pastor looked up. “For twenty pieces of silver – only ten pieces shy of the price they gave Judas for our Lord. Jealousy led good men to make bad choices in this situation. Envy, jealousy, greed – all powerful influences when it comes to decision making.”
There were a smattering of “amens” from amongst the listeners, but Deborah sensed the tension that ran through the entire gathering.
Pastor Shattuck stepped away from the Bible. “Evil wears many faces. Anger and bitterness – presumed wrongs, as well as those things I’ve mentioned – they all work together to send good men down bad roads.
“Not long ago, Mr. Perkins shared the story of his family’s life in Texas. Having lived in the area for longer than I, it was fascinating to learn the experiences of others. Through his stories I came to understand him a little better. Stories are like that. We share information and learn the sorrows and woes of those around us, and it gives us insight into their hearts.”
Deborah smoothed the skirt of her pale blue gown with her gloved hands and considered the pastor’s words. She had heard the stories of Mr. Perkins’s family but had no idea how it could possibly relate to Joseph and his brothers.
“I don’t know if all of you are familiar, but Mr. Perkins has a past of great sorrows. It seems that members of his family – his grandparents and some of their children – were set upon by hostile Indians. The older folks were wounded or killed, while the children were stolen away. It was later learned that the Indians sold the children to wealthy Mexicans, but by the time those buyers were located – the children had been traded off and lost to the family.”
Several people shook their heads. Some murmured derogatory remarks about the kidnappers.
“It is an awful thing to imagine, isn’t it? Stealing a child and selling him. Just like Joseph’s brothers. They sold their brother into slavery, just as Mr. Perkins’s family members were sold. His own father only escaped the same treatment because he happened to have been in town with an older brother during the raid. Imagine his horror to return home and discover the truth.”
There were additional comments and agreements. The atmosphere seemed to change from one of reverence and a routine Sunday sermon to an interactive discussion on the injustices put upon the white man by the Indians and Mexicans.
“Mr. Perkins tells me that the neighbors and townsfolk did what they could to find the children, but they were never recovered. It was years later that one of the boys managed to get away and return to the family. He told the story of what had happened, but he had no idea where his sisters and brother had ended up. He only knew that they had been sold along with him and sent to various places. Can you imagine such injustice? Such a horrible thing. Children snatched from the bosom of their family and taken against their will to work in a place where they couldn’t even speak the language.”
“Should have killed ever’ last Injun and Mexican,” a gravelly voice declared from somewhere behind Deborah.
She considered the comment for a moment, knowing that most everyone there felt the same way. Pastor Shattuck seemed to nod in agreement. His action surprised her.
“Would seem a just punishment. Kill those who killed and stole away the family members of innocent bystanders. Who among us would say such a thing was unjust?”
“The Good Book says, ‘An eye for an eye,’ ” another man called out.
“It also says that stealing a man and selling him is punishable by death. Exodus 21:16 speaks to just such a thing, so it would only be fitting that those who stole the children and sold them should be put to death.”
There ran a wave of agreements from the congregation that increased in volume until the pastor finally held up his hands to continue.
“Joseph’s brothers, by all rights, should have been put to death, but Joseph was full of mercy. He
There were a smattering of “amens” from amongst the listeners, but Deborah sensed the tension that ran through the entire gathering.
Pastor Shattuck stepped away from the Bible. “Evil wears many faces. Anger and bitterness – presumed wrongs, as well as those things I’ve mentioned – they all work together to send good men down bad roads.
“Not long ago, Mr. Perkins shared the story of his family’s life in Texas. Having lived in the area for longer than I, it was fascinating to learn the experiences of others. Through his stories I came to understand him a little better. Stories are like that. We share information and learn the sorrows and woes of those around us, and it gives us insight into their hearts.”
Deborah smoothed the skirt of her pale blue gown with her gloved hands and considered the pastor’s words. She had heard the stories of Mr. Perkins’s family but had no idea how it could possibly relate to Joseph and his brothers.
“I don’t know if all of you are familiar, but Mr. Perkins has a past of great sorrows. It seems that members of his family – his grandparents and some of their children – were set upon by hostile Indians. The older folks were wounded or killed, while the children were stolen away. It was later learned that the Indians sold the children to wealthy Mexicans, but by the time those buyers were located – the children had been traded off and lost to the family.”
Several people shook their heads. Some murmured derogatory remarks about the kidnappers.
“It is an awful thing to imagine, isn’t it? Stealing a child and selling him. Just like Joseph’s brothers. They sold their brother into slavery, just as Mr. Perkins’s family members were sold. His own father only escaped the same treatment because he happened to have been in town with an older brother during the raid. Imagine his horror to return home and discover the truth.”
There were additional comments and agreements. The atmosphere seemed to change from one of reverence and a routine Sunday sermon to an interactive discussion on the injustices put upon the white man by the Indians and Mexicans.
“Mr. Perkins tells me that the neighbors and townsfolk did what they could to find the children, but they were never recovered. It was years later that one of the boys managed to get away and return to the family. He told the story of what had happened, but he had no idea where his sisters and brother had ended up. He only knew that they had been sold along with him and sent to various places. Can you imagine such injustice? Such a horrible thing. Children snatched from the bosom of their family and taken against their will to work in a place where they couldn’t even speak the language.”
“Should have killed ever’ last Injun and Mexican,” a gravelly voice declared from somewhere behind Deborah.
She considered the comment for a moment, knowing that most everyone there felt the same way. Pastor Shattuck seemed to nod in agreement. His action surprised her.
“Would seem a just punishment. Kill those who killed and stole away the family members of innocent bystanders. Who among us would say such a thing was unjust?”
“The Good Book says, ‘An eye for an eye,’ ” another man called out.
“It also says that stealing a man and selling him is punishable by death. Exodus 21:16 speaks to just such a thing, so it would only be fitting that those who stole the children and sold them should be put to death.”
There ran a wave of agreements from the congregation that increased in volume until the pastor finally held up his hands to continue.
“Joseph’s brothers, by all rights, should have been put to death, but Joseph was full of mercy. He
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