Episode #41: 2 Christospher - Chapter 20 - The pastor

Jan,15 2026

<-#40: 2 Christropher - Chapter 19 - Authority#43: 2 Christopher - Chapter 22 - Love ->

On bread, fish, fields, and the danger of mistaking form for faith

20:1

A pastor came to the town

with clean shoes

and a troubled brow.

20:2

He said,

"No bells ring here."

20:3

He said,

"No altar stands."

20:4

He said,

"No one comes to Mass."

20:5

And the town center grew still.

20:6

Myriam's mother answered first,

without raising her voice.

20:7

"We read the Scriptures daily."

20:8

She recited a psalm from memory,

and then another,

and then stopped herself.

20:9

Christopher said nothing.

20:10

The pastor replied,

"Reading is not worship."

20:11

Myriam said,

"Then what is it?"

20:12

The pastor said,

"Obedience."

20:13

Myriam frowned.

20:14

Her mother quoted Paul,

then James,

then fell silent.

20:15

Christopher finally spoke,

"Obedience to whom?"

20:16

The pastor said,

"To the Church."

20:17

Myriam said,

"We obey Christ."

20:18

The pastor answered,

"You obey Him improperly."

20:19

I felt my hands tighten on the arms of my chair.

20:20

Christopher asked,

"When Christ walked,

where did He worship?"

20:21

The pastor said,

"In the synagogue."

20:22

Christopher said,

"And on the hills."

20:23

"And in boats."

20:24

"And at tables."

20:25

Myriam said,

"And on roads."

20:26

Her mother added,

"And in houses."

20:27

The pastor said,

"You are scattering the sacred."

20:28

Christopher replied,

"We are returning it."

20:29

The pastor said,

"You share bread without consecration."

20:30

Myriam said,

"We share bread with hunger."

20:31

The pastor said,

"That is not the same."

20:32

Her mother quoted,

"They broke bread together with glad hearts."

20:33

The pastor said,

"You twist the text."

20:34

Christopher said,

"You narrow it."

20:35

The pastor looked at me and said

"This is blasphemy".

20:36

I said nothing.

20:37

Myriam spoke again,

her voice sharp now.

20:38

"How can it be blasphemy

to live as Jesus lived?"

20:39

The pastor answered quickly,

"Because you are not Jesus."

20:40

Myriam said,

"Neither are you."

20:41

Her mother closed her eyes.

20:42

Christopher raised a hand.

20:43

"Peace," he said.

20:44

Then to the pastor:

"This is a man who sees the book before him."

20:45

"And that is no sin."

20:46

"But we see the field."

20:47

"And the weather."

20:48

"And the hunger."

20:49

"And the children."

20:50

Myriam said,

"I teach them Scripture like planting."

20:51

She said,

"Some seeds must rot before they grow."

20:52

The pastor said,

"That is dangerous language."

20:53

Her mother murmured,

"So is parable."

20:54

Christopher smiled faintly.

20:55

The pastor said,

"You make everyone their own authority."

20:56

Christopher answered,

"No. We make everyone responsible."

20:57

The pastor said,

"Responsibility without structure fails."

20:58

Christopher said,

"Structure without love hardens."

20:59

Myriam said,

"Children learn faith like seasons."

20:60

"Too much frost, they die."

20:61

"Too much sun, they scorch."

20:62

The pastor said,

"You speak as if God were weather."

20:63

Her mother replied,

"He called Himself a vine."

20:64

Silence followed.

20:65

The pastor said,

"You do not fear error."

20:66

Christopher said,

"We fear cruelty more."

20:67

The pastor said,

"You do not fear disorder."

20:68

Myriam said,

"We fear hunger."

20:69

The pastor said,

"This is not how the Church works."

20:70

Christopher answered,

"Neither is this a church."

20:71

I looked up then.

20:72

The pastor stiffened.

20:73

Christopher continued,

"This is a town center."

20:74

"And a field."

20:75

"And a people trying."

20:76

The pastor said,

"You are lost."

20:77

Christopher said softly,

"Then thank you for looking for us."

20:78

The pastor did not know how to answer that.

20:79

Myriam lowered her eyes.

20:80

Her mother whispered a blessing,

not aloud.

20:81

The pastor gathered his coat.

20:82

He said,

"I will report this."

20:83

Christopher nodded.

20:84

"Thank you," he said,

"for your concern."

20:85

The pastor left.

20:86

No one spoke for a time.

20:87

Myriam broke the silence.

20:88

"I was angry."

20:89

Christopher said,

"I know."

20:90

She said,

"I felt judged."

20:91

Christopher said,

"So did he."

20:92

Her mother sighed.

20:93

Christopher said,

"He guards the book."

20:94

"And we tend the garden."

20:95

"Both matter."

20:96

Myriam asked,

"Will this bring trouble?"

20:97

Christopher answered,

"Eventually."

20:98

"But not today."

20:99

I finally spoke.

20:100

"I did not defend you."

20:101

Christopher looked at me.

20:102

"You did not need to."

20:103

He added,

"Words would have fed the fire."

20:104

"Silence let it starve."

20:105

We all went to the town hall.

20:106

Bread was shared.

20:107

No blessing was spoken aloud.

20:108

Yet gratitude filled the room.

20:109

Later, no one quoted this day.

20:110

No teaching was extracted.

20:111

No rule survived it.

20:112

Those who wanted certainty avoided it.

20:113

Those who wanted argument found none.

20:114

Those who stayed learned quietly.

20:115

And the trouble dissolved,

not by victory,

but by being unneeded.

20:116

What did I learn that day?

20:117

Not that I couldn't speak up.

But that in silence, I protected our authority

20:118

I didn't use power to protect the town

I allowed the town to protect itself

20:119

Not as power,

but as a silent presence.

20:120

And as a warning:

that God may still be found

where no one agrees on Him.

<-#40: 2 Christropher - Chapter 19 - Authority#43: 2 Christopher - Chapter 22 - Love ->