“The Catalyst” Series Book 6
		“Building a Legacy”
		Crumbly Writer All rights reserved © 2013
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13:  A Little Theology Goes a Long Ways

           

“So what’s this I hear about you writing your theology?” Winona asked, her excitement shining in her eyes when Alex and the others greeted her in the dining room the next morning. Becky had made clear earlier the previous evening was her night to spend time with Alex, and Winona—while still nervous about being frozen out—respected her enough to give them their privacy.

“Wait, I only mentioned that to Becks and Mel last night,” Alex said, remembering to use the more familiar names for his sisters. “How did you learn about it? No one left the room.”

“You forget; it’s hard to keep information to yourself when everyone can instantly communicate with hundreds of others. One of the girls in the band, Mary Watson, overheard the Seers helping with the show talking to a Watcher about what they’re saying. Apparently, the Seers have been communicating with Victoria for a while, and when Emily revealed you were ready to formalize your beliefs, they were eager to spread the news. To everyone besides me, that is!” she responded pointedly.

“Uh, maybe it’s a stupid question, but who’s this Victoria?” Melinda asked, though Becky touched her arm, signaling it wasn’t an appropriate question at the moment.

“Well, thanks for keeping me in the loop,” Alex replied sarcastically, shooting Gini a look since she was the only Seer in the room. “Until yesterday, I had no clue she was even alive.”

“That was a conscious decision on our part,” Gini admitted, speaking for all the Seers not present. “When Emily first met her, she contacted Shani and asked how she should handle it. Your Carbondale women had a quick confab and decided it would be best if you were kept in the dark. As Emily explained, we wanted the new temple to be led by someone who could communicate with us and knew what was involved but who had no clear connection to you so she couldn’t lead anyone unduly interested in it back to you.”

“Actually, that’s a good strategy,” Alex reflected. “But how am I supposed to avoid her if we’re both in San Francisco?”

“Don’t worry. Emily is keeping her in LA while they plan strategies. They’ll keep her busy until the plans for the temple are formalized, by which time you’ll be long gone.”

“You know, it’s scary how everyone feels so comfortable withholding information, especially since it’s so easy to communicate with me,” Alex observed.

“Don’t forget, most of the girls are afraid of distracting you,” Becky offered, glancing meaningfully at Winona. “They realize the entire movement rests on your shoulders, so they don’t want to monopolize your time.”

“Still, it doesn’t take much for me to say hello to someone,” Alex countered.

“No, but considering how many people depend on you, if everyone spoke to you directly every time they had a question, you’d never be able to focus,” Gini informed him. “Your core group in Carbondale put the word out early any communications had to go through them first. That’s why you aren’t overwhelmed with personal messages all the time.”

“You know, I’ve been wondering about that,” Alex admitted.

“Anyway, what do you have so far?” Winona asked, eager to gain an insight into his thinking.

“He wouldn’t tell us, saying we’d go over it during breakfast,” Melinda explained.

“Here,” Gini said, interrupting the conversation by shoving a plate full of food in front of him. “I figured you’d be too busy talking to feed yourself, and once you get started you won’t want to stop. Let the others look over your notes while you eat.”

“That makes sense,” Alex said, reaching into his jacket pocket. “Here, these are my initial notes. Each of you take a page, they’re numbered, and note or correct any grammar, spelling or other errors you find.”

Winona proactively dove to grab the first sheet he offered. Becky and Melinda were more circumspect, but no less eager. As the three settled into reading, their breakfasts forgotten, Alex concentrated on eating.

“You’re not curious?” Alex asked, regarding Gini’s silence as he sipped his coffee.

“Of course I am, but soon it’ll be all I hear. I can wait for a little while. It’s more important you get it right than for any of us hear the details,” she answered, once again looking pointedly at Winona.

“Don’t worry, I know better than to leak something that’s unfinished,” Winona said. “I’ll wait until you release it. I’d rather help you put it together than gossip about it. If I leak it, you’ll never give me access to this type of stuff in the future. That’s no way for a close adviser to behave, now is it?” Winona asked, returning Gini’s glare.

“Good,” Alex replied. “While I don’t mind everyone looking out for my best interests, it’s still unnerving to think you’re all discussing the details of my private life behind my back.”

No one responded, as the girls were busy poring over his notes. Alex dug into his breakfast while waiting for them to catch up.

Finally Winona glanced up. “Are you sure you want to include all these references to God? I mean, being an atheist, isn’t it a little strange?”

“Well, this is an organized religion, so most people will expect them. I trust our people to know how I feel, but most of them believe in God as well, so there’s no sense trying to tip-toe around it. I just found it easier to talk about the faults in the existing religious faiths by referencing how they’ve missed the boat.”

“OK, just as long as it’s not a problem. It just struck me as odd.”

“All right, I’ll reconsider how to phrase it so it isn’t quite as obvious,” Alex offered, doubting they’d be able to make many changes before he spoke to Victoria.

“These sound pretty good,” Melinda said, looking up from her copy. “Here Becky, trade with me, I want to check the rest.” Becky made some quick marks on the version she was perusing before passing it to her sister.

