Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Charity (05/08/25)
-
TITLE: Threads of Mercy | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jack Taylor
05/12/25 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“Shalom,” the butcher proclaimed to the baker passing by.
“Shalom,” the baker hailed back and then waved at the rabbi already muttering his morning petitions.
Like a flock of timid sheep, thatched-roofed, stone hovels released wooden shutters as if opening their eyes to the wonders being unveiled. One freshly painted residence, hosting a linen banner trembling in the breeze, boasted a garden of lilies and stood out among the group. The carefully scripted Hebrew read “Charity’s Heart – Hand Made Stitchery For All.”
A beggar, hugging herself, lay curled in a hedge nearby; teeth still chattering from the cool night air. As if awoken by a puppeteer, she stretched her arms and arose, jerking to her slender limbs. A small boy with his bony dog stopped to stare.
A moment later, an angel dressed in rainbow brilliance emerged from under the linen banner. “Did I hear voices? Shemei, have you brought me another new friend?”
“She hasn’t got anyone,” the boy said. “She needs your charity.”
Turning toward the diminutive figure in rags, Dorcas motioned a welcome with her head. “Come in, my sister,” she said. “The fire is finding its strength and the bread is hugging the hearth, ready to fill the emptiest of bellies.”
“I didn’t know where else to go,” the barefoot migrant mumbled.
“Charity’s Heart is your home,” Dorcas replied. “We share dignity for the desperate, hope for the homeless, opportunity for the oppressed, and work for the woeful. Warm yourself by the fire, share my bread, and we’ll welcome the other sisters in a moment.” She swung the door wide as the girl stepped toward her. “What do I call you?”
“Sheba,” the girl said. “I won’t stay longer than I need to.”
Dorcas tossed a cushion toward the hearth and used tongs to yank a piece of flatbread from off the baking pan suspended above the fire. “We serve the Nazarene here,” she said. “Ever since I died, I’ve had no part in turning others away.”
Sheba’s eyes furrowed as she jutted in her chin. “You died?”
Dorcas lowered herself onto a cushion. “Sure did. Charity has taken on a new life since that day. I used to do good works and people thought well of me. But one day I caught the fever and closed my eyes for good. That’s when Ha’Shem showed me his own charity.”
“What happened?” Sheba asked, tearing off a chunk of the flatbread with her teeth.
“It’s probably best you ask details of the other sisters who will be coming,” Dorcas said. “One minute, I was here, and the next I wasn’t. Then I was back again with a stinking fisherman standing over me. The villagers had called for him. He has the power of the Nazarene. When God showed that kind of charity to me, in bringing me back to life, I could do nothing else than to pass that on to others.”
“Who is this Nazarene and how did you get resurrected?”
Dorcas shaped another loaf of flatbread and fashioned it onto the baking sheet. “Yeshua, the Nazarene, was sent by Ha’Shem to save our people from their sins. He died, then resurrected. Simon, his follower, simply did what Ha’Shem had done for Yeshua. My door is open to anyone who will listen of his mercy to me.”
Sheba bowed her head in resignation. “My parents died from zealot daggers when they helped a Roman centurion. My brother was thrown from a horse and broke his neck. I was to be married, but my betrothed saw I was alone and abandoned me. Now, I beg for mercy.”
Dorcas embraced the waif and sighed. “Here, there is no begging. Charity is free, paid forward from a heavenly hand. What you receive here, you will pass on to others who come behind you.” She moved to a small counter. “Here, we have a pot of lentil soup for the hungry, and soon there will be loaves of barley bread and honeyed dates to satisfy the emptiest heart. You will feed orphans, widows, strangers, and tell them of the Nazarene who cares for all.”
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
