a tale from judah

it was a nice day on the judean hillside. warm. it was spring. i was walking through the old city and looking at the amazing structures and then i came across a man. he was sitting a lone. he wasn't begging and from his countenance he needed a friend. so i approached. his beard was short and had gray mixed in with the black. his head was curly, kept neat, but the same stray hairs invaded his capital as well, at least, from what i could see. he wore a turban, very common for these nice days.

i approached and we began small talk. after a few minutes, we got glasses and drank the freshest, cleanest water you could imagine. as we continued, the morning sun slowly turned into the afternoon sun. as it began to beat down on us the conversation took a dramatic turn. this man looked up with solemn, deep eyes, like a man who was torn in two. a warm breeze began to pick up. "i believe my closest friend will bring our country to ruin."

A simple statement. i was confused. did this man want advice? absolution? for what? his crackling, saddened voice continued, "if he continues, we will be at war. i have to betray him. i'm afraid he might be assassinated. the leaders want him arrested but if he continues in what he's doing, though innocent, he might change the mind of the rules, we might be seen as a rebel faction which, i'm afraid, might destroy our land."

as this man spoke, i began to see the picture. An innocent man is frustrating the local rulers, they want to arrest him, but they have nothing to accuse him with, while if he continues as he is, the government might step in and destroy the region as a rebellion...

the man continued, "if i betray him..." he began weaping, "if i betray him, i will always be remembered for it, but if he continues, we will lose our land, our homes, our lives... our future."

and the man broke. at that point, in confusion, i saw something happen. his eyes glazed over like a man ready to kill a rabid pet. he was no longer concerned with love and passion, but duty and purpose. he left me.

as i wonder about that man, i wonder why he did it. was the reward they gave him too much? the man, in his guilt and shame, returned to repent, he made solace through giving his blood money back, and he wondered, "could He ever forgive me? does He love me?" sadly, this man died. he took his own life in grief. we all heard, many wondered, and i doubt he will be remembered favorably.