goatskin bag beside you, are they your writing things?”
“Yes, along with some stale meat.”
“May I borrow the sack from you for a moment? I have a young friend with me whom I desire to show them.”
“You are a strange person … with a strange request,” said the man as he handed the cracked leather sack to Messenger.
“I will return them to you in a moment,” said Messenger as he turned back, effortlessly making his way along the narrow ledge toward Christian.
“I have reason to ask you to look at these,” said Messenger as he handed the bag to Christian.
“Here? On this ledge? Now?” came Christian’s disbelieving response.
“The man beyond the corner lives on this ledge, young Christian. Besides, I doubt you will fall.”
“Read,” continued Messenger in an unmistakable command.
Christian balanced himself carefully as he squatted precariously before the open bag of scrolls. One by one he opened them and read. At first, he read each scroll in its entirety. Soon, though, he was doing no more than unwrapping them, glancing at the opening lines, and replacing them in the sheath.
Christian dropped the last scroll back into the bag, stood, and looked intently at Messenger.
“It’s the entire book of Psalms,” he declared, as he watched Messenger for some hint of explanation.
“No. Not at all. Perhaps one-third.”
“Why have you shown them to me?”
“No great reason,” came the reply, as Messenger lifted the sack and turned away. “Although,” he added almost in an afterthought, “I thought you might be interested in seeing the music room in which they were penned.”
Up Next
Moving on from the previous post about hell, the upcoming post looks at heaven!
Notes:
- Gene Edwards, The Inward Journey – An Introduction to the Deeper Christian Life Volume III (Jacksonville, Seedsowers Publishing, 1982), 17-19.
Head and Heart Collide 