Ask Me ..... How i know there's a God up in the heavens!

Chapter 32 - Conspiracy 33 AD: They Found the Documents

I awoke when the water sunk to the temperature of: 'it's time to get out of this tub'. I perceived it to be hours later. The sun had set, as I realized it was probably close to 24 hours since I'd last eaten. 'Food, Food, Food' my internal warning light flashed. I sat up and looked around. Once the servant noticed I was conscious, she hurried toward me with some small soft woolen sheets; that apparently served as towels.

Once I'd dried and she lent her assistance to get dressed; we headed back between the buildings and toward the house. As we navigated the maze; I noticed several servants in a small hut, who looked to be engaged in washing the household laundry. In amidst the hanging articles, I noted a cloak I recognized. When I paused to look in, there I could see another set of articles (which looked vaguely familiar) immersed in pails of bloody water. The 'laundry room' smelled like an army field hospital.     

Nothing speaks of war with such silent screams, as the mixed odor of blood and urine. I mumbled to myself; as memories of fleet hospital clean up surfaced from buried dread and revulsions of my subconscious. Packing, unpacking and repacking connex boxes full of the now silent witnesses to the most recent battle fought on these sands. I thought for a moment, as I stared into this room; now caught in a flashback to a conflict that ironically (to this point in time) hadn't even happened yet.

The only thing I could feel was creeping panic, as the endless convoys of machinery marched passed me; covered with the soot of oil fires and the ash of those who were too unfortunate to get out of the way. Black sticky Iraqis caught in the tank treads along with that strange smell that permeated everything.

I could hear the screams, cries and explosions as they reverberated in some odd eternal echo through the very metal of each truck I walked past. They all seemed possessed of death itself, or maybe it was just the sand that had become so easily entrapped in everything? The earth crying for justice from the depravity men pour out on each other. Yes, all that and the soldiers themselves were worse. I recollected, as I shook my head and suddenly snapped out of the past.

Weird the things that trigger us.

I turned my attention back toward history and the direction of this servant girl, who seemed to be a bit nervous of my preoccupation with the laundry room. I guess it's OK? I finally decided; as I was fighting with feeling like my skin was about to crawl right off my bones.

I didn't quite understand how the act of holy sacrifice got so terribly confused with the horrors of modern warfare; until I suddenly awoke to the fact that the crucifixion (even if only from the human perspective) was every bit as bad as Desert Storm. Yes, I know both events have their own distinctive set of circumstances and maybe it's not even possible to compare the two; but death is still death. Whether it is deserved or not; in both circumstances, our own sin has brought it upon us.

I thought a moment longer, as we wandered into the Ignatius's atrium. Could I possibly understand atonement a little better because of the Gulf War? And could being crucified imprint on God in a similar way as war imprints on man? I had to scratch my head on that one a bit. Not that I ever thought the experience permanently distorted Jesus's mind; but maybe He really did comprehend what it's like to be a partaker, not only of someone else's destruction, but also your own? After all, it did say that He willingly lay down His life; but why were things like this? The questions kept coming.

I let out a sigh as I decided it would be best to just leave off with such inquires at this point, as they were starting to give me a headache. It didn't seem worth it at the moment, for the answers weren't short in coming and I had only managed to weary my already tired mind.

We passed through to the trichina where dinner was being served and my stomach was happy to see there was indeed some food around to chomp on. Fried chicken and a couple of big old biscuits sound good right about now. I chuckled to myself as I envisioned Ignatius sending someone to the local KFC; or rather, Little Caesars. Yeah, get me some hot wings too would ya? I laughed as I could feel myself nearly starting to drool. Oh how charming that would be! I snickered as I wiped my face, before I waited for a seat at the table. Pan pan. Pizza pizza!