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Topic: Bullies (08/09/04)
TITLE: Breaking the Chains of Injustice By Melanie Kerr 08/10/04 |
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"But you promised, last night, at the youth club…"
"Yeah, I know…but I didn't mean it."
"Sure you did. I looked into your heart. You meant it, Charles.
"And then just in case I try to wriggle off the hook, what do I read this morning but that stuff in Isaiah about loosing the chains of injustice. Give me a break!"
"And I don't really need to tell you which chains to loosen either, do I, Charles?"
"Tell me anyway, make my misery complete - no, no let me guess - Ryan Jamieson? Am I right or am I right?
"Got it in one!"
"But he is bigger than me!"
"True - but he is not bigger than me!"
"Duh…You are not the one likely to get the black eye! Bigger maybe, but you are not exactly flesh and blood - and very tender flesh and blood at that…no, no - wait, I know, you don't need to go into the whole crucifixion thing."
"So, now you know the plan. Let's get down to strategy."
"How about as stomach ache that keeps me off school? That sounds good strategy to me, or how about giving Ryan a stomach ache that keeps him off school or how about something a little more serious. A bolt of lightning maybe? The earth swallows him up. A chariot of fire…Oh that's just for the good guys like Elijah. Oh I've got it - I could knock him into the pool and a whale could swallow him."
"You could do that! Have you seen any whales in your pool recently? We are getting of the subject. This is not about what I am going to do. I am not going to do anything at all. But you are!"
"Hmm."
"Charles, I wouldn't be asking you to do this, if I didn't have complete confidence in you. Don't worry. I am not going to be standing and cheering from the sidelines but I will be right beside you, giving you all the courage and boldness that you need."
"Hmm."
"You are more than a conqueror, Charles!"
"Would you just stop with the encouraging stuff? I know it all already in my head - I just don't know it down here in my heart. Wait a minute - what about a sign? A Gideon thing. All I can see right now is me mashed to pieces, blood oozing and dismembered limbs. I need to know that I am going to come out of this alive. If you really want me to deal with Ryan, let the next car that passes the house be a red one. No wait a minute most people own red cars, there is bound to be a red car. Forget about cars. I know - a blind man with a white stick taking a three legged dog for a walk"
"Charles, come on…Gideon has a lot for answer for. Blind man. White stick. Three legged dog. That is much more creative than a sheepskin carpet. Here we go… there's your blind man.."
"Noooo"
"Look, Charles, I really want you to do this. I want you to do this for Ryan - you can show him that there is a better way to live his life. I want you to do this for you - so that you know my word is active and living and really changes people and situations. And most of all I want you to do this for….."
"OK. I will try. I really will try. Just if I don't succeed…meet me at the pearly gates at two thirty."
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The teacher had not yet arrived in the art room. The door was always open and the class drifted in anyway, in small groups of chattering pupils. Harvey was in his usual seat at the front of the class, concentrating on lining up his pencils along the top of the desk. Ryan stomped in swinging his rucksack in front of him, scattering the pencils over the floor leering at Harvey's white face.
"OK, this one's for you, Harvey - and for me, and for Ryan apparently", Charles muttered to himself as he disentangled himself from a crowd of his friends.
"Ryan! I have had quite enough of you. Leave Harvey alone. Here, Harvey - your pencils. Maybe you should keep them in the pencil case until you need them."