“Personally, these seem fine. I wouldn’t worry,” Winona told him.

“No, I need to get this right. There are too many potential errors in ‘fine’. Many of the religious wars, the whole Inquisition, and most of human slavery were produced by a few simple comments by Jesus about ‘not being able to get into Heaven except through me’. The meaning was clear, that people had to accept the new ideas about forgiveness and love. Instead they got misappropriated to mean people are either Christians or heathens, and it’s better to kill someone while saving them than it is for them to be eternally lost. I don’t want anything similar here. I don’t care whether anyone is Christian or not, and I can’t imagine a God in heaven caring either.”

“Slavery?” Becky asked skeptically. “I don’t recall that being a primary motive in the Slave Trade at the time.”

“No, but it was the justification for its acceptance by the Catholic and Protestant faiths. If the church hadn’t been so quick to accept it, it never would have spread as far as it did. It may still have occurred, but the fact the church was so heavily invested in it removed all qualms about it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t include that,” Melinda commented under her breath, which produced laughs by Becky and Winona. Alex ignored it though. He knew he was getting a bit extreme, but if he said the wrong thing it would get multiplied over time, and hundreds or thousands of people may suffer as a result.

“Personally, I think you’re worrying about it too much,” Winona added. “This new religion isn’t likely to seriously compete with any of the other established religions, and you’re only setting it up as a cover for your people anyway. Even if you did say the wrong thing, it’s unlikely to cause any more damage than your own people will face because the other organized religion can’t relate to it.”

“I can’t really argue with that,” Alex agreed. “But at least in that case, it won’t be my fault. You can’t prevent evil from existing in the world at large, but you can control whether you contribute to it.”

“You’re already speaking more philosophically,” Becky observed. “Give you a little time and pretty soon you’ll be spouting your own scriptures.”

“That’ll be the day,” Alex laughed. “Even Jesus didn’t write his own story. I’ll leave that to someone else.”

---

“You’re sure you don’t want to see the article about you?” Melinda asked, glancing around as they entered the construction littered auditorium which Winona was using to practice her act. “I’m sure I could borrow a copy. After all, there are plenty of entertainment people here who would follow it.”

“No,” Alex assured her. “If there’s anything I need to know, I’ll hear about it soon enough. I’m not chasing my tail because of a stray rumor. I’ll address any issues that come up, but I’m not looking for trouble.”

“He’s right,” Winona chimed in. “Reggie will have read it, and he’s sure to corner you about it.”

“See, I told you,” Alex replied with a frustrated sigh.

Indeed, as they entered the hall, Reggie immediately headed towards Alex. Seeing the inevitable approaching, Winona blew him a kiss and ran on stage, leaving Becky and Melinda glancing at each other as Alex went to meet Reggie, Gini following closely behind.

“So what’s the damage?” Alex asked.

“It’s not good,” Reggie said, sweat stains already showing around his collar. “Here, let me read it to you.”

“Joseph Herskowitz, the head of a major entertainment studio in LA, is rumored to have made substantial payments to a new cult in exchange for curing his many health problems. It’s reported Mr. Herskowitz is desperate, as his ever worsening health is threatening the future of his company as more investors question his ability to successfully manage the studio and continue producing shows.

This action, a payment of some $750,000 dollars, is a sign his mind is as weak as his overall health. The cult plans to use the funds to open a new temple in San Francisco in hopes of attracting new followers using Mr. Herskowitz’s support as evidence of their acceptance and viability. Both actions, Joseph’s and those of this cult, are misguided and guaranteed to result in disaster.

If Mr. Herskowitz is unable to convince his investors he is able to continue leading his studio to continued successes, he’ll lose the financing he needs to keep the studio viable, and the last thing California needs is yet another wacko new-age cult. Another liberal media voice shouting about alternative religions isn’t what this country wants.

I’ll continue to bring you the details of the studio’s impending demise, but until then I’d advise any potential investors to hold on to their funds and any actors considering new shows with the studio to wait before committing to see whether the studio remains in existence.”

“Wow, that’s pretty harsh.”

“You bet it is. It’s going to bury the studio. And if the studio goes, so does our funding and all my contacts. This tour will be cancelled, I’ll lose my career and the whole studio and everyone who works for them will fall apart. What’s more, all the projects they’ve already funded will never come to fruition.”

“You really think this reporter has much influence? I mean, it’s just one man’s unsubstantiated opinion.”

“His name is Peter Drexler and he’s a pretty low-level guy at a local newspaper. But he doesn’t need influence,” Reggie explained, struggling to remain calm enough to explain the situation. “If he can establish doubt amongst potential investors, that’s all he needs. Simply delaying investing in the studio is enough to close it. And if no one thinks Joseph can manage the transition, no one will risk their money helping the studio succeed.”

“Well, I’ll admit, it doesn’t look good.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Reggie answered unhappily. “If you’ve really got any pull with the big man upstairs, we could certainly stand a miracle right now. I’m not just saying that because of my own career, but for all the people whose futures depend on the projects the studio is currently working on. Once word gets out they were involved with a project at a failed studio, the stench of failure will haunt them, ending multiple careers.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll take it up with Alexandria and see what she thinks,” Alex promised. “She may have better ideas than I can come up with at the moment.”

