Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Lindisfarne Monastery Some of the marauders are returning to the boats with blood on their swords and laden with the booty they’ve stolen. No one from the monastery is chasing them. Gunnar knows my Christian nature and he chooses me to help in opening what might be Christianity’s greatestContinue reading “#69.6, Thursday, June 12, 2025”
Author Archives: J.K. Marlin
#69.5, Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Lindisfarne Island The slaves wait with the boats while the monastery at Lindisfarne is being raided. We talk among ourselves about our own Christian ways. I find these men who once called themselves Christian, in these times, have no idea of the Jesus peace. How does God answer theContinue reading “#69.5, Wednesday, June 11, 2025”
#69.4, Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Lindisfarne Island The red shirts have the longships pulled onto the sand facing the sea waiting for the signal. We talk among ourselves. “I was once a Christian.” “I am still a Christian.” I answer. “How can you be a Christian when we belong to the pagans andContinue reading “#69.4, Tuesday, June 10, 2025”
#69.3, Thursday, June 5, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. The far shore of the North Sea Several days and nights of sailing and rowing – now swells of stubborn waves on a calming sea are breaking ahead of us and were it not nighttime, we might see the dark line on the far horizon is the foreshadowing of land.Continue reading “#69.3, Thursday, June 5, 2025”
#69.2, Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. The North Sea A stiffer wind and we are reefing the sail to give the wind less of us to chew on. With the speed of these ships, we can cut across the waves like well-honed blades skinning the vellum from the meat. It seems we are moving very fast,Continue reading “#69.2, Wednesday, June 4, 2025”
#69.1, Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. The North Sea Sailing east across the North Sea toward the Northumbrian islands where Christians huddle with their riches, each wind gust comes stronger and more southerly than the last. With the lifting of the clouds comes the rougher sea. Ever larger waves are racking us broadside. Everyone is seasickContinue reading “#69.1, Tuesday, June 3, 2025”
#68.13, Thursday, May 29, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Mooring at The North Sea It was an uneasy sleep never knowing when the wind would turn. It will take a rare easterly to set us on our way and this may just be that day. The orders for thralls are for two slaves in each ship. The liftingContinue reading “#68.13, Thursday, May 29, 2025”
#68.12, Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Mooring at The North Sea The instructions are repeated, “Always, quick and quiet, invisible under the shroud of dark,” The orders devolve into our instructor’s own longing for the journey, “As silently as an evening lap of sea water tongues the tender thigh of shore, your oars will caress theContinue reading “#68.12, Wednesday, May 28, 2025”
#68.11, Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. Mooring at The North Sea We are given the slave orders for the journey. But really the only thing slaves need to know is obedience. “Slaves are assigned two to a longship, one with the bow rowers, and the other at the stern taking orders from the coxswain.” TheContinue reading “#68.11, Tuesday, May 27, 2025”
#68.10, Thursday, May 22, 2025
Historical Setting: 793 C.E. The North Sea Gunnar didn’t call me “thrall,” he called me “red shirt.” I am slave to a particular master who identifies his own with the red shirt. My shirt is hardly a brilliant shade of red even though I’m new, because the shirt, like an owned man, is theContinue reading “#68.10, Thursday, May 22, 2025”
Lazarus Ink 