One Thousand Years
Genesage
“Religion"
(Chp 7:2)
Some Jews figured better a few perish than a whole people be wiped out.
So rather than deal with the idea that after thousands of years of interpreting the Law and the Prophets they were wrong. It was decided by the current Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem:
Kill them.
Oddly his great ancestor was a distant cousin to Maccabaeus who had likewise killed a Jew in order to “save a nation”. His usurping of the Priesthood had begun in murder and now if these Two “Witnesses” were gone, a “new priesthood’ could exercise control and unite Israel again under one “banner”, one authority, one Council, One “High Priest”.
Of course Israel has never been THAT unified.
So like they had done before, they slew the prophets.
It seemed to be a family tradition. If someone disagreed, even with signs and wonders, kill them. So went Judaism without a Messiah.
Of course they tried to several times before the prophets finally died right were all the others prophets had too.
Catholics had the Inquisition;
Judaism the disposition;
and no matter how you looked at it,
in religion,
someone always died.
Thomas Levi Cohen, like his predecessors, was arguing religion. Since he had Tradition, Heritage and Rabbinical Interpretation on his side, he felt confident of his position. Of course like a drowning man, he was thrashing a lot, but not making much progress.
He had taken on Eben.
"You doubt"
"Should I not?" "Sh'ma Yisroel, Adonoy Eloheynu,"
'And Echad means?
"One."
God is One. Father. Son. and Spirit.
"No."
"You have Ears.
You have Eyes.
You are Here.
Can you not See?
Can you not Hear?"
"I do not understand. I know he is Messiah, more I do not know."
"Should you?
"Do you?
"Yes"
"How?"
The repartee was fast and furious. But while Thomas was perplexed, Eben was calm. Thomas was animated, Eben collected. Thomas made motions with his hands, his face, his eyes flashing, his voice at times impassioned.
Eben seemed almost bored by comparison. But a twinkle was in his eye and a spryness to his measured eating of the bread revealed still waters run deep. He would eat while he talked. He seemed to “know” what Thomas would say, yet let Tom speak his mind.
To a non Middle Eastern Old World person, it might have looked like an unfair fight with from a distance Tom looking like a ravaging lion about to eat his prey. Passivity was the expression of real power though and Eben knew he was dealing with an unarmed blind man.
They ate bread and drank wine as if any other shabbes meal. They “discussed” the finite compared to the infinite. Thomas would argue to the finite detail and create limitation where Eben could take his limitation and apply the infinite. He would expand it outward to incorporate the supreme.
Eben had a way of extending the thought beyond where Thomas would have considered. Here and Now versus Eternal Concern.
Thomas rejected each logical premise and even the blunt simple answers that Eben Stated Which left Tom at times speechless.
Eben though was never perplexed, never bored and seemed calmer than mere conviction. Sublime in a way that bespoke of more than convinced. His attitude was of agreement. He seemed to agree with all that Thomas stipulated then expanded the exclusion to become inclusive of what Eben said.
How?
Thomas would try exclusivity and Eben revealed inclusiveness. Thomas would try to define God and Eben would show God indefinable and as contrary as it seemed, definable in means He, Thomas rejected.
Which was to define God in the Son by being inclusive of Him.
Ebens mind set was not exception or attack, but of something Thomas could still not yet fathom as hard as he tried to defend and pretend that he, Thomas, still believed in what he was debating about,
The Truth.
The Truth. Fact. What he wanted to be convinced of. He needed to be persuaded. He desperately hoped in his heart of hearts that there was a way, a will, a purpose he could put a finger on and say,
AH HA This is God.
But no. Even as Thomas wore down from his onslaught of logic arguments and debated circumferentially and non specifity, Eben could cut to the quick and identify the reality from the assumed.
Presumption lead to the theoretical and regardless of how Thomas coined, phrased it ,or couched it, Eben was like stone.
Yet Thomas found Eben a lot less intimidating then Tom had always thought him to be.
A lot more "real". Thomas considered him now. Each time a pause came, Eben waited for Thomas to begin again or use a different tact. Eben was unplussed and would follow the line of reason Thomas would seek to employ. But when admittedly Thomas reached an end to his rationale, Eben would extend it outward and that would end the reason as a premise to build upon. Eben would show the finite limitation of its usage.
So like a sailing boat in a regatta tacking to and fro into the wind, the good ship Thomas had the Schooner Eben taking the wind out of the sails of the directions Thomas would choose to go. The masts of Thomas face soon showed no sails left while Eben cheeks still showed sheets to the wind.
Four corners ho and full sails to the mast Eben looked spry, young, and fit for the sea of reason.
Finally Thomas tired of not admitting his resolve was to be unresolved on the subject. Eben changed subjects and addressed one of the subjects that was really bothering Thomas Levi Cohen.
"What did you do when I told you to take an offering of the rose."
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