“I sure hope so, because there’s a LOT riding on it.”

With that, Reggie stalked off, looking too unnerved to do much producing for a while, whatever it is producers do on a day-to-day basis.

Turning, Alex almost tripped over Gini, who’d been standing a little ways behind him.

“Did you hear all of that?”

“I did, though I wasn’t trying to listen in,” she assured him.

“Any thoughts?”

“I’ve learned to not second guess the boss man. My job is to protect you, so you can change the world. Saving people is your job, not mine. But if you don’t mind me saying so, I’ve got faith in you.”

“Well, at least one of us does.”

“Hey, you don’t always need to have answers right away. After all, you didn’t get here on your own. Besides some good people, you’ve had the help of a lot of spirits and probably a fair amount from whichever God is watching out for you.”

Despite himself, Alex grinned at her in response. “From your mouth to a non-existent God’s non-existent ear.”

Returning to the others, Alex started explaining what happened when Becky and Melinda’s attention was distracted. Glancing around, Alex saw Rachel and Cynthia McKinsey leading two women in blindfolds through the stacked construction material.

“It looks like we have company,” Alex said, glad to have the distraction from the depressing news he was about to recount.

They watched the two women lead an older woman and someone who looked closer to Rachel’s age. It took time steering them around the obstructions, so Alex prodded Melinda and she and Becky took off to help the two girls direct the new women to Alex. Alex, however, remained where he was, figuring he didn’t want to set Cynthia off again.

As they drew nearer, Alex could see the familial resemblance between the four women. They looked similar in almost all aspects except age and hair color.

“Alex, this is my—”

“I think I know who they are,” Alex said, smiling. “I could use some names, though.”

“I told Rachael this is madness,” Cynthia replied bitterly. “Even if she’s susceptible to your shenanigans, the fact neither—”

Before she could finish, the older woman, still blindfolded, fell to her knees in front of Alex.

“I’m convinced. You don’t need to explain anything else. I know who this is.”

“MOM! What the hell are you doing?” Cynthia screeched. “Get the hell up!”

“Even without knowing anything about him, I know he’s incredibly powerful. Even without seeing him, I can literally feel his power radiating through me.”

“I can feel it too,” the other woman said, also falling to her knees before them. “Thank you for bringing us here, Rachel. This is an unbelievable experience.”

“You can’t be serious?” Cynthia protested.

“It’s true,” their mother declared. “I’ve met the President and multiple influential leaders passing through the state. I’ve also seen the Pope in Vatican City and talked with the Dalai Lama, and none of them projected as much power as whoever this … Angel is. Can I remove the blindfold now?”

Alex sighed, knowing he couldn’t escape the Angel talk. “Go ahead. You’re both already kneeling so there’s no fear of you collapsing.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Becky said, stepping up behind them both.

The two women quickly pulled their blindfolds off, glancing up at Alex as soon as they were able to. They didn’t react much, but Alex could see the tale tell reactions in their pupils before they were forced to glance away.

“We’ll explain everything, but how about you introduce your mother and sister?” Alex asked.

“This is absolutely insane,” Cynthia said, unable to hold her tongue.

“My mother’s name is Angelina McKinsey,” Rachel said, ignoring her sister and making the necessary introductions, “and my sister is Francine Samuels.”

“It’s great meeting you both. There’s a lot to explain about what you’re experiencing, but trust me, I’m no angel,” Alex insisted, knowing it would have little effect. “What happened is based on a shared genetic trait.”

“Wait, if everyone else in the family has this ability, then why the hell didn’t I get it?” Cynthia asked, seemingly offended she’d been skipped over.

“It’s a recessive gene and there seems to be a lot of associated genes which can turn off the ability, so it’s not unusual it’d pass you by. What is unusual is so many of you have it.”

“Actually, if we can get a sample of each of your blood, it may help us isolate some of the genetic markers which turn the ‘S’ gene off,” Becky told them.

“The ‘S’ gene?” Angelina asked.

“There’s a specific gene which enables these abilities,” Melinda explained. “A single instance of it produces what we call ‘Seekers’, while a double—”

‘Alex, I hate to interrupt, but I just got the strangest phone call,’ Patricia said, interrupting Alex.

‘Go ahead. My sisters have this in hand at the moment. What’s up?’

‘I just got a call asking if you could come outside, alone, as someone wants to speak to you. They wouldn’t tell me who they were or what it’s concerning, but they wanted me to tell you that you’d appreciate meeting with them.’

Alex stepped back, glancing at Gini.

‘That IS odd. Do you think it’s a set up? Possibly an ambush of some kind?’ he asked, broadcasting the information to his bodyguard.

‘Honestly, I don’t know,’ Gini replied, lifting her head as if trying to sniff out any ill-intent wafting into the stadium from outside. ‘How would they know how to reach you?’

