Morning had broken, and dawn’s early light banished the darkness from the sanctuary of the Federalist Street Unitarian Church. Jacob had been there all night. On his knees he held an unwavering vigil. He prayed without ceasing that God would take away all of his imperfections and shape him into an instrument of His divine will. For try as he might, Jacob simply could not escape the doubt that plagued his mind and slowly chewed away at his heart. He was not worthy. He was not worthy to preach the Word and he was not worthy to receive his father’s inheritance, and there was no denying that fact.
But the doubt that seemed so complete by the darkness of night just seemed to melt away like snow in the springtime once sunrise was upon him. Jacob knew that the Light of the world dwelt within the hearts of each and every human being. One only needed to have faith in order to let it come shining through. For faith brought hope, and hope brought love. It was Love that had the power to reveal to man his true nature. They were beings of light, all of them, and this crude matter was nothing but an illusion. It was nothing but the play of light upon water. Jacob knew, and he wept at the beauty of the revelation. His faith had been rewarded.
The massive wooden door to the church creaked open, and through the portal came his father. Jacob finished his nightlong prayer and rose to meet his patriarch. Esau was a great bear of a man, who towered over his son with red hair that smoldered as if it were made of fire. Jacob by contrast was a short thin wisp of a man with blond locks that appeared so gentle it was almost as if they were not even there. He walked over to his father and began to say hello, but before he could even open his mouth Esau embraced his son for the first time in his life. Again, Jacob wept. Esau held his son at arms length that he might behold him.
“You have done well son. You have worked hard and you have achieved. Today is your day, and you deserve it.” Jacob glanced down for a moment, for he couldn’t quite bring himself to believe the truth of the words that had just been spoken.
“I have tried father. I tried so hard to live up to what you expect of me.” Esau was not one to miss an opportunity to lecture his son.“Do not sell yourself short Jacob. You have proven yourself, and now the real work begins.”
Knowing that this was all the approval he was likely to get, Jacob smiled and clasped his father on the arm. He knew that the work he had done to reach this crowning achievement had been the easy part. Now it came time for the hard part. He must accept it.
But his father was not the only one to come share in Jacob’s boundless joy on that happiest of occasions. One by one, they came through the door. One by one, they lined up to congratulate him, and to tell Jacob that they loved him. One by one, they took him by the hand and shared in his triumph. One by one, his father took their hands in his firm and overpowering grasp and thanked them at length. One by one, Jacob let his hand be held and responded to his well-wishers with little more than mute meekness. Although he was a man of words, on this occasion he found that he had very few. One by one, they gave Jacob a look of understanding and took their place in the pews.
At long last, the moment had arrived. Esau stepped up to the pulpit to welcome the assembled congregants, and Jacob took a chair by his fathers side. He felt his heart threatening to leap right out of his throat as he looked out at all of the people he loved most in this world. In the front row sat his mother, without whose love and compassion he would never have found the courage to stand up to a harsh and cruel world. Beside her was his friend Ruth, who had hardly left his side throughout all of his years at Harvard. By her sat Peter, who had been his best friend since boyhood. Jacob wished for all the world that he could just leap right off the stage and into their loving arms, but he knew that the ceremony commanded respect.
His father went on at length, as his father was a man who went on at length. He spoke of the duties of fatherhood, of how a minister must always be a good father to his flock. He spoke of how taking up his father’s work was the highest aspiration of any son. He spoke of immortality, of how a man’s words could never truly die if there came another who became the message. He spoke, and he spoke, and then he spoke some more. For three solid hours his audience endured him, as any who knew Esau Channing knew that whenever he opened his mouth one had best be prepared to listen for a very long time. Finally the moment came when Jacob rose. Esau laid hands on him and gave his blessing, and at long last he presented to the world the Reverend Jacob Channing. Hands trembling with the tremendous weight of responsibility, Jacob rose to the pulpit with great expectations for his time in the sun.
