Fishers 4 Men

Juan is an interesting man. He has lead a very prestigious life. Now his life is bland and boring. He sharpens his mind by reading newspapers and periodicals. He even writes editors of the papers, often receiving answers.

When I first met him he was sitting at a desk in the lobby. He has a very stately appearance, looking every part of Don Quixote. He was in dress clothes and even wore a cravat. We had an interesting conversation about Juan's favorite subject; the melding of Mexico and America.   Juan then began to give me a historical overview of the Catholic Church and how he thought that it had hoodwinked the Mexican people.

An aide came to let him know it was time for lunch.

"Juan, can I leave you something to read?"  I asked.

"Of course Jennifer, I would love to read it."  He said as he took a copy of Mark Cahill's One Second After You Die.   "I can't wait to read it."

With a prayer on my breath, I walked away knowing it would be at least a week until I could see him again.

When I saw Juan this Saturday he was in the usual spot, at the desk in front of the computer.

"Hello Sir."  I greeted him.

"Oh, please don't be formal-call me Juan."  He kissed the back of my hand.

"I left you a book last time I saw you, I was hoping that you'd read it."  He immediately got a pained look on his face.

"Well, I must tell you that I didn't like it very much.  I hope I can be honest with you."  He said.

"Of course, and I would love to know what you didn't like."  I told him honestly.

We had a nice discussion with Juan telling me the bottom line was that he didn't believe that he would be judged by God and he certainly didn't believe in Hell.

"It's all so very nasty, I think it will be much more civilized than that, Jennifer.  I want to see my Mother and my Father...."  then he got quiet.

"Well, Juan I do agree that those thoughts are disconcerting, to put it mildly, but dismissing something on the basis that you 'do't believe in it' really isn't rational.  After all, I might tell you that I don't believe in gravity and then go walk off of the roof, falling to my death.  If there is the least chance that you are wrong you should do a bit of investigation.  Now you've already told me that you believe Jesus was a real person, but was he God or just a crazy man?  Why did He come here?"

"You know, I appear to be happy here but at night in my room I wish I could just scratch my eyes out!"   He appeared to change subjects, but I knew they were one and the same. 

"Why Juan??"

"I have done so many wrong things...I've never told anyone.  I wish there were something that I could do to make up for those things..."  he was quiet and in pain.

"You'll never be able to erase those things...but there is One Who can."

"Oh, don't..." He said in frustration.  Then he composed himself quickly.  As we were talking I was praying for Juan.  He outwardly had it together, but inside he was in real turmoil.

"Well, Juan dismissing something on the basis that you 'do't believe in it' really isn't rational.  After all, I might tell you that I don't believe in gravity and then go walk off of the roof, falling to my death.  If there is the least chance that you are wrong you should do a bit of investigation.  Now you've already told me that you believe Jesus was a real person, but was he God or just a crazy man?  Why did He come here?"

He laughed loudly and leaned in, "To show us the way to live.  But there were so many who did this."
Juan told me that he had studied Buddhism, Islam  and has also recently read a book by Deepak Chopra.  "You know, I waited and waited, I read so thoroughly, but you know...he never gave me the answer!!!"

I let him sit with that thought for a moment before I said,  "He doesn't have it, Juan.  You want to follow the enlightened one?" Juan smiled at this.  "He was a man who left his family to starve while he went in search of what????  Do you know he carried a Bible with him?"

"No, I didn't know that."  he said.

"It didn't do him any good Juan, just like you, he missed the entire truth.  Juan, where are the bones of the enlightened one?"

"Oh, I don't know."  he said.

"In Nepal.  Where are the bones of Muhammed?"  I asked.

"I...I'm not sure."  he said.

"Mecca.  Where are the bones of Jesus, Juan?"  I said, watching his face.

"I suppose they are in Jerusalem."  He said with a smile.

"No Juan, they're not.  They are not anywhere because He rose from the dead.  Now I want to tell you something, you say you want the answer but when I try to tell you, you don't want to hear it."

"No!  Tell me, please!"  He said grabbing my hands.

"OK Juan, before I tell you I want to pray."

"Yes, alright pray."  He closed his eyes and I prayed that God would open his heart to understand the Truth that God was telling him.

"You know, Juan you've told me you've done things in the past...awful things.  You cannot erase them.  You cannot do anything to make up for them.  If you drive nails in a fence, you can pull them out but you can't fix the holes."

"I could putty them!"  he told me, smiling.

"Yes, you could do that, but they are still there.  There is Someone Who is willing to build you a whole new fence."

He was quiet for a moment before he said,  "Ahhhh.....now you've given me something to think about."

"Juan, the Bible says 'riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death'.

Please pray for Juan (not his real name).  He is a man in a desperate situation.  He is about to go to court, guilty of multiple crimes and the Judge, being very honorable and just, will most certainly find him guilty on all counts unless his fine is paid in the blood of Jesus.