‘You’ve got a point,’ Patricia added. ‘If it was someone who had it in for Alex, they wouldn’t have access to my private number, and if it’s a reporter, they’d simply walk in and confront him rather than using me to convey a message.’

‘I don’t suppose there was an ID on the call?’ Alex asked, ever the optimist.

‘Nope, It was an unlisted number,” she responded.

Alex glanced at Gini before coming to a decision. ‘OK, I’ll handle it,’ he told her. Turning to the women arrayed before him, he excused himself. “Pardon me; I need to attend to something. My sisters will explain what’s involved. I’ll be back in a bit.” Stepping around the still kneeling women, Alex headed outside. Gini didn’t question his actions, simply following him, ready for anything but trusting Alex to know what he was doing.

Exiting the building via the large opening in the side of the stadium where the construction material was brought in, Alex halted and looked around, trying to see who may be waiting for him. He couldn’t see anyone, but a moment later a car beeped its horn and a small car backed out of its parking spot and drove up to the building’s entrance.

As the car pulled around, Alex saw it was an older vehicle bearing multiple scratches, dings and needing a new paint job. Pulling up, the driver—who Alex couldn’t see—waved Alex in.

Glancing at Gini, he opened the door while Gini climbed into the back. The small seat in the front was hardly big enough for Alex while the half seat in the back of the small vehicle was certainly very cramped for her.

As Alex entered the car, he was shocked to see it was none other than Joseph Herskowitz, the head of the studio and the man who was funding Winona’s tour.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” Alex said.

“Shh, don’t mention any names,” Joseph warned. “Let me move away so no one recognizes me.” Alex didn’t say anything else as Joseph drove the tiny car away from the building, parking it a good distance from any other vehicles.

“Can I ask what’s happening now?” Alex asked.

“Sure,” Joseph answered, not elaborating any details.

“Is this about the article today?”

“Well, duh?” he answered with a smile.

“How are you going to handle it? Isn’t this going to be a major issue?”

“Nah,” he said, waving the thought away like it was a pesky fly of no real concern. “It won’t be a problem, but that’s why I’m here and why I’m driving one of the secretaries’ cars. I let her take mine so when she pulls into the hotel’s garage, anyone looking for a quote will be disappointed and she can simply sit in the bar and have a few drinks courtesy of my expense account.”

“I see,” Alex said, having no clue where this was heading. “And why are you here? Aren’t you afraid of being linked with me?”

“Oh, the clown had no idea who you are. Dr. Ice leaked the story to get back at me. Since I never told him who you were or how to identify you, you’re in the clear on this one.”

“OK, but that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing pulling a poor-man’s James Bond.”

Joseph laughed. “The reporter did his job, checking the available details, of which there weren’t many. Several people have been whispering about my illness, which is why I first sought you out, but thanks to you, it’s in remission. However, when he called me for my reaction to the story, I laid it on thick, stuttering, hesitating and I set up an appointment with him later today to do a live interview. I’m scheduled to meet him at a local news station with the full set-up; lights, makeup, multiple camera shots. You name it.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Alex asked, not unreasonably.

“Don’t worry. The idiot is playing right into my hands. He thinks he’s got an exclusive which will make his career and he’s gone out on a limb because he’s convinced he’s onto something since I sounded so bad. As for why I’m here, with your help providing an extra treatment to ensure I’m in top shape, I’ll walk in looking fit and trim, my hands steady and my concentration sharp, and he’ll be confused and stumbling. He’ll come off looking like a fool and it’ll shatter any doubts anyone had concerning me. He’ll actually be helping me hold the studio together while also burying himself. And after he goes down in flames, Dominique—Dr. Ice if you don’t remember his name—won’t dare repeat the accusation.”

“Clever. But what about the money you donated? Doesn’t he already know about that?”

“Not really. I don’t know how, but he got someone in accounting to leak the figure. Only he didn’t get the full story. I didn’t make the donation to the temple. Instead I made it to your Foundation, which they can’t link to anything. During the interview, I’ll simply explain that, yes, I made a donation to a relatively new non-profit organization, but I’ll explain it’s a common expense in this business. I typically make donations to a variety of charities to win points with various actors and producers. I’ll just claim someone I’m courting is interested in the temple and beyond that I don’t know anything about it. But that will establish the temple is going up but it’s not contentious and there’s absolutely nothing to the story.”

“Well, I must say I’m impressed,” Alex said in amazement. “You’ve certainly got this all neatly wrapped up.”

‘Told you whoever is supporting you wouldn’t let you down, didn’t I, boss?’ Gini asked him telepathically.

“Is there enough space in here for you to give me a treatment? If not I can drive to a small out of the way motel where we can have privacy for as long as you need.”

“Nah, it’s pretty simple. It won’t take me long and I only need to access your head,” Alex assured him.

“What about your friend in the back?” Joseph asked. “Doesn’t she need to see inside my skull?”

“Don’t worry,” Gini said, leaning between the tiny seats. “I can actually see it despite the seat back. These visions don’t use normal light, so I can see through physical obstructions.”

“This is already strange enough, but somehow that makes perfect sense,” Joseph said as Alex reached up and began applying his energy to his head, following Gini’s directions.

