7~Not an Easy Convert

Stubbornness and Stupidity are Twins~ Sophocles

---

---

Chapter 7

The hands that held him back vanished as Duncan took a step forward. He had a feeling deep within his soul that he couldn’t explain, but it was tangible, like he could reach out and touch it. The group of people crowded around him. They were shoulder to shoulder, but that didn’t matter; something was tugging at him, telling him to come forward; all the answers would be answered if he would.

The preacher started to speak again, and Duncan heard only his voice. “Jesus said in the book of Matthew; the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish,” the preacher’s voice echoed.

The need for answers kept Duncan weaving through the crowd. He pushed and maneuvered through the people like a drowning man swimming to a life raft when the preacher’s words broke through again. “In Matthew 19:25, the disciples asked Jesus, who could be saved? And the Lord told them, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Those words comforted him for a reason he couldn’t explain, and Duncan pushed through the last of the people blocking him and stepped out front in front of the preacher. “Who are you to tell me that I need to be saved. I don’t need saving; my life is perfect! So why should I care about anyone else other than myself?”

There were gasps, murmurs, and even claps as Duncan faced the man who told him that everything he had worked for, loved, and enjoyed was nothing more than a sin. The preacher stepped down from his wooden stand and took a step forward. “We all need saving, friend. There is no one in this world without sin, not one of us,”

“You say there’s a God, and you have the right to say that, but I also have the right to tell you that you’re full of shit. The things I accomplish have nothing to do with a God. It has to do with me and all my hard work. You tell gullible people that a creator made the universe; I call BS on that too. Science has proven that we were made from goo and that the universe was made from a big bang. We come that all that,”

“When you look at a beautiful painting, don’t you credit the painter and his genius with the paintbrush?”

“Yes, so what?”

“When you look at the landscape that the painter copied and put on canvas, do you think such beauty and marvel just became, and there is no master painter behind the beauty?”

“Everything is random in this world. We live in chaos; we die in chaos. We live by our choices,”

“So, what you are saying is that if you bought a piece of furniture that had many pieces if you opened up the box, it would somehow put itself together,”

“No, that’s not what I said,”

“Ah, but you did. Your argument is that the world was formed from a big bang, particles that exploded together and created all the marvelous and complex world that we live in,”

“Yes,”

“But what you are saying is that if I took all the scrabble pieces with every letter from the alphabet and shook them all up in a cup and threw them on the floor, it would spell, there is no God in this world, only man,”

“I never said that,”

“But the likelihood of those scrabble pieces falling on the floor into a sentence is unbelievable to you, yet you think that the same thing just happened and brought about the world we live in,”

For the first time in his life, Duncan had no comeback. The preacher’s words placed a wrinkle in his well-played-out life and ideas. “I guess I never thought of it like that,”

The preacher smiled. “That’s my job, to show the truth of God’s word. The Bible says God created the heavens and the earth. How he did that, no one can say for sure, only that he did. Scientists argue about all the technicalities of why there is no God, and those are what you hear from all the outlets. Rarely do you hear that Christian scientists have found evidence proving the contrary to the Big Bang. The reason for that is we live in an evil world. One where Satan wants everyone to fall away from God and not come to redemption through his son, Jesus Christ.”

“I always thought you Christians, with your high and mighty values, were such hypocrites. You tell people that adulty is wrong, to lie is a sin, to steal, and when the shit hits the fan, you all are the biggest sinners of them all.” Duncan chuckled.

“You’re right; many say they are Christians and do evil and sinful things in this world. But if I can point out something to you,”

Duncan shrugged,

“Christians are only humans doing their best to live for Christ in a fallen world. Also, just because someone says they’re a Christian doesn’t mean they are one,”

“That’s convenient,”

“I could put it this way, a man says he’s a devoted husband but is having an affair, is that man truly a devoted husband, or an adultery?”

Duncan’s gut turned, and a sharp pain struck his chest. “He would be a liar and an adulterer.”

“And the same could be said for the person doing evil and saying he is good. But still, you find me one church with no sinners, where all the people do what is good and right, and I’ll tell you they are a false church. No one is without sin, and no one can be perfect. There was only one man who fit that bill,”

“Jesus,”

“Yes, Jesus. It’s my job to spread His gospel of the good news to people. To let them know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father but through Him. Not everyone who hears the message believes, but that is not my job; that is Gods.”

“Does believing in Jesus take away the guilt, the pain?”

