Another misty morning and Holy Ghost Fire was packed. The foyer buzzed with friendly chatter as Sophia walked in, but she was too heavy-hearted to notice. As she had inwardly predicted it would, the hammer had fallen. A meeting had been scheduled for her exact time slot, in which she would be called to account for her "misinformation".
It had not been said in so many words, but she would never be allowed inside that studio again and that was the least of her worries. Tempers ran high around topics like these and hyperbole was encouraged when it came from that direction. Victim Statements, as they were called, had always been a harrowing thing to witness, generally ending with the defendants reduced to tearful incoherence and rendered afraid of their own shadow for months. Some had even disappeared entirely after being thus verbally stoned. Where they went or what befell them, nobody knew or cared. Fascists, after all, did not deserve sympathy. Did just such ignominy await her?
Almost as if in answer to her fear, tender chords brought her back to the present as her father opened the set and when her mother started singing, she almost jumped.
Lost in a windswept land / In a world of shifting sand / A fragile flower stands apart / There in that barren ground / You feel like the only one / Trying to serve Him with all your heart
And you wonder, wonder / Can you last much longer? / This cloud you are under / Will it cover you?
Desert rose (desert rose) / Don't you worry / Don't be lonely / Heaven knows (heaven knows) / In a dry and weary land, a flower grows / His desert rose / His desert rose
She scanned the stage, looking for clues. Did Mom and Dad know, or was this coincidence?
Sometimes holiness can seem like emptiness / When you feel the whole world's laughing eyes / If it's a lonely day, know you're on the Father's wave / He will hear you when you cry
And He will hold you, hold you / Your Father will hold you / He will love you, love you / For the things you do...
It was hard to tell. It was deeply touching either way, though. Then she remembered. Of course not. They had practiced this ahead of time. But God knew. He had prepared this, knowing it would be needed. She let herself relax, take it in.
Don't be lonely, don't be lonely / (Desert rose) / Ooh, don't you worry / (Desert rose) / Don't you know He'll be with you? / (Heaven knows, heaven knows) / He will hold your fragile heart / O desert rose
As the next song began, a less urgent, more mellow form of reassurance established itself. Soft piano, soft notes.
Fear not, fear not / Lord God is with you / Fear not, fear not / Jesus is with you
Though we live in a world of evil / We're commanded to not be afraid / He will fight your battles / By the power of His name / His eyes are always on us / And His ears hear all of our prayers / He will never leave you / When you need Him, He'll be there...
Eyes closed, she smiled. This one was a family classic. Grandpa Tyrell sang it often, and had Lazarus sung it too? It seemed like he had. It was almost like she could hear him singing it now. Wait a minute... She looked around. Was she hearing his voice? Nah. In her imagination, maybe. She shook her head to clear it. The sound didn't quite go away, but she let it fade back into the larger sound of the congregation.
Glory to God in the highest / Who is like You? / Who is like You / In all of the earth? ... The Lord is the strength of my life
We are told to go forth and conquer / Fearing no one or anything / Even darkness can't defeat us / For we're children of the King
Fear not, fear not...
As the piano faded out, there was a sweet moment of peace. A few seconds later, the tone shifted, as Damon's keyboard set a mood of prayer under siege and Esperanza spoke.
Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Was it just Sophia's imagination, or did someone else in the congregation know this prayer by heart? She could have sworn someone was following the cadence exactly, and with palpable conviction. Where was this second voice coming from?
For Your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In Your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In Your unfailing love, silence my enemies. Destroy all my foes, for I am Your servant.
Scanning the congregation as best she could without being conspicuous, she saw a raised white hand in the middle row ahead and to her right. It seemed to be coming from there.
Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my Fortress, my Stronghold and my Deliverer--my Shield, in whom I take refuge.
Then the singing began.
Our God is a mighty fortress / A mighty fortress is our God...
