In this final inquiry I inquired into the best way I could bring people to god through books. I had no thesis but instead I summerised my findings in a story where I employed the techniques and methods that I had gotten from the research. Here's the story.
This story was created as a summative demonstration of a three-week inquiry into the best way to bring people to God through books. But I intent for many to read it and be transformed. It was intended for an audience of 14+ I tried to personify some human qualities through characters, and hopefully made each character that I named true to their name. When crafting different words, I researched words I could use to make sure that the image of how a scene should play out was expressed right. For example, when the demon came upon Unfaithful, I searched up words that mean drunkenly walking, and found reeling.
It was a calm day in the fishing town of Capernaum. The wealthiest man lived at the only two-story house in town. He had just woken up, he turned his head to the left and saw his head servant had slept next too him. He was so mad that you could hear the bed shaking with his fury. She only needed to see his bed below her to know that she was in the wrong place. Terrified, she tried to explain herself, “I-i mmust’ve fallen asleep while I was cleaning the pillow after the bir-” “-Get out!” She ran out so fast that if her legs stopped, her body would break off and keep going. She ran to the rest of the servants, who were crowded around something.
Another servant was holding a newborn baby, the head servant pointed at her, “put it with the other children, one of them will care for it, then go dress master!” “But why don’t you,” she began, but the head servant cut her off, “Quick, he’s mad!” Now they were all worried. One of the servants in the crowded area, ran to the woman and took the baby off her, taking it to the other children, and the woman who had previously had the baby ran to dress their master. The rest of the woman stood up, revealing that they had been crowded around the dead body of another servant. “And get rid of that body!” The rest of the woman picked up the body, sobbing, and ran. A real beast of a man was their master, they all thought. She looked down at her clothes, she’d written her name on them months ago because their master said that if he could see their names, he could call them by name. He’d never called her, “Patience”, as it read. But she wasn’t feeling patient. Each of them had been serving there since birth. Their parents were him and his parent’s servants as well. Although many of the other girls and her too, were his own children. Regardless, each person that lived in that building should have been gone years ago, even the master, for keeping them there. Not that anyone could arrest him though. Nearly everyone in town that worked, worked for him.
At that moment, she ran downstairs, and to the children's room on the first floor. There were about fifteen children, not including the baby. Some servants were down there, some taking care of the children, others praying to the lord for many things, the safety of the children, escape from their master, and that they wouldn’t be the next to die of pregnancy, their last breaths spend slaving for their master, birthing his children. Luckily, their master didn’t like to see the children, and because of this, they felt safe there. Often Patience wondered why she stayed there, especially since the door was always unlocked. But, there were two of her master's cousins, about ten years older than Patience, stationed at the only door, to keep them in, and others out. Their names were Greed and Unfaithfull or, “Unfaith”, as her master called him, as he didn’t like the thought that someone with so much power over him was Unfaithful, even though he was. Greed was short, fat, and strong, with a fat, stony face. Whereas, Unfaithfull was tall and slim. He was what we call these days, “a pervert”. But they were both extremely daft, and foolish. Full of brawns, and empty of brains. Four times a week, patience and one or two more servants would be taken by Greed, and Unfaithful to get food and supplies. But patience and the others that came with her would be better off at their abusive house than out with Greed and Unfaithful. Only caring about money, they would whip her in public if ever they found an excuse that had any weight at all. They would make her buy them things, and at times go gambling. The Roman soldiers didn’t care, in fact, they seemed to enjoy watching her and her fellow servants misery. Once, they joined in the whipping.
Today was one of those days. Patience was scheduled to go with sincerity, the servant who had gone in to dress their master earlier. As patience walked up the stairs, she didn’t smell breakfast. Her master was not out yet. It was strange since sincerity had gone in to dress him an hour ago. One of the servants noticed her coming up. “Patience! Unfaithfu- I mean unfaith is outside waiting for you!” Patience gritted her teeth in frustration. “He!- He expects me to be early whenever he arrives early! He misses out on his wife's cooking and eats master's meal, and then he still expects me to be early!” The servant was also angry. “Thankfully, master hasn’t come out yet. So we have time to cook his food.” Even though she had already guessed it, hearing it spoken that their master was still in his room with her sister worried her. “I do hope he will come out now. When he does, we can start eating, and we can leave.” Patience finished. “But-” The other servant began, “what about his meal?” Patience smiled. “Blame it on the twits”.
