Of One Accord | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Of One Accord | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Westefeld
11/10/22
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Stephen Soloman sat in the 700 year old office of Blessed Fellowship and waited for the other members of the United Earth Ministry Council to be seated. When the last person was settled, and the expected condolences for Stephen's accident were given, Stephen opened the meeting with a brief prayer.

Mike Smith from Calvary Hill asked the first question. "Other than accepting your resignation, Steve, what's the biggest issue to deal with?"

Stephen smiled, despite the pain in his legs, and answered, "I think we need to devote more resources towards our Qlag church plant. Myron has recently had an unexpected situation arise, and I think he needs the funding."

Mike sighed. "What now?"

Stephen tapped his desk computer and Myron's image was projected on the far wall. Myron began to speak. "I was recently asked to help out with the peace treaty between the Qlag and Tsab."

Stephen paused the report. "If you recall, that was an intersystem war that took place around the time that Myron took furlough to get married."

About half the group nodded, but the representative from the East Bay Reformed Church asked snidely, "Why is that relevant?"

Stephen ignored his tone in the interest of maintaining harmony in the council. Instead he resumed the playback.

"As part of the treaty, the son of the Qlag High Priest needed to marry the daughter of the Tsab Chief Minister."

Stephen again paused the report, upon seeing the disturbed looks directed at Myron.

Stephen spoke over the grumbling. "The practice has roots in the Old Testament. It's been said that many of my namesake’s 300 wives were for political reasons."

The grumbling ceased as many of the council realized Stephen was right. Harmony restored. Stephen resumed the playback.

"Tsab custom allows for this, as did ancient Qlag tradition. The only problem is that neither the Qlag nor the Tsab trusted the other party to conduct the wedding. That's when Qa-less of the Qlag 'offered' my services to perform the ceremony."

Myron's image paused to take a breath. "Ministering on a planet filled with sentient lions is unnerving enough, but now I was going to a planet of sentient panthers, described by the potential father of the groom as “vicious animals”."

I spoke with the chief minister and asked if he knew anything about my faith, because I wanted to be sure my wife wouldn't be a widow if I preach Christ at that wedding."

"Chief Minister Kotram said he didn't foresee any problems, as long as I didn't
disrespect their gods in the process."

"I spoke to my wife, Cedar, and she made arrangements for child care for the twins. The only problem is that the Qlag won't provide us with transportation to Tsab, so I need to be able to hire a ship for the round trip. My financial request is attached."

Myron's image faded away and Stephen looked at each of the council members in turn. Stephen asked, rhethorically, "Does anyone think that spending money for interstellar harmony is a bad idea?"

The representative from East Bay replied, "I suspect that you are being sardonic. If the Gospel can be preached on yet another world, my vote is obviously yes."

The remaining council members agreed with the man from East Bay.

Stephen used his lift chair to raise himself to a standing position and said, "No further business about ministry, but my time as head of the council is about to end, and I'd like the last vote of my tenure to display us all being in one accord. I respectfully recommend Mike Smith to be the next council chair…"

Stephen and Mike left the room while the other eleven voted. A short time later Joseph from East Bay Reformed called the two men back in. "The vote was unanimous. Congratulations Chairman Smith."

Stephen muttered under his breath, "May God have mercy on you, Mike," reflecting the disdain for the politics of keeping the council running in a harmonious manner that he only expressed to his wife, Elena.

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