FALL FROM GRACE (Fiction)
“Gabriel isn’t here again”. He pointed out. It was easy to notice when someone like Gabriel is absent. “This is the third straight meeting he has missed and I haven’t been seeing him in church. Who can tell me what’s going on with Bro. Gabriel? Has anyone tried to reach him?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” That was the voice of Prince, the smallest and most annoyingly vocal of the group who also doubles as the Secretary of the Youth Fellowship.
“It’s clear Bro. Gabriel has backslidden. He has gone back to Egypt”.
There was an awkward moment of silence as every one looked in different directions so as avoid eye Prince is reputed for speaking out of turn and most times without thinking. But no one was in the mood to start an argument with him. It had been a long Thanksgiving Service and they all wanted the meeting to end quickly so they can get on with other activities.
When Mathew spoke again it was to Prince. “You sound pretty sure about Gabriel’s slide back to Egypt, how do you know this? Have you visited or spoken to him since? Please share wit us?”
Prince sat in his chair and began to explain how Gabriel had stayed away from all Church activities, even abandoned his duty as the Organising Secretary. He even told them that he had suspicions that he had gone back to smoking and drinking.
There were grumbles and shuffling of feet when people realised he had no point to make. It was just another Prince mumble.
“Bro. Prince”. Stella called. “I’m sure this is not what Bro. Mathew asked. His question was if you had reached out to Bro. Gabriel to find out what his challenges are. That’s what we want to know, not your suspicions”.
The place erupted as everybody spoke at the same time. Some concurring with Stella while the rest chastised Prince. Mathew had to restore order. Which he did simply by raising his hand. Mathew was a man who commanded so much respect, not just because he was President of the fellowship but he had the charisma and character of a true leader.
“Prince, have you tried to reach Gabriel?” He asked in calm but clear emphatic tone.
Prince shifted uneasily in his chair. “No. But I see him almost everyday when I pass by his workshop on my way to work. Which means he’s always around, so there’s no excuse for avoiding Church”.
“So you see him everyday but never bothered to stop by and ask your brother what troubles him?” Mathew shook his head in disappointment.
Hannah, the Vice President raised up her hand to speak and was granted permission. “President sir, this issue isn’t part of the agenda, I think what we should do is to pray for Bro. Gabriel for the Lord to strengthen and revive him. So we can continue with today’s agenda for the meeting and go home”.
“No”. He answered without look at his second. “Even if this is the only thing we talk about today, other agendas can wait”.
“We have a brother who has been dedicated, fervent and committed. All of a sudden he stops coming to Church. Instead of showing concern we’re already judging and condemning him based on meaningless suspicions”.
“The place and power of prayer cannot be overemphasized. However, there are lots of things the Lord has empowered us to do. This that we do not need him to come down and do for us. Like visiting a brother, following a brethren up, helping one another in moments of weakness. We could do these for ourselves, by ourselves. Maybe that’s all Bro. Gabriel needs. Not praying and fasting”.
After his admonition, he promised to personally visit Gabriel and urged others to endeavour to visit any brethren who had been away. And so the meeting came to an end.
........................
“You look surprised Gabriel. Not expecting to see me?”
“Good morning presido, I wasn’t expecting you. How did you find my shop?”
“You’ve been avoiding my calls. So I decided to come in person. Prince gave me directions. Wont you invite me in?”
Gabriel apologized and invited him in. “I hope I’m safe? This one you came to my shop today”.
“Maybe I came to discuss business”
Gabriel smiled, clearly not buying it. “That’s great. What can I offer you while we talk business?”
“Please don’t worry about that. Let’s talk before customers will start coming in their numbers”.
Gabriel laughed sardonically. “Man of God, business has been really bad for months now. Any day I get up to five customers, I consider it a very good day”.
He shook his head and stared blankly at the wall ahead of him. “I’m sure God is punishing me”. He said absent mended.
“Why would God punish His child”? Mathew asked.
The question jerked Gabriel back to reality. He obviously didn’t plan for Mathew to hear that. But it was too late now.
“Brother Mathew, we have been worried about your absence in church. What is going on?”
After a long silence Gabriel heaved a deep sigh and said “I have done a terrible thing. I’ve sinned against God and the church”.
