Fiction - Week 6 - A Fiasco in a Restaurant.

All the characters in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to any person living or dead.

A story based on Biblical truth.

=================================================================

                                                                        5

The dozen of us huddled together in St John's Church in Egham. I was standing arm-in-arm with Peter Wilkins, who looked to be the self-appointed leader of this group. Others included a black female in her forties, and other men and women from different walks of life. We were all bound by a common fear, but amidst this emotion, a sapling of hope had germinated.

We all moved from the main chapel to one of the meeting rooms. This one had a TV, but it was installed for video shows only, as the church had never paid for a TV licence. With communication cut off from the outside world, I suggested returning to my college apartment to bring in some food and a radio. Peter agreed, and I set off.

At my apartment, I collected the radio and gathered the groceries, both my own and the items I took from the Padula's house earlier that day. Like this, everyone in our group will have something to eat, and hunger will be kept at bay, at least for now. However, as I passed a grocery store, it was open for business, and there was no airport-style scanner at the door. At least not yet. I entered and bought more food items, especially tinned food, which keeps much longer than uncooked or unprocessed items. Furthermore, while I was out, someone discovered food in the church kitchen, adding to our stock.

Back at the church, the load I carried in brought cheers from the entire group, which encouraged them to keep on trusting God for his provisions. Once we all settled, having placed the radio in a prominent position, I turned it on for any news updates.

Gaius Caligula ordered the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem to be demolished. Last night's catastrophe of so many people vanishing as if suddenly atomised has kept the Arab world locked in fear and submissive to the world leader for protection against a second abduction. Hence, so far, there have been no protests from the Arab world.

Caligula ordered the Dome to be demolished.

There are speculations on Caligula's motive for a Jewish Temple to be built on that site. But does he have a genuine concern for Israel, its history, and the Jews in general? Although, at this stage, most Jews don't see Caligula as their Messiah, as he is a Gentile, and all Jews insist that their Messiah must arise from their own people and nation. There are some, both Jews and non-Jews, who think that the ultimate motive for the Temple to be built is for Caligula himself to stand in it and receive worship as divine. However, the World President strenuously deny this.

But whatever the speculation might be, a barrier now surrounds the octagonal structure, awaiting the bulldozers to raze it to the ground after standing on that specific site since AD 692.

However, not all Arabs have acquiesced. Many are angry. And a delegate has arrived in Moscow for talks of an invasion into Israel. Speculation of a Russian invasion was present in Moscow before the catastrophe, but what some had called the Rapture has set back any thoughts of invading Israel until the dust has settled.

I turned the radio volume down to ask Peter,

I heard a rumour of the Antichrist receiving worship in the Temple of God. Some members of our college Christian Union had mentioned it a few months ago. Do you think there's any truth to all this?

Indeed! Peter exclaimed, as others in the group drew close to hear what the post-graduate had to say. Don't think for a second that Caligula has a benevolent heart. His whole project to rebuild the Jewish Temple is entirely self-motivated. Like the Roman Emperors of old, he too wants worship and above all, deification.

The black member of the group, known only as Emily to the rest of them, said, My son, Richard, was studying ancient Greek and Roman empires at Loughborough University. He attended a Christian Union at his college. Since then, I hadn't heard from him at all. As for his father, he walked out on us to live with his new lover when Richard was ten years old. At college, so he said, he was converted to Christ, and he tried to persuade me to believe too. I was a fool to think that he was merely suffering from trauma caused by our separation. I now believe he was taken up to Heaven with the others.

She broke into fresh tears and wept aloud as Peter approached her in a hug. For several minutes the two were locked in an embrace as she cried copiously. Then she managed to compose herself as she resumed the conversation.

Richard explained about the Roman Empire whenever he arrived home between terms. Its first Emperor, Augustus, I think, brought in the Pax Romana, a lasting peace and freedom from war across the whole of his empire. The inhabitants were so relieved that they wanted to worship a deity. Rather than worship Jupiter or whatever Roman god they had, they decided to worship the emperor himself. He was visible, alive, and conscious. By the time of Nero, emperor worship was already mandatory for every Roman citizen on pain of death.