“That’s it?” Joseph asked, twisting his head to make sure it still functioned properly.

“Yep. It’s a pretty simple process. Hopefully that’ll have you hopping around town in no time.”

“Yeah, it didn’t take long the other time either,” he responded, holding his hand steady in front of him to ensure it wasn’t shaking any more. “Thanks for this. It’s going to make a real difference in our negotiations. Once this nonsense about me being unable to negotiate is put to rest, I’ll be able to work out a decent deal and get the whole studio moving again. Things have been hanging for too long now.”

“No problem. Glad I can help, and I’m really glad I didn’t cause you any embarrassment.”

“Hell no,” Joseph assured him. “It provided a very unexpected chance to clean things up. Do you mind if I don’t drive you back. There are a lot of media people inside who may recognize me if they see me driving by.”

“Nah, the exercise will do us good,” Alex said, glancing back at Gini just to make sure she wouldn’t object.

‘Speak for yourself, kemosabe. Some of us get plenty of exercise on a regular basis,’ Gini teased as they climbed out, letting Joseph drive off.

---

Alex and Gini were halfway back to the stadium when he was contacted again.

‘Alex?’

‘Yeah, Emily. I’ve been waiting for your call.’

‘Are you ready to speak to Victoria? Did you finish preparing your material?’

‘Yeah, I’m set. How good it is, or how useful it may be is another question, but I’m ready to speak to her.’

‘OK, Victoria, this is the infamous Alex, even though that’s only the name he assumed in honor of Alexandria herself.’

‘You don’t have to bother,’ Victoria told her. ‘I’ve figured out there’s no Alexandria. While Alex doesn’t like being painted as an angel, he’s responsible for all the magic.’

‘I’m pleased to finally speak to you, even if we don’t get to meet,’ Alex said, ignoring her revelation.

‘And I’m excited to be speaking to you as well. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. The others tell me you’re responsible for activating my abilities, but you did it … spontaneously and weren’t even aware of it.’

‘Yeah, that’s an unfortunate complication of an upgrade in my abilities,’ Alex explained, stopping in the middle of the parking lot so he could concentrate. ‘We’ve been trying to figure out how it works as it would be handy if I could consciously control it, but we haven’t had any luck so far. Anyway, are you ready to begin?’

‘Are you kidding me? This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m going to be the first one to hear the scripture of Alex.’

‘Well, not exactly my scriptures, but at least the bullet points of my supposed theology.’

‘Yeah, everyone has explained about your atheistic tendencies.’

‘OK, this is going to take a little while, so let’s get started. I broke it into ten essential points. The first one is which religion someone follows isn’t important, either to me, the religion or to God himself.’

‘Excuse me?’ she asked, sounding like she didn’t believe him.

‘Religions are mostly culturally based and they’re not so much chosen as they’re inherited from one’s parents, but they don’t impact our message. God doesn’t care how you picture him. He’s more concerned with how you lead your life.’

‘No, no. That’s not what I meant. I was confused by your talking about God like you’ve just finished talking to him. I’d believe that, but I know you don’t.’

Alex laughed. ‘No, I figured it was part of selling the religion. While there’s a good reason for having an atheist religious figure, it won’t help convince anyone. People want to believe in God, so I’ve got to address it.’

‘Well, if you want to sell it, you may need to dress it up a bit more. People expect parables to illustrate the points. After all, Moses came down with ten bullet points and when his people screwed them up, Moses destroyed the tablets they were written on. That’s why Jesus explained everything via stories.’

‘You know, I’ve always wondered why Jesus was the only person to ever speak in parables. Lincoln did too, I guess, but he patterned it on Jesus, so I’m not sure that counts.’

‘Well, I don’t mean to put you to any—’

‘No, I don’t mind, but I can’t promise how well I’ll do. Give me a second to think about it.’

There was silence for several long moments and then Alex started again.

‘OK, I’m ready. Are you writing this down as we’re speaking?’

‘Don’t worry, I’m connected telepathically to a bunch of others, and each of them has open links to your other Seers. Several people will record the message on their computers to ensure no one misses anything, and so they can confirm they didn’t make any mistakes.’

‘No mistakes, except my own,’ Alex replied. ‘OK, let’s try this,’ he began, changing his tone to that of an old storytelling imparting an important personal wisdom.

‘A King’s courier encounters two peasants arguing in a marketplace. Curious about how the common people felt about the King, he stopped to listen and was aghast to discover they were discussing whether the King was a god or a demon.

When the courier ran to the King, relating these conflicting views, the King laughed.

“What do I care what these peasants think of me. Taking offense at names is the ultimate hubris. As long as they follow my laws, pay my taxes and don’t foment trouble, it’s immaterial. Whether I’m a god or a demon, they’ll still do what I command.”

God is like that King. As long as individuals act to help each other, avoid sinful behaviors and work to improve themselves and others, they’ll have a place in heaven. How they imagine God’s exact words doesn’t matter, as long as they behave the way he desires. It’s the behavior he’s interested in, not in the exact words attributed to him.’