“Brother, you know we serve a God who’s merciful and always willing to forgive. Whatever you have done is not enough reason to stay away from Church. All you need do is pray for forgiveness. And confide in a brethren at least”.
“Pray? Where do I start? I feel so filthy. I’m sure my mere existence is an abomination to God”. “Speaking of confiding in someone, Bro. Mathew I feel terrible already about my actions. I don’t need any brethren from the church to start judging and condemning me. That is why I decided to stay away and cut off completely. Let me bear my burden on my own”.
“You got it all wrong, we are not of this world but we are still in it and thus prone to making mistakes. As long as we do not make it a habit. God loves you no matter what it is you might have done. Talk to Him, He’s your Father”.
“Also you shouldn’t stay away from Church. Remember Hebrews 10:25 says ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another’”. It is our duty as brethren to strengthen one another in times of weakness like the Bible urges us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11”.
“I know that’s what the Bible said”. Gabriel cut in. “But you and I know that is hardly the case. People in the church today are the ones who will condemn you first spread stories about you and treat you like you are the assistant devil”.
“Sadly, you’re right. But it shouldn’t be so”.
After one long hour, he finally convinced Gabriel to open up on what happened.
It happened 2 months earlier when the youth fellowship was preparing for an outreach crusade. As part of preparations, a prayer vigil was fixed. But with 2 days to go a directive came for higher authority to cancel the vigil. It was so sudden there wasn’t enough time to pass the information to everyone concerned.
“I closed very late that particular day and headed straight to church. By the time I got to church it was almost 10pm because of the distance and traffic. Only to be told that the vigil wasn’t going to hold. Some of the people I met went back home because they stayed close, others joined their friends who stayed closed but I couldn’t go back home by that, my house is very far and the road is not safe at that time. So I decided to sleep in the he Church. There was no one I knew that stayed close to the church”.
He went on to explain how few others came later and had to leave too for same reason except for Sister Alali who lives on a gated street that is locked once it’s 11pm and would only be reopened by 5am.
“As a member of the technical team, I had the key to the console booth”. He continued. “So I opened it and went in to sleep while Alali went to lay on the altar. Few hours later i discovered that she wasn’t sleeping. She was busy chasing mosquitoes. Out of pity I called her to join me in the booth, I let her sleep on the carton cot while I put some chairs together and laid on them”.
All the while Mathew sat up straight in his chair as he listened with rapt attention. He already knew where the story was headed but he didn’t want to interrupt. It’s best to allow him pour it all out. Gabriel continued. He narrated how Alali had made space on the cot and invited to come lay with her, that it was more comfortable. The first thing that came to his mind was 1 Thessalonians 5:22 ‘Avoid every appearance of evil’. But he gave it a second thought. They were brother and sister in the Lord in the house of the Lord, what could possibly go wrong? Besides she was simply showing genuine care and it was almost daybreak. So he joined her on the cot though they backed each other.
At this point he paused, he eyes began to moisten. He tried to speak but almost choked on his words. He couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. Mathew reached out and held his hands.
“I messed up”. He cried. “I could not control my desires. I let the flesh take control”. He broke down and wept.
Mathew could feel some moisture sting his eyes, he quickly wiped them with the back of his hands.
It took Gabriel some time to compose himself again. And when he spoke it was with a clearer voice. “Now You See why I have to stay as far away from the church as possible. I defiled the temple of God. After it happened, I was expecting the Lord to strike us dead on the spot and I wished He had. I’m such a worthless piece of filth”.
“No, you’re not. The fact that He didn’t strike you like you wanted is proof that He still loves you and still has use for you. Come back to Him”.
He was able to convince Gabriel to make peace with God and come back to church. When he did they both went to the Pastor where Gabriel confessed what had happened. He was prayed for for forgiveness and made to face 2 months suspension as disciplinary action. During the 2 months he was allowed to attend services but couldn’t participate in any activity. He was also mandated to undertake counselling after which the suspension was lifted.
And he returned to the fold stronger and more committed. Apart from Mathew and the pastor, only a handful of leaders knew about the incidence.
No one has seen Alali since then. It was rumoured that she left town.
THE END
(This is a work of fiction. Does not refer to anyone directly or indirectly. Any resemblance is coincidental)
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