Bible Studies
“Small Flights”
by C D Myers
Copyright 2006
“In God’s sight there are no little people and no little places.” - Francis Schaeffer
Chapter One
I walked the broad road running into the eastern hills and I looked forward to a grand vacation and time of reflection, renewal, and recommitment. The city of Laodicea was known world-wide for its beauty, its theater, and its recreational activities, and I had been planning a trip there for years. I was headed for a week of parties, relaxation, and entertainment in one of the cities that I had considered to be among my favorites. I was committed to the fact that nothing was going to happen to destroy that opportunity.
I thought back to the conversation with my father that had prompted the trip.
"Son," my father had said, "your work has been wonderful."
"Thank you father."
"Wait," he had continued, "there's more. As much as I appreciate all your work, your work is suffering."
"What do you mean? Are you disappointed with my work."
"Not at all." he seemed to fidget as he responded. "The problem is in the fact that you have becomed consumed with work. You have no other interests, no hobbies, no friends to speak of...no life away from work."
"But I love my work..."
"I really want you to consider taking a vacation." he was becoming more forceful in his wording all the time. "I need you to know who you are!"
I had been living, for a number of years, in the city of Ephesus. It was good to be away from the high stress living of the city. I loved the city, but I had recently found that the enjoyment I derived from it was changing. I was finding more and more reasons to leave the city for other places, and this trip had been the culmination of that longing.
The road along the Lycus River was an easy one to get distracted on; lined with palm trees and a wider diversity of floral and fauna than can be found anywhere else in the Roman Empire, a traveler could easily spend their trip gazing at the beauty around them. But the distraction that would have such an impact on me was quite a different one. The springs around Laodicea were all right, but the ones surrounding the town of Colossae were something else entirely. I knew of a spring that flowed from a small grove of trees that was the sweetest, coldest water anywhere around; and that water sounded awfully good right now.
I made the decision suddenly and emotionally. I was going to go out of my way just a few miles to get a drink from that spring that I had experienced years before. It was west of the town of Colossae a few miles, and would mean a trek through the hills to my south, but it would be worth it - of that I was sure.
As I walked that path toward the spring, I thought of those words of my father, “I need you to know who you are?” I had been upset with those words, but now I was realizing that he was right - I really didn’t know who I was, what I wanted, or what the purpose in my life should be. Maybe this vacation will help with that, but I doubted it. I was at a complete loss as to what I was to do or be.
I came up to the spring just before dark, and would think later about the little differences that can come about in just a few moments. If I had been just a few minutes later I would have seen the fire from within the circle of trees, but with the sun setting, that glow was not visible. I did hear the voices as I got close to the spring...
“I say we move up to the road and look for an easy target...”
“We stay right here and wait!”
...but by then it was too late. A twig snapped under my foot and in moments I was the prisoner of some thieves that were working the road I had been walking! This was NOT what I had in mind when I decided to come into the land of Asia.
“What are you doing here?” this came from a large, heavily bearded man who was obviously the leader.
“I was headed for Laodicea, but I wanted a drink of this wonderful water so I took a detour.”
“The water?” a second man, sitting back in the shadows asked. “I hardly believe that. Why are you really here?”
I looked more closely and began to get worried. This man appeared to have an inborn evil about him. He glared at me from a log where he sat, and he seemed to want nothing more than to slit my throat.
“I grew up in this area, and I wanted a drink of that water. What’s so strange about that?”
“What did you hear?” This was the leader once again.
“Hear?”
“Don’t question me. You must have heard something!”
“I simply heard something about moving up toward the road.” I wondered why this was such an issue. I figured telling the truth could have little negative implications --- I was wrong.
“Just let me kill him.” The speaker was the final member of the group. He was a small, thin man - and I wondered why he would be the one to say this. It appeared that he was the one trying to prove himself and gain a position of honor and prestige.
“Keep your mouth shut, Laban.” the leader said.
I wondered how many times this type of situation arose. These men were planning something bad, and - because of their guilty consciences - believed I knew more than I did. This set-up had me worried, because things could get out of control very quickly now. I decided to play things very quietly and try not to cause any reason for them to even look my way.
“Laban, tie him up.” Boss-man was taking control. “We’ll take him into Colossae, and have Luke keep an eye on him.”
“Cornelius, we don’t...”
Without a word Cornelius drew a sword and thrust it into the belly of Laban. “I told you to never use my name when someone was around.” He had his face right up against the left cheek of the dying man as he spoke. The surprised look on the face of the man quickly turned to one of shock. In five minutes the man was dead. Without a word the dark man grabbed the body and rolled it into a nearby ravine. There was not another word said. Five minutes later we were headed down a small, hidden trail further away from the road.
I was nearly breathless as we began the trip to Colossae. I had started the trip with great expectations, and now I had watched one of the most dangerous men in the country of Asia murder a man in short order. The vicious act was bad enough, but the knowledge of who was in command was even worse. The stories I had heard spoke of a man who would stop at nothing to accomplish his desires. The only thing I couldn’t understand was the fact that Cornelius had only these two men with him.
Three hours later we walked into the small town of Colossae. I had grown up in this area; my father had produced olive oil and sold it all around the Aegean territory, and this had never been my first desire for places to come. It wasn’t that there was anything ‘wrong’ with Colossae; it’s just that I had viewed it as a small, backward place that the world had left behind. The town was quaint to say the least; the people who lived there would use the term “folksy” instead.
We came into town by way of a small, narrow street. I knew that the main street was off to the north, and was lined with open-air markets of every sort. I wished it was still light enough to see the majesty of Mount Cadmus, the most popular sight in town. Of course the shop that had always amazed me was closed at this time of night as well. The man, a friend of my father’s, sold products made out of collosinus, a deep, royal purple cloth. It was that cloth, or better the sheep from whose wool the cloth came, that was the biggest claim to fame of the little town of Colossae. The town had once thought that it would one day be a great place because of the cloth and the road. But then the road turned off to the north, silk from the east became more readily available, and Colossae began to dwindle.
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I really enjoyed this especially once it got into the action. The opening seemed a little slow moving to me,meandering. I think that it just needs to be a little tighter.I would definitely read and enjoy this piece.