Patience walked to the kitchen, where the servants were trying to cook as fast as possible. She helped. She had been there for five minutes when a door creaked open. Walking out slowly, with a tear-filled Sincerity, was their master. As they walked out more, they realized that behind their master was, Unfaithful. Patience ran forward. “Master! Your meal is almost-” “Siiilence!” Patience shuddered. “From now on, you will be this man’s property!” He boomed. Pointing to unfaithful. “You will belong to him but will come with him here, every morning, to serve as my head servant”. Fear filled Patience's heart and she fell onto her knees. “Please master! He is already married!” “The wife doesn’t have to know.” Unfaithful snarled. Their master approached her. Slowly though, due to his severe obesity. He gripped her throat and slammed her against the wall. She could only struggle at his unwavering grip. Now behind him, Unfaithful smiled. The master of the house declared in a cold and quiet voice, as he held up his oldest child, “You are nothing. If not a vessel to serve me. And you will always be.”
The day only got worse from there. Unfaithful told the master that he had to prepare a place for Patience to live. This was his excuse for not taking them shopping. In truth though, he took the money that had been given to him and Greed to go shopping and used it to gamble. In contrast, Greed went home to his wife and ate 3 dinners worth of food. But because they hadn’t gone shopping, the servants and children went hungry for the night. While their master ate like a king.
First thing in the morning, sincerity and Patience went shopping. As usual, Unfaithful went and spent lots of money on unimportant things, while Greed felt guilty that the servants went hungry, and made sure that Patience and Sincerety had a good shopping experience other than Unfaithful’s shopping spree. But when he considered these things, Greed realised how badly they treated the servants who had nowhere else to go. Because of Unfaithful’s beastliness, the shopping budget was severely dented. So Sincerity and Patience made sure to spend their master's money on good deals, and ended up with three baskets full of supplies to bring home. They needed to draw water at the end, so they decided to go through the woods where they could reach a well the fastest.
As they walked through the woods, something came upon Unfaithful, he drew himself to full height, pulled out a knife, and began reeling toward Sincerety, Patience boldly started towards him. When he lunged at Sincerety with the knife, Patience, without thinking, pushed Sincerety away. At once, Sincerity watched the holy spirit come upon Greed, and all the evil inside of him left. He jumped onto Unfaithful. Whilst they struggled against each other, Sincerity pulled at Patience, “Let’s go!” She yelled. But patience stayed firm. Sincerity continued to pull at her hand, bawling at the traumatic scene playing out before her eyes, a bug flew into it, as though trying to stop her from watching the fight. But, it quickly drowned in a waterfall of tears, as she ran back through the woods. Patience wasn't crying, in fact, she wasn't feeling much at all other than admiration, for this man, this evil man who had abandoned his Greed and selfishness, for the sake of her and her sister. Greed saw that whatever went into Unfaithful wasn’t coming out so, as she watched, Greed ripped the knife from his brother's hand and plunged it through his torso. Unseen by neither, except sincerity, who was watching from a distance, a demon left Unfaithful’s body.
Patience picked up the groceries and helped Greed to his feet. Though he was scarred and bloody, he walked fine. Sincerity ran to Patience's side still in shock but recovering. Greed ran before them, turned to face them, and fell on his knees. Surprisingly, he asked for forgiveness. “I know what I’ve done, and I know that I’ve hurt you both, and all of your friends”. Now tears poured down his eyes. “If you could ever forgive-” Sincerity interrupted. “We can”.
As soon as they got home, Patience walked to their master's bedroom. He was lying in his bed, about to go to bed for the night. At the moment, he was yelling at her 12-year-old half-sister who was folding his clothes. She walked forward and he immediately noticed her, stopping his rant, before he started to yell at her, she said. “I forgive you.” He was so shocked by her bravery. “I forgive you for everything you’ve done to me and my fellow servants.” Now he was incredulous. “Why?” He mouthed. She already had her response. “Because that’s what Jesus did. But,” she said, grabbing her sister. “We’re all leaving now.”
The finished image of Sincerety, Greed, and Patience fall under the beatitudes in Matthew 5.3-12 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Patience) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Sincerety) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Greed). May this book be a blessing to you all. God Bless.