Historical Setting, 626 C.E. Walking by the creek near the cottages
His mother tells Brandell he has to eat soup now, so he dutifully sips from the bowl as though eating is a weighty chore he has to do. There is no sign on his face of that infectious smile that can drink up the drear like the sunshine swallows up mist. It pains us to see this son so oddly sorrowful.
“I don’t agree with the Church on this one, Brandell. I’m sorry if I disappoint them. I know they don’t mind calling me ‘Ezra’ because it seems to solve the Lazarus problem for them. But I wonder if they even know Ezra was a Jewish priest who finally got the Temple rebuilt after it was demolished by the Babylonians. Apparently, those most literate scholars don’t read the prophets. Maybe those Jewish scrolls aren’t even in the library over there. Sure they keep up with the Christian Doctrine, but what do they know of the Christian root?”
Brandell can’t seem to brush off the Churchman’s criticism. He tells me, “Also, the Church authority said this problem came into my poetry because I can read and I have read the bible without the guidance of those who are knowledgeable and speak for the early Church Fathers. He said it is important to teach the bible stories in a Christian way. So, in one place a ‘Pharisee’ won’t be considered a ‘fine grandpapa’ while in another he is the murderer of Christ.”
“Don’t you see, Brandell, that is exactly the flaw in their argument? People who are trying to invent information their own way use the illiteracy of the populace to re-inflict the Roman propaganda leftover from the time when a power thirsty empire tried to rule the world! It was a dangerous time for common people. Jesus was executed by the Romans just for teaching people to love God and to love one another and, perhaps, for being popular with the people.”
It worries me that Brandell is popular with the common people and now he finds the politically powerful fear his message.
“What do they expect you to do about this, Brandell?”
“They want me to stop singing bible stories. I thought that gospel story about Grandpapa eating dinner with Jesus, was meant to say Jesus was a friend of a Pharisee because ‘God loves everyone.’ But then the Church authority says the love of God comes with expectations that are only maintained by the Church.”
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 