THE_VEINGEL_-_Episode_004F-2hF-2hBOOKMOBI )5^5`55+zMOBI3AX8REXTHD,8 @@@@@@THE VEINGEL - Episode 004

Chapter 2

In the waiting area beneath the stage it was cramped and hot. Henry dabbed his forehead for at least the tenth time and frowned at all the makeup which clung to the cloth. Why is he unaffected by the heat? Then Henry noticed the custom tailored, ultra-light-weight silk suit the pastor wore.

Whats with all the fire and brimstone Henry? Tribulation this, Armageddon thatThe Number Of The Beast, The 7 Seals, The Rule Of The Antichrist, persecution of Christiansyoure scaring people. No one wants to hear that stuff.

The wasnt the first time Henryd been lectured by a fellow evangelist, it wouldnt be the last.

Its in the Scripture, Ken. He had to yell to be heard over the twenty-thousand watts worth of speakers blaring praise and worship music to the packed auditorium.

Ken, not surprisingly, wasnt satisfied. Well its all a matter of interpretation, isnt it? Youve got your version, but far more people believe the alternative, am I right?

All the more reason I need to preach the truth, Henry said without looking up.

The theological alternative pastor Kenneth Worley was referring to had caught on like shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart. The Pre-Tribulation crowd were fellow Christians who believed the Rapture Of The Church would happen before The Great Tribulation. Wishful thinking in Henrys exhaustively studied opinion. Worse (but harder to prove), wishful thinking propagated by stadium-fillers like Worley.

Truth? Thats debatable, and frankly, beside the point, Henry. Think about it: who wants to tithe away their hard-earned coin to a God whos just going to rain down plague and fire on them right along with the unsaved? Youre making God look like an asshole.

Henry said, Was God was being an asshole when He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a show of faith?

Ken made a show of rolling his eyes.

Though he could never share this with inerrancy of the Bible types like Ken Worley, the confidence he had in his post-Tribulation Rapture message was inspired as much by his research outside of the accepted canonical scripture as it was by anything to be found in the Bible itself. Henry certainly wasnt alone in his belief, that certain of the so-called apocryphal books were legitimate vessels of Gods Word; however, his reliance upon texts he alone had translatedthat would prove heretical among evangelical Christians, who, so far, remained at least grudgingly open to his controversial teachings. He could ill-afford to lose their support, for these were members of the flock God had commanded him to reach.

Henry (formerly Dr. Harris Whiting to fellow eschatologists) was no stranger to condemnation. Hed already been shunned by the academic community when a critic discovered one of the papers he tried to get published in The Journal Of Theological Studies had quoted from an unknown source. When pressed to substantiate the quote, Henry had been forced to admit he had been the author of the quoted document, and more damning still, that the text in question was in fact the inspired Word of God, revealed to him in a dream. Once known not only for his creative insights into apocalyptic literature, but also for his linguistic genius (Henry was a celebrated polyglot: forty-three fluently spoken languages and counting), his reputation had been ruined. Ironic, hed thought, how evoking a revelation from God made you a laughingstock among Bible scholars, while building a sermon from academic resources alone might brand you an agent of the devil in some churches! And while the recognition of this irony made Henry cynical at times, he was in no hurry to make a similar mistake in his new calling. Hed learned the hard way that whats left unsaid cant be used against you.

Look Henry, reasonable people can disagree on this. But when you get up there and tell people theyve been lied to, that despite what other great men of faith have written books in support ofbestsellers mind youthat theyre going to have to suffer through plagues and pestilence such as the world has never seenand worsethat it doesnt even matter if they love Jesus, if theyre saved, or if theyve adopted an entire village of AIDS babies from Somaliatheyre still going to be around for Gods wrath all the samethat doesnt exactly inspire confidence in the church, does it?

Here I am, competing for attention against Tony freakin Soprano, and animated puppets who openly mock our Lord on television to legions of kids and adults alike, and Ive got you, someone supposedly on my side, creating division among the flock.

This is a time for unity, Henry. Unity. Whether folks believe Jesus gathers up the saints before The Tribulation, or after in a pink-polka-dotted Volkswagendoesnt make one iota of difference to their salvation.

God doesnt care if youre a Pre-Trib, a Post-Trib, or a no-Trib believer, does he?

Henry tore his gaze from the distracting brilliance of Worleys diamond-encrusted Rolex for the first time during their exchange, and looked him in the eye, if only for an instant.

If God doesnt care, then why do you?

Worley didnt answer.

The organ sounded one final triumphant chord and the singing stopped in such a precise unison of silence that only an echo could be heard above squeaks of plastic auditorium seating and the rustle of paper as the congregation fumbled to stow their checkbooks. Timothy Simmons, the local pastor, announced Henry to the audience, and introduced the message hed be sharing. Lets give Pastor Whitmore a warm welcome

Henry stood and walked over to the large men in suits waiting to escort him to the podium (ushers to be politically correct, security guards in actuality).

Nice watch.

Fuck you, Henry, he said through newly capped pearly-whites, and the four horses of the apocalypse you rode in on.

Horse-men, Henry corrected.

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