“Obioma” was speaking when I rejoined the group.
“They trample all over His body, and that grieves my heart. They nail Him back, again and again, on the cross—for their own glorification, for their own name’s sake. And it bothers me because no one who truly loves Christ or believes in Him could teach such multidimensional apostasies!”
Multidimensional apostasies?—that wasn’t a phrase an itinerant tailor would use.
“You are not a tailor,” I thought to myself.
The Snake Oil Ponzi Scheme
Obioma continued:
“They do not believe in Christ or a single word of the New Testament. Either that, or they deliberately mislead their congregations.
I once thought, perhaps, they were just a little ignorant of the truth. Maybe they were preaching zealously about what little they knew—a bit like Saul of Tarsus before his conversion. But I was wrong. It is a carefully designed Ponzi scheme they operate—selling snake oil disguised as anointing oil, preying on the gullible. They sell hope, only to make hearts sick because that hope is always deferred.”
He paused, and as he did, the sound of raindrops pelting the tarp seemed to diminish, as though nature itself was listening.
“Every Christian should be bothered by this. But it seems everyone is saying, ‘Let God be the judge.’”
Sparring with the Oldman
At this, the old professor I had nicknamed Ed Ricketts cut in.
“What’s wrong with that? Some of that snake oil seems to work!”
The Oldman replied sharply:
“Statistically, every falsehood pronounced as prophecy has a 50% chance of appearing true. If lotteries had those odds, there’d be no beggars on the streets!”
“But some of them perform miracles,” Ricketts countered, unwilling to yield.
The Oldman’s tone grew more animated, tinged with irritation (oh, how those two loved to spar!):
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”
“Thank you, sir!” Ricketts exclaimed, rising to his feet and bowing theatrically. His mock gratitude drew laughter from the group.
A Warning Against Signs and Wonders
Obioma cleared his throat, seizing the moment:
“Indeed, some of their hocus-pocus may seem to work, but we must remember the Word of the Lord. He warned us not to equate signs and wonders with the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
There was no chance this man was a tailor. How could he be? Why he chose to disguise himself as one, I had no idea—but I intended to find out.
“Obioma,” I interrupted, struggling to follow his fervent train of thought. “In one sentence, what do you want us to take away from this?”
Timotheus Speaks
He smiled, and for the first time, introduced himself properly:
“My name is Timotheus.
And my one word for every Christian is this: Vigilance. Watch carefully those who always seem to finagle money from you. Recognize their every move. These are the same people who politicize Christianity, who make a great show of godliness but have no true godliness.”
Then he was off again, punching the air with every word:
“These people are like polluted wells in a verdant oasis—bitter waters that…”
The Scribe’s Dilemma
On and on he went….
We had a new star in our midst. You’d think I’d be overjoyed at that?
My feelings were… mixed.
Like the angels rejoicing each time Jesus was spoken of with love, with conviction—yes, I rejoiced.
And yet, I also felt something else: that my days as the Oldman’s scribe were over.
Don Kenobi
—A #MolueMonologues Reflection
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