Page 51 of Gideon

Chapter 13

Nikki tooka deep breath as she walked into the back of the church, where the crowd was waiting.

She made her way up the center aisle like a bride meeting her groom. She was certainly anxious enough for it to be a wedding, but there may not be any celebrating when she reached the front.

Small snippets of conversation reached her ears. People were afraid, but of what, she wasn’t quite sure.

When she reached the stage, she turned. “Hey, guys.”

A few people closest to her turned, but most continued with their conversations, so she climbed onto the platform. “Can I have your attention, please?” She waved her arms. A few more looked, but most didn’t until Ty, who was sitting in the front row with his wife Mary, whistled, and the room fell silent.

“Thanks, Ty. And thank you—” She was about to thank them all for coming, but she hadn’t invited anyone. “Thank you for listening. Uh, you’re allwelcome to stay as long as you need. I’ll do what I can.” What if they didn’t want to hear from her? What if they were looking for someone else to step up? She watched the door for a second, willing Gideon to walk through it, but he didn’t. “I thought it would be worth asking if anyone had any questions.” Several people spoke at once, and she put her hand up to quiet them. “Why don’t we raise hands so we can keep things civil.”

Several people raised their hands. Nikki pointed at a man near the middle of the group. She recognized him from attending church when she was a kid, but she didn’t know him. She couldn’t even remember seeing him around town.

“Do you know why Gideon cut down the totem poles?” he said.

“Sorry, what was your name?” she said.

“Paul.”

“Paul. I expect that’s a question a lot of you have. The answer is pretty simple. He did it because he needed to.”

A middle-aged woman up the back raised her hand but spoke before she was called on. “People are mad. Furious. A group went after Gideon in town.”

“I know. They’ve settled down.”

“Did he stop to think about the consequences?” someone yelled out, and others joined in. Ty whistled again.

Gideon wouldn’t want her to admit that she was part of the vandalism, but she could still stand up for what she knew was right. “If you liked the totem poles and what they stood for, you should leave. Every time I sawthose things, I felt sick. This town used to love Jesus, but it was so easily and quickly led astray. I’m ashamed for us. The Bible is clear about what God thinks about idols, and that’s exactly what those totem poles were. They needed to be torn down. And this, being a place of worship is no place for anyone who would see them rebuilt.” Silence followed, and no one left.

Ty stood and walked up to her. “Do you mind if I say something.”

“Not at all.”

He turned to them. “I want to reiterate what Nikki has said. I, for one, am glad to see those things gone. If you think it was wrong, this is your chance to leave.”

Still no one left.

An older man wearing a baseball cap stood, and a weight dropped into Nikki’s stomach. He was one of the main people who had been outspoken against her dad.

He cleared his throat. “I would like to throw my support behind it as well. From the few I’ve spoken to here, it sounds to me like we’ve all come to realize what’s been happening.” He removed his hat and twisted it. “We made a mistake.Imade a mistake. When I think back on how I behaved these last years.” His voice wavered, and he looked down at his hands before speaking again. “I—I’m sorry, Nikki. I’m truly sorry.” Tears wet his eyes. “I see it now. How I treated your dad. I was deceived, but that’s no excuse. I think that’s the reason I was so easily led astray. But God showed me the error of my ways by letting me fall away from him.” He looked around the room. “When I first heard about thetotems this morning, all I felt was shame, and I’m asking you to forgive me.”

Several more around the room stood, voicing their agreement in asking for forgiveness.

Nikki found it hard to breathe. The pain she’d pressed down for years pushed up for release, but there wasn’t time.

The room fell silent again. All eyes were on her. “I forgive you. Of course I do.” Although a wariness crept in, and it might take her some time to get to a point where she could let go, she knew she’d have to eventually. “I know my dad never held it against you, even though I always thought he should have. He cared for you all deeply, and this is an answer to a prayer he never stopped praying.” She quickly brushed away a tear. “But ultimately, it’s Jesus who forgives you. That’s why you’re all here now. He’s been calling you back since the day you turned from Him. And I believe He wants to restore this town. We can be a part of that if we can remain in unity.” She noticed a woman named Deb, who was part of her Bible study, put her hand up.

“Deb?”

“Do you really think we can undo what’s been done? What if it’s too late?”

“God would never give up on anyone. Especially not when they cry out to him. We can’t overcome in our own strength, but with God, we can do anything. And I really do believe that God wants this. Fairfax has taken over this town, but with God’s help, we can take it back.”

“How?” a woman in the third row said. “He owns everything. Even my house.”

“I know. But we can…I don’t know. What we need to do for now is seek God. Coming together like this is good. The Bible says that when we come together in unity, there is blessing. So, I’d say this is a great place to start. Exactly what we’re doing now.”

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