I’ve Seen It

Sweltering sundrops shone down on the Delaware Baptist Church in Wilmington.

“I know,” Brigeete Southerly answered.

“Well, you don’t act like it,” her sister Tova retorted.

“The scripture says, “…Nor his seed begging bread. Now that’s not literal. I know.”

“Act like it,” Tova reiterated.

“So, what I was saying was that I have seen a righteous forsaken and his seed begging for bread. That means, I know, the holy Word. The bread is the Word of the Lord.”

“I hope you get that. And where did you see a righteous forsaken? You talk out the side of your neck sometimes.”

“I know a woman down on Sixth Street who knew, just knew that the Father had said no to her prayers. She shattered all her China in solemn protest against His name. And her children….”

“Her children?”

“They wanted to read the Bible. She refused to let them read it out of spite against God.”

“Hmm. That don’t mean nothin’. She just was mad for the moment but glory cometh in the morning.”

“I don’t believe it anymore. I’m an atheist.”

“You hush up, now. Talking about blasphemy. Could you imagine if Daddy heard you say what you talkin’?”

“I’m just saying the scripture is fallible.”

“That’s to you. The Psalmist is speaking his view of the Lord’s good grace.”

“That same Lord that doesn’t exist.”

Tova fanned herself and kept walking with her sister. She shot a sharp glance at Brigeete.

“I don’t want to hear you talk like that. You’ve got alotta nerve saying against Biblical scripture and God.”

“It goes deep but is much simpler. Once you realize we’ve been taught about a fictitious face beyond the clouds you might see. If not, that’s up to you. As for me and my business, I choose to not serve the Lord.”

Tova gasped. “I’m just going to pray for you. That’s what you need. Prayer. Everything you’re able to see is because of God. By going against His name you’re damning yourself to a lake of fire.”

“I’d rather backstroke in a lake set ablaze than to further entertain anymore of this talk that damages mental health.”

“Mental health? What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying it’s detrimental to the psyche to believe in God. It’s not evil but an impediment to psychology.”

“You and your fifty dollar words have gotten me vexed. All you had to say is that God is bad. I couldn’t make myself say that, though.”

“Again, deeper and simpler. Once you get rid of God, it’s like letting an orange peel fall to a trash bin.”

“You can take your non-belief and go somewhere. I’ll be your sister still but only after you get Baptized again.”

“It’ll never happen. I’m focused on making this money. There’s no room for a God in my plan to get this cash.”

“So you’re a capitalist now?”

“Yes. The cash part is only an aspect, however. It’s still the sole social system that stands for justice.”

“And God can’t exist within this framework?”

“Absolutely not. Capitalism represents the mind. It is about the individual in the context of society because all society consists of other individuals. It stands to protect private property derived from individual rights.”

“Okay. So you took a Psalm and just rendered a whole lifestyle by mocking it?” Tova asked.

“No, not in a manner of words.”

They continued walking with the sun beaming down on them.

“I’ve decided that I’m not going to take the brainbashing that comes with mysticism. It is no longer a part of my being and whether you like it or respect it or not I have chosen my path. What’s yours?”

Tova hmmphed and continued her gait.