Sarah sat sullenly in the front pew of First Church of the Holy Redeemer. Sweat beaded on the preacher’s forehead and he used a (pure) white handkerchief to mop it. Sarah cringed as drops flew out into the sanctuary. She would swear (if it were permissible) that she felt some of that sweat flinging itself onto her white shift.
She felt a jab in her ribs as her mother whispered loud enough to be heard over the preacher’s shouting. “Pay attention, Sarah!â€
She tried to pay attention, but the message was the same week after week. She and the other young girls were paraded to the front pews in their white shifts as props for the fat old man screeching from the pulpit. He would wring his hands and fold his black book over on itself, mop his brow and point and bounce up onto the balls of his feet.
“You see these girls? They come here in their white shifts, and sit with their hands folded in their laps. You believe they are pure? You believe they behave in their hearts, in their minds?
“YOU ARE WRONG!â€
Sarah jumped in her seat. Preacher was looking at her, calling her out by her name.
“Sarah! Proverbs says ‘A fool spurns a parent’s discipline.’ You are a FOOL young woman! You have chosen wicked ways. You will be shunned by this house for a period of one month. You will not speak to any of this house and they will not speak to you. In one month you may come and repent to come back into the fold. GO!â€
Sarah walked out of the building as all faces turned away from her. Shunnings had become commonplace at First Church. She was but the latest. A house was set aside for the punishment, but Sarah continued past it and walked down the road.
“A fool I may be, but I am no longer your foolâ€, she shouted towards the sky. “I am finally free.”
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Trifecta’s challenge for week 15 was FOOL. My heart went immediately to scripture. Proverbs 15:5 says: A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. I don’t believe in taking any scripture out of context as the above preacher is doing. I don’t believe in using it as a battering ram and a tool of punishment. Just wanted to get that out there. Sadly, there are some who do that and more. And, btw the church is also a “fig newton” of my imagination.