Dawn broke over the horizon on a Sunday morning. It was a cold Kansas day in late autumn, but Jacob’s heart was warm with love. Sunday was always his favorite day of the week. It was a day to lay down one’s burden, rest from the labors of this world, and focus on the Love that sustained an individual through to the next. Two Rivers was also taken by the Spirit on that day. He walked from the cabin and greeted the sun with a hearty “Ho!” As sunlight filled the settlement, Cassius stepped through the portal of the cabin wiping the sleep from his eyes. Jacob joined them outside, and the three friends built a fire, cooked a meal, and sat down to break bread together.
After breakfast Cassius gave Jacob an inquisitive look. “What we goan do today Brother Jacob?”Jacob smiled at him. “Today is Sunday. We rest, and we nourish our souls. There are hardly enough of us to merit a proper worship service, but we may hold a prayer meeting if you wish.”
Cassius met this suggestion with a vigorous nodding. “Oh yes, I’s surely would like that. I’s always did go to the prayer meetin’, even when I’s just be a youngun’.”
At this Two Rivers stood, saddled his horse, and rode off into the forest. He had seen to much blood and horror in his life to believe that the white man’s God was still in Heaven. Jacob said not a word about it, as he was content to let his friend worship in his own way. He walked into the cabin and returned with two
41 Bibles, one large and one small. He returned to his seat by the fire, placed the smaller Bible in his lap and opened it to the Book of Exodus. The larger Bible he placed close by his side should any uninvited guests require another verse from the metaphorical book of Exodus. He sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, and then he looked up at Cassius to begin their meeting of Spirit.
“Let us pray. Lord, we gather here today to hear the Word spoken, that we may learn from it and be lifted up in heart and in mind, in body and in soul, for Your service. We ask that the Spirit may come upon us that we may be sustained for the long struggle that surely lies ahead of us. Although we are only two in number, we gather in the promise of the Word that even if only two or three gather in Your name, You will be with us. Amen.”
Cassius nodded his agreement. “Amen.” Jacob began to read the story from the beginning. He spoke of baby Moses who was abandoned by his family to be raised a prince. He spoke of how the Lord called him to free his people from tyranny and slavery, and was given the power to work miracles. He spoke of the many afflictions sent to Israelite and Egyptian alike as a result of their conflict. He spoke of how the Red Sea parted to give safe passage to the Hebrews, and then came crashing down on Pharaoh’s army, thus delivering the downtrodden people. Jacob began to continue, but then he paused and looked up.
“Brother Cassius, being a praying man I am sure you have heard this story many times before.”Cassius nodded his affirmation. “Oh yes, I done heard it so many times since I be knee-high to a june bug I’s could prob’ly say the whole thing by heart my own self. I shore do like the way you tell it though, Brother Jacob. You really say it with heart.”
Jacob smiled, rubbed his chin, and continued. “It is a good that you know the story, but do you know what it means?”At this Cassius was baffled. “What it mean? Well, I’s caint rightly say. Ain’t nobody ever asked me that befo’. Dont nobody care what a field hand be thinkin’. What you think it mean?”
Jacob answered this question with another. “How do you think it was that Moses led his people to freedom?”Cassius thought a little while longer, and then he spoke his mind. “Well, let’s see. Ole Moses, he be powerful scared at first. He didn’t want it. But he took what the Good Lord put in front o’ him, and he pull it off. He don’t be scared o’ ole Pharaoh. Or maybe he was. That be it. He be scared, but he stand up and do right anyway. That how he do it.”
Jacob smiled at the excellent performance of his student. “Precisely, you have spoken truth, Brother Cassius. Moses was a man like you and I, and he felt fear as you and I do. But he did not let his fear control him. He did right and acted for the good of his people even though it placed his life in jeopardy. That is courage, and that is how Moses freed his people.”
Cassius stroked his chin for a moment and thought about what the lesson meant for his own life. After a short pause for consideration, Jacob asked another question.
“Brother Cassius, I am sure that by now you have realized that Brother Two Rivers and I are willing to fight, and if need be to die, in order to preserve your life and your freedom. But do you know why we fight?”
Cassius furrowed his brow before continuing. “Well, I caint rightly say that neither. When I found y’all that first night, I thought fo’ shore y’all must be angels. That Two Rivers be so scary sometimes I think he must be the Angel of Death his own self. I shore am glad he be on our side, I tell you that much. But I see now that y’all just be men like me. I don’t rightly know why y’all stick yore necks out fo’ little ole me, but I shore be humbled that y’all do, I tell ya that much.”
Jacob smiled, and continued the lesson. “It is written that man is created in the image of God. Have you heard this?”Cassius nodded. “I hear tell that befo’, but it do confuse me. I mean, all men don’t look the same. Do God’s face be white like yourn, or black like mine, or red like Two Rivers?”
Jacob raised an index finger and drove his point home. “Ah, but the scripture speaks not of outer likeness but of the inner likeness of man unto God. For unto man was given free will. It is this that separates man from beast. God so loved us that He allowed us the freedom to choose between things of this world and things of the Spirit. And in so doing, He gave unto all of us the beauty of His nature. It is for this reason that slavery and tyranny are abomination in the eyes of God. It takes away a man’s free will; that was given him by God and is not the province of man to take away. It fools men into thinking that this body and this world is all that there is. It fools men into thinking they have the right to decide who should live and who should die, when only God is wise enough to make these decisions.
“It is for this reason that it is important that we all do as Moses. That we stand up and do right despite our fear and the faintness of our heart. That we stand shoulder to shoulder and fight with courage no matter what odds have been laid against us. For these slavery men can only kill our bodies. They can never kill the Spirit of God that lives within all of us.”
The calm look of understanding a great Truth came over Cassius’ face. He looked toward Jacob with the light of a great spiritual awakening shining in his eyes. “Amen.”
