Faith

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And those who ate
were about five thousand
men,
besides women and children.
[Matthew 14:21]
*************************
"I still don't
know if Jesus was real,
Lord."

"Why, child?"

"Well, because
I'm JEWISH?"

[CHUCKLE.]

"No! REALLY, Lord!
Like....with this part;
how in the heck
could somebody talk
to thousands of people,
without using a MICROPHONE?"

[GENTLE LAUGH.]

"WELL?
I mean, the microphone
wasn't even invented,
till like....eh, who knows:
around 1900?"

[PATIENT NOD.]

"WELL?
What ABOUT it, Lord?
I mean, how could Jesus
talk to all those PEOPLE,
all at one TIME?"

"Read My Word, child."

"I'm sorry, Lord;
there's no WAY!
I mean, I'D lose
my voice in a
MINUTE!"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
"Look at My Word, child."

"I HAVE, Lord!
But, how could He talk
to all those people,
without losing His
VOICE? I don't
BELIEVE it!"

"Read My Word,
beloved."

"Yeah, okay:

They followed Him
on foot from the towns.
As He went ashore
He saw a great throng;
and He had compassion
on them,
and healed their sick.
[Matthew 14:13-14]

(Thoughtful silence.)
Oh."

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"So, Jesus wasn't
just TALKING to
all them, at one TIME?"

"Read My Word, child."

"Yeah, but I thought
Jesus was always
LECTURING to EVERYBODY?"

"No, My child."

"Yeah.....well, I still
have trouble believing..."

"What, My child?"

"Well, how did You
HEAL all THOSE people..."

"and what, My beloved?"

(Silence.)
"And.....You haven't
healed........
ME?"

[NOD.]
"Ah, I see."

(Silence.)

[SAD SMILE.]
"What is the one
thing I ask of you, child?"

"Eh.........I DUNNO."

[SMILE.]
"Tell Me."

"Eh.......well:

That..... I finally....
Clean out my CAR?
Figure out who
I'm gonna VOTE for?
Give in, and try out
those BIFOCALS, again?
Clip my kitty's back PAWS?
Water the raggedy
little TREE, out back?
Figure out what a
CAUCUS is?
Read the whole BIBLE,
back to BACK:
and not just BITS
and PIECES?"

[PATIENT WAITING.]

"Eh........eh,
that, uh...
that I have some FAITH?"

[NOD.]
"In Whom, child?"

"Eh.....I guess,
in YOU?"

[NOD.]

(Silence.)

[SILENCE.]

"Hey, LORD?"

"Yes, My child?"

"When are You gonna
heal ISRAEL?"

"The Moment,
My child....
that I am asked."
*************************
When it was evening,
the disciples came to Him
and said......
send the crowds away.....
Jesus said,
They need not go away;
you give them
something to eat.
They said to Him,
We have only
five loaves here,
and two fish.
[Matthew 14:15-17]

__________________________
[Author's note: In 1876,
Emile Berliner invented the
first microphone as a
telephone voice transmitter.
He sold his patent -
to The Bell Telephone
Company - for $50,000.
What'd ya think, guys:
should he have asked
for MORE?]

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