‘Wow, you’re good at this,’ Victoria told him. ‘It seems to come naturally to you. I wouldn’t have expected you to come up with something like that on the spur of the moment.’

‘Everyone keeps telling me someone is working through me, whether that’s actually God or someone else, I can’t say for sure. But it’s moments like these which make me think they may have a point.’

‘OK, what’s the next item?’ she asked.

‘You need to be less concerned with the mistakes of others than your own. You can’t gain heaven by abusing those around you, even if you feel justified in doing so. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’

‘I take it you’re referring to the generic you,’ Victoria teased. ‘Do you have a handy proverb for that one too?’

‘Yeah,’ Alex said before once again affecting his previous tone.

‘An ailing merchant, looking for someone to take over his business, sent out his two best workers to try to convince the most people to buy something from the shop as a way of determining who would do better running the company in the future.

One took to lecturing people on a street corner about how much money they could earn using the product. But when he looked, he saw the other man not even trying to sell anything. Instead he saw him helping a poor family trying to right their overturned cart.

He laughed and mocked the man, saying “You’re wasting your time helping those unable to enrich you. You help the helpless, while I reach those best able to benefit me.” But the other man ignored him, continuing to work helping the struggling family.

When they both returned to the merchant to ask who had won the bet, the more experienced man was sure he’d generated the most sales. The merchant, however, gave his business to the man who had not tried to sell anything. It seemed the people the one man had lectured had decided to wait to see what others thought of their options, while the family the man had helped spoke to each of their family and friends, encouraging them to go out and purchase the man’s products. As a result, the overconfident man had sold little, whereas the man interested in helping others not only made more sales, he’d also made lifelong friends who’d be loyal to him through the intervening years, proving him the better candidate to take over the business.

‘All religious teachings are concerned with how to live your own life; focusing on what’s wrong with others helps no one. You’re responsible for your own actions and you influence more people by living properly than you do by preaching what everyone else is doing wrong. Assist others, help them succeed and thus see what the wisdom of your words. What’s more, don’t stand in the way of others trying to get ahead.’

‘OK, I’ve got to ask,’ Victoria said, ‘how does that apply to your followers? I mean, I know it’s morally correct to care about other people, but how does that apply to the Seers and Seekers?’

‘Ah, the idea is they aren’t in this alone. All the other Seers, Seekers and their supporters are members of their new extended family. We need to work together for the common good. We can’t survive as a group by acting in our own self-interests.’

‘That makes sense. OK, how about number three?’

‘There is no wrong path to God, there are only mistaken assumptions. Assuming you alone know what God thinks is hubris in the extreme and is more offensive to God than any single misstep someone may take while honestly trying to better understand him.

‘There were two men taking their families to a new city to find work. One kept making wrong turns, unsure where to go, and kept having to backtrack thus losing time. The other man laughed, ridiculing him for wasting his family’s time and insisting he was a fool who’d never arrive in time to get the available jobs. Instead the second man marched forward with authority, telling his family not to worry because he knew the correct path to the city.

However, this second man marched off in the wrong direction, whereas the man who kept making mistakes kept correcting himself, and thus eventually found the correct path. When the confident man finally found the city, his family was hungry, upset and no longer trusted a word he told them, and there were no jobs left. Yet the confused, frequently mistaken man not only had a good job, but his entire family found meaningful work.

‘Assuming you know the unknowable and ridiculing anyone who disagrees with you is more likely to hobble you than making honest mistakes which you’re willing to admit and correct. It may not look like you’re making as much progress, but if you move slowly towards the correct goal you’ll reach it much more quickly than the man who’s heading in the wrong direction.’

‘Sounds like a dig at your critics,’ Victoria observed with a chuckle.

‘A little, but more a criticism of so-called religious figures who spend their time criticizing others rather than counseling people,’ Alex explained, moving aside to avoid a couple passing cars. Gini pushed him between two parked cars to ensure he didn’t accidentally walk in front of one while distracted with the discussion.

‘OK, moving on,’ Victoria prompted.

‘Help others as you would your own family, not for your own advancement, but for the betterment of everyone. Whatever you achieve, it will be gone in only a short time, but how you impact others and the impressions you make will last long after you’re gone.

‘Two men set out to build a house. One man hired the best builders, architects and workers as he wanted the best house he could afford and wanted it as soon as he could so he could move in and enjoy his rewards. They worked and worked but never seemed to finish. In the end the man exhausted his funds, was left with a half-completed house which leaked and wasn’t solid on its foundation.

His friend, though, took a different tack. He gathered his friends, asking each to contribute to the house and inviting them to come to his house frequently to enjoy it with him. The friends, encouraged to learn new skills, undertook the assignment seriously and worked hard to do the best they could. While the house went up slower and had leaks and imperfections, it was finally completed. Everyone was happy, and as his friends went on to perfect their skills, they returned to correct their previous mistakes.

By rushing to achieve as much as he could for his own benefit, the first man achieved little and lost everything, whereas the second man took longer and helped many people, ending up richer in terms of what he owned as well as having friends who supported him. Success is not measured by how much you do for yourself, but in how you help others who can then help you.’