As the drums kicked in and the vocals gave way to electric guitar, the hand moved with the music like a flag flying over a fort and a low hum could be heard beneath it in accompaniment. The drums that periodically broke in reminded her of missiles. The excitement was contagious, helping her almost completely forget her anxiety. A brief hush fell as the music shifted to organ. A lone voice could be faintly discerned from the rest of the congregation as the next verse began, soft enough not to compete with Esperanza but firm enough to convey that the words were being sung with strangely personal relish.
And though this world with devils filled / Should threaten to undo us / We will not fear for God hath willed / His truth to triumph through us
The Prince of Darkness grim / We tremble not 'fore him / His rage we can endure / For lo, his doom is sure / One little word shall fell him
As the chorus repeated and the music wound up to a rousing climax, the hand went back down. It was hard to see from her vantage point, but she caught a flicker here and there of fingers happily drumming along the back of the seat in front of them to the notes. Whoever this mystery man was, he clearly knew this song intimately.
A few beats of the drum and an exuberant "Whoo!" announced the next song, followed by a subtle but long glissando and heavy keyboard.
Walkin' in the Valley, the Shadow of Death / Overcoming evil with good / Hangin' all the time on a fine line / But I'm doin' all the things that I should / I've gotta fight on if I'm gonna make it / Try to keep the victory in sight / The Devil's out to get me, I'm shakin' in my shoes / When I'm losin' the spiritual fight
I cry, Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling / Tell me what You want me to do
I send up a flare in the form of a prayer / "Jesus, won't You hurry?" / He appears in the fog with the angels of God / And tells me not to worry
Picking up on that voice again, she looked in its direction.
"It was seen as a loss when I died on the cross / Just another execution / But I'm back from the dead / Captivity is being led / Let there be no mortal confusion."
He cries, Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling through...
A brief glimpse of his profile revealed blond hair and a smile. Somehow, she felt like she should know it. And what was he smiling about? Was it really just the music, or was he enjoying some private joke? Then Damon hit an especially strong chord and she felt a strong urge to pay closer attention.
The powers of Hell will not prevail / The Light of the world will cause its falling / There's nothing to fear; Death has no sting / The armies of God will make freedom ring
Whoa... That smile of his was deepening, and it was combining with the words to give her goosebumps. What did he know that she didn't?
(Darkness is falling) / The powers of Hell will not prevail / (Darkness is falling) / The Light of the world will cause its falling / (Darkness is falling) / There's nothing to fear; Death has no sting / (Darkness is falling) / The armies of God will make freedom ring
Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling through
Tell me what You want me to do / (Gotta fight on if you're gonna make it) / I said, darkness is falling / (Tell me what You want me to do) / Darkness is falling / Darkness is falling / (Gotta fight on if you're gonna make it) / Darkness is falling / (Tell me what You want me to do)
I cry, darkness is falling through / Darkness is falling through / (Gotta fight on if you're gonna make it) / Darkness is falling / T-t-tell me what You want me to do...
As the excitement built within her and the song faded out, she was back in fighting shape. As in the song, she needed only instructions. Tell me what You want me to do. A quiet voice answered behind her ears. I will. For now, just keep listening.
Pastor Moses took the stage. As he laid his Bible on the pulpit, he cracked a humble smile. "Naturally, I am only a man, but if you'd like to know what I want you to do, I would tell you to turn to Revelation 3:7."
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
He went on to give an encouraging sermon about the church of Philadelphia and what it meant to be among its number. "As you may already know," he noted, "the literal meaning of 'Philadelphia' is 'brotherly love', and that is one of the two things upon which Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang. You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Do these two things and you will never go far wrong. And as it says in Isaiah, 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me.'"
A rousing "amen" closed the sermon and where there had been fear, there was now only excitement. Sophia scanned the congregation for the face she had espied earlier, but somehow he had seemed to vanish. Inside her head, she sensed a chuckle.
He'll be back. Your questions will be answered then. As you know, your trial is just around the corner. They are going to livestream it in order to make an example of you, but that is exactly what we want. Worry not what you will say, for I will speak through you. They want a show, and we will give them one.