The preacher took a step closer, and Duncan could see the hole in the coat, dirty bennie on his head, and a look in his eyes of sadness. “Our God is a loving God, and he will soothe your soul and comfort you, but he does not promise to take away all of our pain and suffering. He doesn’t promise our best life ever. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 5: 10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Does God help? Yes. Does God heal? Yes. Does God promise to give you your heart’s desires? No. He promises that if you believe in His son, you will not die and go to hell, but be in heaven with Him.”

“I don’t care about heaven or hell. I only care about myself!” Duncan growled but stopped.

“Or, at least, I did. I’ve never felt sorry about what decisions I’ve made in my life. There was only one person that I wanted to please, and that was myself. Now, I have this dark feeling that there is something more going on, something that I can’t shake, and I’m right in the middle of it. I can’t say what has made me care; I can’t say, only that I don’t like it and want it to stop. And whether it be heaven or hell, I’m willing to side with the one who will take it away,”

The raggedy preacher smiled, took another step forward, and was face to face with Duncan. “God has given you free will. You are free to choose however you like. But remember this, the things that come easy are usually the things in life that cause the most pain. It is easier to side with the world than with our Father because we are sinners. We don’t like being told what to do, and we side with what is easy and acceptable to those around us. Your salvation is a free gift to you by a loving Father, but it is also His gift to let you choose. So, whether it be heaven or hell, you are the one who will have put yourself there,”

“I’d have it no other way,” Duncan smirked, crossing his arms; then Duncan glanced around and saw all the eyes watching him, and his face felt hot. “This Christian stuff sounds like BS to me. Nothing in this world is easy; it is hard and messy. It’s people like me who flourish in this world and don’t have second thoughts about the who or the why’s,”

The preacher nodded. “If that’s true, then why are you here?” He asked, and Duncan’s eyes went wide. “I mean no disrespect, and the last thing I want to do is put you on the spot. So, let me tell you this. You don’t have to decide in front of anyone. Your decision is between you and God. You can talk to Him on a walk, in your car, in a store, or even in a crowd of strangers to ask to be saved. You can confess it out loud, or you can confess it in your head. Just remember to get the peace you’re looking for; all you have to do is admit you’re a sinner. Acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and that He died on the cross for your sins and was risen again after three days. Ask Him to come into your heart and forgive your sins; your life is now His. That’s all you have to do,”

“This was a waste of my time. You are nothing more than a salesman, and I would know. I don’t know why in the hell I thought you would have the answers,” Duncan seethed, walking away.

“Just remember that the enemy stalks around like a hungry lion looking for someone to devour. So don’t be that someone friend,” The preacher called out as Duncan pushed his way through the crowd. He held up his hand to hail a taxi to get home.

When Duncan walked into his glamorous, the turning in his gut made him almost sick. He tossed the keys on the marble-topped side table and entered the grand living room. The city’s lights sparkled in the darkness like little stars below him. So many nights, he would stand in the same spot, looking out at the world from the height, feeling like a god. But, the arrogance he was so proud of was nowhere to be found. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He murmured to himself.

“Why are you worrying about any of this? You are Duncan Baker. You are a billionaire. Men fear you, and women worship you,” something whispered in his mind.

“Yes, that’s right. I have money, power, and women do worship me,”

“Forget about all the things that have been bothering you. You can’t help what others do. What are you, God?”

“Yeah,” Duncan chuckled.

“Your wife was a silly and pathetic woman. How would you know she’d lose her marbles over hearing the truth about how you feel. And that’s what you were doing, telling her the truth.

What she did was on her head, not yours. So forget about that stupid preacher, pour yourself a drink, and call Angelica.” the whisper suggested.

A chill went down Duncan’s back, making him swing around as he couldn’t help but think someone was standing behind him, but there was nothing. Was he going crazy? Was someone whispering things in his ear, or was it his own thoughts crowding out his anxiety and helping him get back on the right path, a path he had chosen. “The burden of your wife is now nothing more than a memory. You’ll have to play a greaving widower for a bit, but that could be good for business and getting the woman.”

“Yeah, I could play this to my advantage,” Duncan agreed.

“Call Angelica and lose yourself in pleasure. Then go out and paint the town red. Eat, drink, and be happy, for in the end, you die. That is all life is,”

“There is nothing more to life than that; in the end, we die. So why not live it up while I can,” Duncan chuckled as he pulled his phone from his pocket, texted Angelica to come over, and went to jump in the shower.