‘OK, I get the family reference in that one. The hidden message is clearer. I’m assuming the other Seers and Seekers count as family as well.’

‘That was the idea, but it applies to friends, associates, even brothers-in-law you don’t get along with,’ Alex confided before detailing the next item. Since he no longer had to watch oncoming traffic, he closed his eyes and leaned against a car so he could concentrate on his off-the-cuff proverbs. ‘Wealth will not buy your way into heaven, and the harm you inflict on others gaining wealth you’ll never use will only be weighed against you. Wealth in itself is meaningless as an emotionally bankrupt person with enough money to pay people to agree with him will ultimately help neither himself nor them.

‘There was a wealthy merchant who took his slave with him as he journeyed to open a new market in a far city. On the way there their ship floundered, sinking and taking the man’s trade goods with it. The merchant, desperate not to lose everything, grabbed as much of his wealth as he could and swam as hard as possible for the surface. But as hard as he swam, he made no forward progress, gradually sinking deeper and deeper.

His slave on the other hand, swam without undue haste, reaching the surface easily and setting off for the nearest island. The merchant, unable to give up his wealth, drowned, his wealth not doing him or anyone else any good as his own greed prevented him from reaching the next stage of his life. His slave, given his experiences working with the merchant, applied that knowledge in the new city and went on to gain great wealth.’

‘You realize a lot of people won’t approve of your disparaging free enterprise,’ Victoria pointed out.

‘There are always people who try to justify greed, but it has no place in a moral person’s life. While there’s no shame in doing well, valuing success over doing well is the definition of immorality. Which brings us to the next item: giving others money in anticipation of death wins you no leeway in heaven. It’s your intent and what’s in your heart which you’ll be measured by. Coins are meaningless in God’s spiritual domain. If you help others only in an attempt to help yourself, it’s for naught. So too is publicizing good deeds. God doesn’t need you to tell him what you’ve accomplished. A good deed unspoken speaks louder in God’s ear than the loudest megaphone.’

‘OK, I’m looking forward to hearing this one. The man who never seeks acclaim explains the morality behind his reticence.’

Alex smiled as he recounted his next parable.

‘A man wanted to ensure he’d benefit from his good fortune for a long time, so he went to his temple and offered the priests enough money to build a new addition. When he died, he presented himself before God and demanded admission. God, offended, refused him admittance. The man insisted he’d helped the church and thus deserved access since he’d helped promote God’s work.

God, though, smote the man, telling him he didn’t understand the nature of everlasting salvation, telling him that hanging onto the coins he’d accumulated would prevent him from ever accessing the spiritual realm.’

‘Ah, I see the parallel,’ Victoria reflected. ‘It’s the same case as the wealthy man who drowned. His attachment to his worldly wealth prevented him from entering the spiritual realm, so his lifetime’s struggles never helped him once he died.’

‘Exactly, and on a parallel note,

‘A man who’d learned no skills but who’d inherited a great deal from his father sought to influence the Governor of a local municipality. In order to do so, he donated money to several influential people. He paid them a lot, but planned to gain it back once the Governor appointed him to an important position.

When these men went before the Governor to plead the man’s case, the Governor was unimpressed, instead hiring the men themselves as his advisers. When the men returned to deliver the disappointing news to the man he was upset, demanding how they could do such a thing.

They responded, “The Governor was unconvinced of your ability to achieve results. All you did was pay others to do your work and you didn’t improve anything. The men you gave money to, the ones you sought to make money off of, proved themselves resourceful, generating real results from your money rather than using it only to make more money. As Governor, I have enough money. What I need is to solve my people’s problems. You’ve demonstrated no ability to help with that.” The man, dejected, left the city and never returned.’

‘Charity in the name of greed isn’t true charity?’ Victoria guessed, getting caught up in the proverb game.

‘In my next example, a father wanting the best for his children sent them off to find spouses who would help them find happiness and success. The son went out and found an attractive woman from a good family with many friends. They didn’t get along well, but he worked long and hard to woo her, marrying her and wining everyone’s approval, his father’s most of all.

His sister, however, went out with a poor unemployed black woman. Her father was horrified and her brother laughed, insulting her and telling her not to sully his own happiness with her failures. The sister refused to change, saying she could survive without either of them and stormed off.

However, the man’s relationship with his wife quickly fell apart. She realized he never really loved her and they had nothing they enjoyed doing together. But by then they already had children and they stuck it out for them. He ended up a broken unhappy man, so unhappy with his life he lost interest in his career and lost his job, eventually losing both his wife and his kids.

The rejected sister, though, blossomed under the love of her spouse, even though no one accepted her as such. The unemployed woman became an accomplished artist who achieved great success which she attributed to the support and encouragement of her partner.

The father, looking back years later, balancing the son’s angry bitter children with the happy sons and daughters of his daughter, counted the son’s life a failure and his daughter the true success, because while she did have money, her material wealth was only a small part of her blessings, and her other assets were what produced her success.’

‘So she was his prodigal daughter?’ Victoria asked, just to make sure she was interpreting the story correctly.

