(In this reading from Deuteronomy, Moses is giving his farewell address to the Israelites before they cross over the Jordan River into the promised land).
Hebrew Scripture Reading—Deuteronomy 18: 15-22
For years the plains of Moab were dominated by those who called themselves the Children of the Truth. The Children of the Truth knew with certainty that they lived as God would have them live. For them, the Truth was in the sacred writings and any deviation from these writings warranted punishment, if not death itself. The leader of the Children of the Truth was known as the Supreme Prophet. It had been five years since he had issued a death warrant for anyone who belonged to the rival sect the Children of Mystery. The Children of Mystery had been condemned as heretical, as corrupters of the faith who allowed people to live ungodly lives full of promiscuous behavior and sin.
The root cause of their immorality, according to the Children of the Truth, was that they did not hold everything in the sacred writings to be directly from God. For the Children of the Truth, this allowed for a great loophole in the laws of God. If all the sacred writings were not held as true, then there was nothing to prevent people from deciding that anything the sacred writings called sin was in fact no longer sin. People could do whatever they wanted. There was no more right and wrong, or so the Children of the Truth said.
What escaped the attention of many during the massive witch-hunt that ensued from the Supreme Prophet’s command to kill the Children of Mystery was that the Supreme Prophet never cited any of the sacred writings as justification. Nevertheless, it was presumed that he spoke for God and knew God on quite intimate terms. The press frequently reported that he spoke with God two or three times a day.
With their close access to the divine, the Children of the Truth appeared unstoppable. The Children of Mystery were decimated. Their numbers had declined rapidly, and there was doubt that the next generation would survive. It was in this climate that Thomas, a young single father whose partner had fallen victim to the Children of the Truth, struggled to raise his two sixteen year old twins Jason and Samara. Thomas was having trouble explaining to them how it was that the Children of Mystery had any hope in the face of all that the Children of the Truth preached and did.
Jason asked him, “How can we defend ourselves against those who claim to possess the absolute truth given to them straight from God? It doesn’t work to say God is a mystery and we are still working to figure things out. Nobody wants to follow someone who is unsure and doesn’t know what they are doing.”
To this, Thomas replied, “It’s not that we are any more lost and confused than anyone else, Jason. It’s just that we are honest about what we don’t know. Even in the sacred writings, they wrestled with the question of how one knows whether something is truly from God. The sacred writings don’t always even agree. Today, we continue to have differences of opinion. People on two sides of an issue can feel equally right deep down in their gut. It’s because we are honest about this that we are able to debate ideas and make informed decisions in trying to determine what is right and wrong. The real danger is simply following any prophet who claims to speak for God.”
Samara wanted to side with her father, but she was still uncertain. She said, “It seems a lot easier to believe that you know the truth and to believe that the truth is on your side.”
Thomas then responded, “What happens when what you believe to be the truth lets you down? Think of those who believe that what they hold as the truth will make them rich and healthy and solve all their problems. Some get angry with God and never believe again. Others blame themselves and believe God is punishing them.”
Jason was still not satisfied and argued, “But Dad, how can we live always asking questions? How do we know who or what to believe in order to keep on living?”
At this point, Thomas realized that the time had come for Jason and Samara to journey to Canaan, the one place in the world where the Children of Mystery could live in peace away from the Children of the Truth. Thomas explained to them that in order to reach this promised land, they would have to find their way to the river and find a boat sturdy enough to take them across its raging waters. To then be accepted into the land of Canaan, they would also have to take with them the Sacred Box of Ultimate Mystery so that they might present gifts to the people of Canaan. As he gave them this box, Thomas looked at them intently and warned them saying, “Along the way, you will meet many who claim to be prophets. Some will speak the truth and others will not. Whatever you do, do not open the box for them. Only open the box after you have gotten to the promised land.”
The next morning Jason and Samara packed their belongings and began their journey to the river. After walking for a number of hours, they came across a large mansion on a hill. The mansion had a long driveway that went down to a gate at the bottom. When Jason and Samara came to the gate, a tall man in a white robe greeted them and invited them into his home for lunch. The man had a magnetic and charming personality. Jason and Samara saw no reason to turn down his invitation. The two went inside and enjoyed a large meal as they listened to the man tell them of all the places he had been and the fine treasures he had acquired. He declared that he had even been to the land of Canaan. “To get there,” he said, “one must have a very special boat, a boat capable of withstanding the waters of the river. If you want, I can provide you with just such a boat.”
Jason looked at Samara. Their trip would be a lot easier if they had this boat. Jason asked, “How much would you want for such a boat?”
“I will charge you nothing,” declared the man. “I have no need for money,” he said as he gestured to his house. “All I ask is that you let me see what is in that sacred box you have.”
Jason was tempted to let him look. “What harm could it cause?” he whispered to Samara, but Samara said, “Remember what Dad told us about prophets and remember that we have to present gifts to the people of Canaan.”
The two decided to continue on their way. As they walked, they were greeted by more prophets. One offered to fly them to the promised land. (I think his last name was Fite). Another offered to take them across on his yacht. All of them wanted to look into the box. Finally, Jason and Samara got to the river. It looked just as dangerous as they had imagined. It would be impossible to cross without a sturdy boat.
To figure out what to do, Jason and Samara sat underneath a tree. They thought of all their options. They could try to build a boat from the trees along the river, but neither of them possessed the knowledge necessary to make a boat they could trust to carry them safely across. They would have to find someone who had experience with crossing and who could tell them the best way to do it. Jason and Samara looked up and down the river. Some ways off was a young man working in a garden. The two decided to approach him. Samara asked him if there was anyone who knew of how to cross the river. The man told her that asking such questions was dangerous. The Children of the Truth kept watch for people who tried to make it to the promised land. Their lives would be in danger if they crossed. Jason and Samara nevertheless insisted that he tell them if he knew of anyone. The man said, “Follow me. I shall take you to her.” Through the woods they walked for a hundred yards until they came to a house. The man knocked on the door, and then left without saying a word. Soon, an old woman appeared and waived them inside.
When the door was closed, she said, “So you want to cross over into the promised land?”
The two nodded.
“I can take you,” she said.
“What will it cost?” they asked.
“For me, the reward is in helping you find your way,” asserted the woman. As she then turned to leave the room, she said, “Rest now. We shall leave when it is dark.”
Hours later in the middle of the night, they left. At the river, they found a boat. It was old, but it was sturdy. There were signs that it had been well maintained over the years with new instruments and tools added as they became available. “This boat can out race any boat the Children of the Truth have,” declared the old woman.
The three set off into the water. Through the night they sailed over the rough and turbulent rapids. Clinging tightly to the boat, they made their way to the other side without a sign of the Children of the Truth. Jason and Samara climbed out of the boat and thanked God for having finally arrived in the promised land. They gave the old woman a hug and walked to the encampment where the Children of Mystery lived. There they were greeted with rejoicing. To their surprise, the people of Canaan were only interested in them and not the contents of their box. Finally, Jason and Samara asked if they would like them to open the box. They said yes but that they already knew what was in it. Slowly, the two opened it. In it, they found a copy of the sacred writings and a note that read, “With careful thought and deliberation, you joined with the wisdom of the ages to arrive in the promised land. You are now all the richer for having discerned your way among the true and the false prophets. For the people of Canaan, may your hearts and minds serve as gifts for your continued journey into the Mystery.” Amen.