We had almost cancelled this vacation due to recent turmoil, an insurgent had been tried, convicted and executed about two months ago, five months after we had made reservations. Apparently he had accrued quite a following, but they were cowards who had dematerialized the moment he was seized; and now they were on the most wanted list. Their faces were on milk cartons and advertisements. Authorities fear they might attempt an uprising in spite of the absence of their once prominent political leader. Nothing has happened though these past fifty days to indicate the convicted prisoners friends were even still in the country. We, my husband and I, had been willing to sacrifice our plans and non refundable deposits for peace of mind; but we took a family vote and decided to brave the trip. We were relieved that we were nearing the end of our stay without anything ominous occurring. I wouldn’t feel secure until I was back in my own house. (With planes falling out of the sky and anthrax being delivered in the mail, I don’t know why my house should feel so secure?)
We's seen most of the sights and had a fairly good time in spite of the palpable air of uneasiness that hung over the city. Most foreigners, (since this is the nation’s capital and home of the United Nations, there was an abundance of foreigners!) were treated warily, even those that worked and lived here for years. All the main attractions, the Lincoln, Washington, Korean, and Roosevelt’s memorials, The Wall, Capital, Senate, etc. were heavily guarded and parking near anything was out of the question. Barriers were set up to prevent any size vehicle, down to tricycles and skateboards from parking and detonating explosives. So since our vacation required lots of foot work we might as well have gone to a health spa for the week for exercise. No way will any, suicide drivers hurt our national monuments, again. Homeland security was everywhere, a diversion? American patriotism was also flaunted everywhere with the red white and blue displayed on every corner, tote bag, t-shirt, hat and lapel we passed.
As my husband, daughter and I crossed the street in search of a touristy restaurant, (we didn't want the usual McDonalds, we could eat there at home, not that we did), a strong gust of wind descended from above. It started slowly then picked up momentum. Dresses flew up,(reminding me of the popular Marilyn Monroe photograph!) newspapers and travel brochures were ripped from hands, suit jackets blew open, sunglasses, hats and trash bounced about the sidewalks. The sound grew gradually louder and louder until it became deafening. Then fireflies appeared. No not fireflies. Sparks. The terrorists had attacked; they had done something after all, but what? Shot blazing arrows at the city? Maybe my former relief was premature.
My husband, acting heroicly despite his own fears, grabbed me and our daughter and rushed us to safety, only none of us knew where safe was. Foreigners from around the world who had come to see our national Capital were jabbering away with their theories of what was taking place. I wished I could understand them. Ah, American voices came through all the commotion, but no comfort was found there. No one knew what to expect, as we tried to avoid being hit by glowing projectiles. The blazes targeted a nearby deserted building whose lower level windows were boarded up. A sign on the front door proclaimed the edifice as condemned. Flames pelted the roof, but nothing ignited. We could see through the broken or absent upper windows as fiery tongues bounded about the room. People on the inside, (homeless? transients?) were jumping up and down, excited. They didn't appear scared, they seemed jubilant. They must be in on this bizarre attack. I envisioned the recent production of "War of the worlds" where aliens descended from above and took over the world. Could terrorists have made a pact with denizens of another planet?
I thought it really bizarre that the flames didn’t spray anywhere else. They looked like shot gun pellets and shouldn’t have been so precise in their destination. Not a single fiery dart missed the deserted building or hit anything else. Homeland security permeated the street, just as unsure as the rest of us. Firemen, police and ambulances poured in.
When the front door of the deserted building flew open, ragged men and women emerged, outcasts. All talking at once. All shining with….something. They seemed other worldly. Not reassuring. Again the “War of the Worlds” came to mind. Science fiction or prophesy? After all; Christian Scientists place their faith in a science fiction writer. Those of us who hadn’t run to safety on other streets emerged cautiously from our hiding places.
Dispersing themselves among us they proclaimed the sovereignty of some guy…no...Of the guy who had been publically snuffed out two months ago. And praising some deity called Jehovah. I scanned the crowds around me; everyone seemed to be enthralled by the speakers. Everyone was listening intently, but how. The strangers were all speaking in English. No. My daughter, the product of a biracial marriage, heard English in her right ear and Spanish in her left ear. Her brain was about to implode!! It seems everyone in the crowd was hearing their own language as well. How confusing. Someone was on drugs. Maybe everybody…except of course my husband, daughter and myself. The strongest herb we ever touched was parsley. Okay, maybe cilantro!
Homeland security was unsure what to do…the strangers didn‘t seem violent and hadn‘t broken any laws that we could tell. Wait, some of the guys had been with that criminal. Their faces had been plastered all over the papers for weeks. Police officers stepped forward with handcuffs and joy sticks at the ready. Firemen swarmed into the building to extinguish whatever fires had been ignited by the miniature comets. They exited with confused expressions. There were no fires to put out, except the fires burning in our hearts.
A tall, young , well shaved man stepped forward with his hands in the air. The self appointed spokesperson for the pariahs. He had been the last to run months ago when his friend was apprehended and tried. He asked for permission to talk before being handcuffed. The officers, still hesitant, gratefully acquiesced, thankful for the fortuitous opportunity to assess the situation.
Introducing himself as Peter, the man began a protracted dissertation of recent events, (what’s he trying to do, distract us with wordiness?) Some of the crowd disbanded, no longer interested in the happenings, attributing the disturbance to some David Copperfield type illusion. Others stayed and listened with cynicism printed all over their faces, waiting to see the weirdoes taken into custody. Others actually pulled out little pocket bibles and followed this “Peter’s” discourse, testing the waters of truth. My husband was hooked, my daughter was hooked. I was hooked. This Peter seemed to be genuine. The fact that we all heard him speak in our own language convinced me that something spiritual was taking place, and I didn’t want to miss the boat.
By the end of the afternoon, three thousand of us were added to the not-so-dead revolutionary’s group of followers, believers in a coming kingdom, unintentional partakers in the death of a Messiah, The Messiah, a messenger come to proclaim eternal life. The new additions included police, firemen and homeland security employees. Nothing we heard today led us to believe the United States was in jeopardy. But we were led to believe that each individual present was vulnerable to death if we failed to repent and give our lives over to a greater citizenship. A dual citizenship.
Boy, am I glad we didn’t let the recent events prevent us from taking this vacation! Now we discovered we were on permanent vacation. We became extra terrestrials, sojourners here with a home in outer space in some place called heaven. We were real participants in the War of the Worlds, spiritual versus carnal, demonic versus Godly. I guess the war of the worlds wasn’t fiction after all!
John 12:31
Acts 2
Eph. 2:19
Eph 6:12
Phil. 3:20