And now this Gaius Caligula, another in the group, added. Wants to revive this emperor worship. Wow! I can't help but think that this is the old Roman Empire revived.

A young woman in her twenties, standing nearby, known to the others as Jane, made her contribution to the discussion. In my spare time, I too have studied ancient history, especially that related to the Bible. There were four empires - Babylonian, Mede/Persian, Greek, and Roman. All of them had dominion over the Jews and Jerusalem in particular. So I'm not surprised that this Caligula guy has his eyes set on Jerusalem.

Jane, Peter responded, What you just said, you are right. That is the reason why the Church was removed. For Israel to take centre stage. And just as Israel was centre stage in Biblical times, so there is no surprise that while Israel returns to its former glory, a fierce oppressor is rising too. This is the Tribulation period, a time of testing before their true Messiah returns to set up his Kingdom with his throne in Jerusalem.

Peter continued, Gaius Caligula will not only be Israel's chief enemy and oppressor, but ours too. If he wants universal worship, then anyone who refuses to give allegiance to him but has faith in God through Jesus Christ, he will hate and persecute. This is our time of testing. Listen to me! All of you must refuse the Mark Caligula will impose on all citizens worldwide. Yes, we will starve unless we receive food by a miraculous channel. And some of us might. But in this time of testing, we must prove faithful to the One who was crucified, suffered and died for us. 

When Peter had finished, we all bowed in prayer, mainly in thanksgiving for each other's company, for the food we had, and for our safekeeping in a very uncertain world. Furthermore, we prayed that our faith would be made strong enough to endure what might be coming. After prayer, I went to the kitchen to prepare some food for all of us. Emily then arrived to lend a helping hand.

I regarded all those in the church. Each had suffered a terrible shock. Rivers of tears, mostly of regret for not believing in the first place, but also due to the loss of a loved one, like Emily losing her son Richard. As she helped with the preparation, I regarded her, along with the others. The contrast between these people and my former student friends couldn't be wider than the Grand Canyon! No white shirt and tie among any of them, no arrogance or self-assurance. There was no sense of superiority from holding a degree, having plenty of money, or holding a professional career.

In the church kitchen, I reflected on myself. I grew up in Portsmouth, home of the British Navy. Yet, I never had any desire for a career at sea; I shone at school. Even as a boy, I was interested in Biology, and by the time I took my A Levels, I specialised in Genetics.

I could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge to study Medicine, but I chose Royal Holloway instead. A degree in genetics was available at this branch of the University of London. Of all branches of Biology, I preferred genetic research, a career aligned with the NHS to not only find cures for specific diseases, but also to gain knowledge of genetics to discover how these diseases could be prevented in the first place.

Genetic Research was to be my life's career.

Due to my religious upbringing, although I called myself an atheist, in reality, I was more of an agnostic. I wasn't hostile to religion as Phil Banks was. I was already open to a discussion, as I had with both Steve and Roger. I also had discussions with members of the Christian Union at our University. So, what led me to unbelief as a student?

Mainly this: their belief in Divine Creation versus Darwinian Evolution. One of their most pathetic explanations for discrediting evolution was the one about a tornado turning a scrapyard into a fully functional jet plane. Such an explanation was so pathetic and inane! Hence, I developed an attitude against the Christian faith as something to be teased and mocked rather than outright hostility.

And I watched two of my friends, Steve and Roger, taken up to Heaven while I remained behind. Because of my mocking, my unbelief, and my trust in Darwin's theories, I'm still here. And now I have to face Caligula, the Antichrist, whom God rescued his Church from.

Now, there is no future. My future prospects of a career in genetic research were shattered. I have no idea where I will be going, which direction to take. 

Emily and I eventually carried our dinners into the church meeting room. Everyone looked more hopeful at the sight of food. As we ate, I thought I heard something on the radio. I turned the volume up so all could hear. Gaius Caligula was about to say something...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be Continued.