The Lenten Adventure Forum

Maia walked quickly but silently through the narrow streets, pulling her scarf down over her face and hair, feeling the great need to hide herself. If she was found, wandering the streets of this city at night, the consequences could be serious. Making haste, she turned each corner as quietly and rapidly as she could, desperately wanting to get to her destination. The last thing she wanted was to encounter anyone. As a woman, she would have no good reason for walking at night alone in this backwater town. The place she came from, her home, had no such restrictions on women and the city had been alive with activity at all times of day and night. Adjusting to her life here in this desert, so far away from home, had been challenging for her and rankled her at times.

As she walked, her mind was full of turmoil. "Why am I doing this? jeopardizing the security and my personal being to go and listen to what these strangers she had encountered had to say. Ever since she had come upon this John the Baptist, something had not been right within her. Her calm peace and confidence had been shattered. She knew that boredom and the need for some kind of thrill had been the reason she first became involved, but now.... "I feel unsettled. What is it about the words of the Baptist and the people who are meeting that disturbs me so?" Maia had never been afraid of anything, yet now, she had fear. It wasn't the fear of being hurt or persecuted, not really. She had a certain standing and knew she could not be truly persecuted. No, the fear came from somewhere inside her. It was so unfamiliar, as if a great earthquake had occurred within her and all of the pieces of her life, her understanding of herself had fallen to the ground from the safe structure she had built over the years..... how was she to put them back together? Others had noticed. The things she had previously enjoyed, her demeanor had all changed since she heard the words of the Baptist. Desperate not to be found out, she had blamed her behavior, the change on illness and discontent saying,, "How do you expect me to act? bringing me to this backwards place where the most exciting event is a stoning or a crucifixion?" That seemed to keep the questions at bay for the time being.

In the meantime, Maia was confused. This very present fear, the fear of something happening within her, an awakening of sorts from a disoriented dream had caused a strange thought to run through her mind constantly. It was a remembrance, something she had overheard when she first came to this place. A group of Jews had been standing in the marketplace talking and as she walked by one had said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Those words echoed through her head now. "Who is this Lord?" and "Is this fear I feel from Him?" Looking up, Maia realized she had been so deep in thought, she had reached her destination without knowing it. Softly, she knocked and was allowed to enter.

Entering the room, Maia felt a measure of peace come over her. The words of their guide were calming and she sought to push all other thoughts out of her mind, wanting to hold on to his words. As they entered the upper room, Maia found that she was quite hungry and it seemed her companions were just as hungry. After her hunger had been fed, their Guide spoke and shared more of who he is and his thoughts. Maia could sense the truth of it, his sincerity and his wisdom. Yes, she herself had seen the way the Temple and laws had been corrupted. At the time, she had found it amusing, these worshippers of one God just couldn’t seem to get it right, she had thought to herself. The emotion her guide expressed at the violation of the sacredness of the Lord impressed her and she wondered, “Could this one God be real?” To bring up such devotion and fervor in one so well off and educated made her wonder. As she thought this, the words of her guide spoke to her yet again, “In the beginning, I God, by my Word, created the heavens and the earth.” and Maia knew that she would follow this guide, one who could be trusted, and learn more as they traveled to the river.

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