Chapter Eight: Thursday
Tamar talks to Jason
This is part of a middle-grade fiction series about a group church-camp teenagers who experience a mystical phenomenon. It’s a silly and light-hearted series, but your middle-grader might also find themselves better inspired to practice the fruits of the spirit. If you’d like to read all the chapters, visit here.
Tamar tried not to think how camp was nearly over. Things seemed to be going better and she was enjoying everything and everyone again. Right after breakfast she and the girls had gotten together and chosen a hymn to practice for singing on Sabbath. Then they went to their morning classes.
When they were dismissed. Ariel had to run off straight away to prepare music for the worship service with her dad. Without much of a plan, Tamar gathered up her books and hummed the hymn she’d been practicing with the girls.
Declan tapped Tamar on the shoulder. “Would you mind if I showed you some scriptures?”
“About what?” Tamar asked cautiously.
“Oh… uh… about how Jesus died for us, and what that looks like for us, and yeah—”
“I mean, I know all those scriptures by heart,” Tamar said.
“It's not enough to know,” Declan said.
“I know.” Tamar replied. “Why can’t you guys just get it that I’m not going to hell?”
“But…”
“Yeah. I think I’d rather not.”
Declan’s eyes drooped, and she almost felt sorry for him as she walked away.
With nothing to do, and still carrying her Bible and class book, Tamar walked to a bench, partially shaded by two large oaks.
She knew what her grandpa said, but right now she couldn't help but doubt her faith. Was there a reason Declan and the others thought that she wasn’t saved? Was there no fruit in her life? Or were they just self-righteous jerks that thought everyone else below them?
That’s what Ariel seemed to believe.
Even so, Tamar opened her Bible looking for some sort of a confirmation from God.
Someone’s shadow blocked part of the mid-morning sunlight from Tamar’s face. Tamar looked up into Jason’s face. She tried to smile, but her lips twisted shyly. “Hey.”
“Hey. You’re the girl that first saw me, right?”
“Yeah.” Tamar’s defenses fell away as she kicked her legs back and forth under the bench.
“Thanks,” Jason said.
Tamar shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Do you want to be alone? Where are your friends?”
Tamar didn’t really want to answer, but she didn’t know how not to without being rude. “Uh… they aren’t really my friends.”
“Aren’t you always hanging out with the pastor’s kid, though?’
Pastor’s kid? Oh, Ariel. “She’s busy.”
“Gotcha. To be honest, I feel ya. This stuff is all really weird for me and everyone is just so different. Know what I mean?”
Tamar laughed, and found herself trusting this guy. “Yeah. My grandpa knows the people here, but this is my first year here.”
“That makes sense why you aren't like the others.”
Not like them … how? Maybe there was something about her that didn’t speak “saved” to people. Tamar opened her mouth to ask, but he answered before she had to.
“Not in a bad way. You just aren’t so judgemental or, ‘here, let me stuff some Bible verses down your throat’. It’s still obvious you believe what you believe from the way you are, but I like that you aren’t so forceful about it. If more of them were like you, I might be tempted to become a Christian myself.”
It was a compliment. But then why did she feel so sad receiving it? Because she felt the betrayal of her friends and wished more people weren’t like them, too? Or because Jason wouldn’t consider God past the actions of fallen humans? She wanted to say something.
But what could she say now that he said he specifically liked her because she didn’t judge him?
Feeling steadily worse, she said nothing.
Jason lowered himself on the bench and sat back. “It is nice here. Almost makes you forget how poorly off the world is right now.”
Tamar jumped on the opportunity for a new topic. “Do you actually believe in global warming?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Why?”
Jason shrugged. “It seems the only plausible explanation for how the world is going through such crazy weather patterns. And it seems only fair after how humans have treated the world. It’s also scientifically observable. How can you not believe it?”
Tamar said, “I do believe the world will be destroyed by fire because of man’s actions.”
“You do?” Jason raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I believe God will send fire and brimstone to bring an end to earth and only those who have rejected him will be left here. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, only widespread.”
Jason said, “I’m going to assume that Sodom and Gomorrah are one of those stories from your Bible where God judges man and then kills them.”
“Yeah.”
“Actually seems fitting. There’s one point on which your God and I agree. I do think man should pay for all he’s done to this world. If mankind could be eradicated, the earth might have peace at last.”
Tamar thought of the idea of a world without humanity. It just didn’t seem right. But she said nothing. She hated herself further for her silence. Maybe the others were right and her soul was in danger.
What was she afraid of? Of not having the right words? She couldn’t answer this young man’s questions when she half-doubted her own faith and felt betrayed by everyone around her, too. Who was she not to speak and keep quiet? Her life had been spared and she knew she should be overflowing with gratitude toward God and sharing that gratitude.
She remained silent.
Jason stood and stretched his shoulders back until there was a light crack. “See you later, Tamar.”
Tamar watched him go away, wondering if she’d ever have another chance to say what she knew she should have said. Except that she still didn’t know what those words might have been.
The next installment will be published on the first Monday of next month.
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