‘I’ll let you work that one out for yourself,’ Alex replied with a teasing inflection, ‘although it’s more an anti-prodigal son story.’

‘You know, I’m a bit confused, how does a lesbian couple have kids in ancient times?’ Victoria asked before giggling in the back of his head. ‘Never mind, I get that you’re sprinkling your examples across time.’

‘I was trying to keep them somewhat universal and keeping everything in the past makes it more difficult to relate to,’ Alex rationalized before moving on. ‘Next, give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, but don’t think Caesar’s blessings count towards your good works in the eyes of God. Good works done selfishly are no more good than evil done by the same means. They reveal a soul trying to thrust its lack of good intent upon others.

‘A man wanted to win influential friends, so he hired people to fawn over him at parties. But, instead of allowing them to mingle with others, he spent all his time listening to what they said about him, cornering them afterwards and berating them for not speaking highly enough of him.

The people he hired were terrified both of messing up and of the man and did a poor job convincing anyone how nice he was. As a result, the man became a laughing stock in the community and no one would have anything to do with him. He ended up a bitter lonely man who wandered the streets, shouting at anyone who’d ever tried to help him, a lesson to everyone not to follow in his footsteps.’

‘Isn’t that the same as the earlier examples? That using wealth for your own gains doesn’t make you any better?’

‘No, you’re mistaken in this case. Let’s try the next example and maybe it will cast it in a better light,’ Alex said as Gini waved on a car driven by one of the construction workers who stopped to see if they needed any help.

‘A man down on his luck was visited by someone who promised to help. He said he spoke for a group who wanted to assist others. The man needed help, so he agreed to whatever the man wanted.

The visitor offered to help the man find a job, but he insisted the man pay him for lessons, so he worked for the man trying to earn enough to take his lessons. When he finally earned enough for the lessons, the man told him he needed a better smile to be successful. He offered to help, only requiring a small amount to pay for the work. Again, the man worked for him, trying to earn enough to pay for the improved smile which would help him succeed.

Every time the visitor offered another thing to assist the man, he ended up working for free in order to help himself. In the end, he’d worked for years, earned nothing, and never managed to achieve anything. In exchange for his many years of service, the visitor told the man he simply wasn’t motivated enough. He claimed if he’d really desired to succeed, he’d have earned enough money to pay for his services, thus enabling him to become wealthy. It was his own fault he wasn’t a success.’

‘Wait, you seem to be stuck on a central theme. You don’t like rich people.’

Alex sighed and took some time to consider how to respond. ‘No, both stories are about the role of government in people’s lives, and how people can’t depend on the Government to dictate or justify their behavior. That’s what the reference to Caesar was about. The man trying to gain influential friends who’d speak for him was the government, who undermines those it claims to help, hurting everyone involved.’

‘OK, I can see it now. The last parable was about governmental overreach, how they’re taking away people’s liberties in an effort to help people.’

Alex sighed again before realizing it wasn’t conveyed telepathically. He stood up, pacing as he calculated how to explain it better.

‘The story had nothing to do with the failures of government; it was about the failure of people who depend on government. You can’t depend upon the state to do the right thing. Their intent is to control others, and while they may help people in the process, you have no way of knowing how your own participation will be ultimately weighed against you. The early Saints did not reveal the names of their ‘conspirators’ because they knew Rome would grant them no leeway and God would counter any good they’d ever accomplished by the sins they did in an attempt to help themselves. Give the State what they demand, but no more. You do not owe your soul to the State, and they won’t help you in your appeals to God. Likewise, the state’s attempt to help won’t assist anyone on a spiritual level. Rome has no concern with the spiritual world.’

‘OK, I get the point,’ Victoria said. ‘I shouldn’t mouth off, assuming I understand what your proverbs mean before you have a chance to explain. I guess that proves your other point, that it’s dangerous trying to tell an Angel what he means.’

‘That’s a full ten points; that should be enough. I’ll try to think of more later but they should at least give the veneer of a basic theology.’

‘Good, because I think I’ll need to consider these as it’s clear I don’t fully understand them yet.’

‘Don’t worry, you’ll get there. If the proverbs weren’t clear, I’ll think of better ones. But it’s the underlying principles we’re concerned with. The road to spiritual ascendance, in any form, is in doing good and helping others, not in trying to help yourself. If you still have trouble with the ideas, just reach out to me and we’ll talk.’

‘Just one last comment, if you don’t mind,’ Victoria offered. ‘While these are insightful, they’re not really well-written. You still seem to be struggling with your ideas about God and so you seem to be focusing on morality by itself. While you’re trying to polish them, I think you’ll also need to reconcile the role that God or your spirits play in man’s fate and the choices he makes.’

‘I’ll take that under consideration,’ Alex told her before wishing her goodbye.

As they continued walking into the auditorium, Gini turned to him.

“You know, it’s strange listening to you telling me how to live my life through others while you’re standing beside me not saying a word. This job just gets stranger all the time.”

“That it does,” Alex agreed, considering how he came to become everyone’s religious adviser. “That it does.”

           

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