Chapter 12:The Centurion, Part Two

When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

We will take a short intermission from our drama. There has been a significant change in our wayward friend's life and she needs to make some decisions.  We're going to move forward a couple of years before we catch up to her . Let's catch up with our soldier!  There is our soldier.  He's right over there.  Let’s find out what he has discovered since we last saw him.  

Sir!  A word with you.

Ah, my mysterious interrogators.  How have you been?

Still looking for the unusual.  How has your quest been?

Unexpectedly wonderful.

How so?

The man I followed is definitely a threat, but not to Rome.  He threatens the way we see the world and how we live in it.

And...?

And he has changed me forever. I have seen magicians and holy men do seemingly amazing things.  They work with great fanfare and show.  Sometimes what they do is real.  Most of it is not.  But this man... With just a word, he healed someone I cared a great deal for.  No show, no fanfare.  He asked for nothing more than that I would believe.  By his authority, I have a new direction in life.  I know all things are possible and nothing is impossible for me.

And he did all this with a single act?

No, he has done and said much more.  I have been following him for almost three years now, since the time with the baptist.  I have heard him speak again and again.  I have seen him do amazing things, all with humility and in his humanity.  This moment, however, was for me.  To cement something inside me that has been growing steadily.

And that would be?

Faith.  I believe in something greater than what I can see.

We are very happy for you.  I think we will meet again, though.

---

Miracles are wonderful and terrible, all at once.  They are often associated as a product of faith.  If you just believe hard enough, anything can happen.  But miracles have a tendency to set unrealistic expectations and foster a false sense of control over your environment.    Remember this:  While miracles may be a product of faith, they are not the substance of it.  We will meet our centurion again.  It’s time to get back to our drama.