by Louise Klodt
“Hmm, that’s a good question,” I responded. Now he had me wondering. “What did He say?”
“He said that whether there is more life or not, it takes the entire universe to maintain our two planets and keep them in balance. He has created everything to work together. Then He reminded me that They (Father, Holy Spirit, and Himself) have existed forever and are not limited by any dimension of time. He looked right at me and said, “We have all eternity and can create new life any time we desire.”
“On earth we have a hard time understanding eternity,” I said. “Our lives have a beginning and an end, and that’s the way it is. Most people of our race are thinking about how to get more stuff and do more things before they die. We also have many challenges to overcome.”
At that I began to wonder what life would be like without big challenges. How do people on Kandalaura keep from getting bored?
It was Andron’s father who intercepted my thoughts. He looked straight into my eyes with the sincerity and purity I had seen in Andron. Deep love shone through his eyes and came all over me. I felt loved as if I were his very own son.
Tears gushed from my eyes. I was embarrassed for losing control. Back home I would never have done this, but here on Kandalaura, I had a difficult time holding it all together. And it could happen in a matter of seconds.
“It’s all right, Mikey,” he said. “You see, our planet is what your planet would have been if your first mother and father had not believed the serpent. We have no boredom, or laziness, or lack of purpose here. You’re wondering how we can have purpose if we have no mountains to climb.”
“I guess that about sums it up,” I said.
They smiled at my choice of words.
“It just seems like your people play and do whatever they want to all day. Yet you’re all so beautiful and pure, and you love God. I just don’t understand what makes you tick.”
Again they smiled at my choice of words. They seemed amused by them.
Andron’s father smiled. He put his hand on my hand, and said, “Mikey, we have the same purpose here on Kandalaura as you do on Earth. Do you know what it is?” he asked.
“Most people think it’s what we do to earn a living, but that’s not it, is it?” I said. I remembered my discussion with Andron about worshipping God at work and at school.
“No, Mikey, it isn’t,” he said. “What you do for a career is how you sustain life on your planet, but that’s not your purpose. You were created for something else, and I think you know what it is.”
“It’s Jesus, isn’t it?” I answered. “And I can worship Him no matter where I am or what I’m doing.”
“Exactly,” he replied. “We all worship and serve the same God. Getting to know Him is a quest for both our planets.”
“Just think,” said Nicholas. “Even in a trillion of your earth years, there would still be more to learn about Jesus.”
“I’ve heard it said that there are so many dimensions in His realm, and so many facets to His personality, that even His angels are still learning about Him,” said Andron.
“Wow!” I said again. “But I hope you don’t think I was judging you. I love it here on Kandalaura, and I respect your people for their purity and how they treat each other. And they treat me nice too, like I’m really someone special, but I don’t feel like I deserve it.”
“You still don’t get it, do you, Mikey?” said Andron. “You are like a hero to us and our people.”
“A hero?” I responded. I was shocked. “But I haven’t done anything.”
“That’s what you think,” said Andron. “Don’t you know that everyone on our planet has a greater understanding about the creature and his true motives because of you and your mom?”
“I had no idea,” I said.
“Not only that,” said his mom, “but the Bible you gave to Andron has been replicated, and Kandalaureans all over the planet are reading it and studying it. That book has given us knowledge of the conflict between God and Satan. We understand the importance of not being deceived by this wicked creature.”
“It could be that all of Kandalaura has been saved because of what you’ve done,” explained his dad.
“I had no idea,” I said again.
“You see, son,” said his dad, “you must understand what this creature is like. He is eloquent in speech and extremely beautiful to look at in every way, even with all the beauty we have here on Kandalaura. To put it in your language, he takes our breath away because he is so appealing to our eyes.”
“And we’re not accustomed to being deceived,” said his mom. “We are a naïve and innocent people who tend to believe whatever we hear because so far, we’ve never been lied to. We don’t lie to each other, and Jesus can’t lie.”
“Your Book teaches us about guarding against deception,” said Andron. “Now we know how to respond to the creature in order to maintain our way of life.”
“It’s no small thing,” said Nicholas. “Your Book has also given us insight into the power of even the name of Jesus. We understand the scars on His hands and feet, and how He died and then was raised from the dead. We didn’t know any of that before.”
“Now we reverence Him even more,” said his mom.
“Wow! I had no idea,” I said for a third time. “I think we take a lot for granted on my planet.”
“But you are doing just fine, Mikey,” said his dad.
That made me feel a little better about myself. Sometimes I feel like such a jerk.
“Say, how would you like to head over to the food booths again and dish up some dessert?” suggested Andron.
“That suits me just fine,” I responded. They all laughed because of my words. They’re not used to clichés or slang expressions.
Dessert was awesome. Afterward Nicholas filled his cup under the waterfall, so we all did the same. Then we put our cups together and made a toast.
“To life on Earth and Kandalaura,” we said together.
“I think you’ll find that our worship is not at all boring,” said Nicholas. “We’re very passionate about Jesus. You’ll see.”
“Well, if everyone’s had their fill of food, let’s head over to the worship. I think they’ve already started,” said Andron’s father.
I, for one, had more than my fill of food, and I enjoyed every single bite. Even though I felt awkward at times, I found the table conversation pretty interesting. Now that we were headed over to the stage area, I had high anticipation for the worship.
I was not disappointed.
Chapter 10
I HEAR THE LION ROAR
ANDRON, NICHOLAS, AND I sat close to the front near the stage.
“Everything in our celebrations is meant to praise God,” said Andron. “But I think you’ll find that our worship is more intense.”
“Live worship,” said Nicholas. “That’s what we call it.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” responded Nicholas. “Sometimes Jesus Himself shows up.”
“Really,” I exclaimed. “What does He do when He shows up?”
“We never know what He’s going to do,” said Andron. “One time He appeared in front of the stage, stretched out His hands, and turned in a complete circle. As He did, colors of the rainbow flashed from His hands and lit u
p the entire sky around us. It was like your northern lights, absolutely spectacular. One thing is for sure: our worship is never boring.”
Now some musicians were standing on the platform in front of us holding rain poles. That’s what I call them. On the downbeat and the third beat of every measure, they pounded their poles onto the platform. It sounded like an army marching. Suddenly three trumpeters stood, holding long, golden horns. They played in three part harmony what sounded like the opening to the Olympic Games.
“Somebody important must be coming,” I said to Andron.
“It’s a welcome for Jesus,” he said. “We always welcome Him with a fanfare to show our respect. He’s the most important person on our planet. Whether He shows up or not doesn’t matter. We always know that He hears us.”
“I never thought of respect like that,” I said.
More and more instruments were joining in now. Soon a full marching band was playing. Then I saw it—the beginning of a processional. Men, women, and children were lined up for as far as I could see carrying banners and flags. The first banner said, “KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.” Andron read it in English for me.
The second banner had the picture of a lion on it. “What do the words underneath the lion say?” I asked Andron.
“LION OF JUDAH,” said Andron, “Straight from your Bible.”
There was a child at each end holding the pole. Slowly they approached the front of the stage. The entire procession was very stately and reverent.
“Not even our president gets a welcome like this,” I said.
Then I heard a loud roar. The lion on the banner had come to life. He was moving his head and his roars filled the air. My eyes must have been popping out of my head. I was so startled I almost screamed but covered my mouth in time. I stepped back, startled and thrilled at the same time. Andron and Nicholas were smiling. I felt like they were saying, “We told you so.”
What followed next was a flag covered with flames signifying the fire and power of God. Its carrier danced down the aisle, waving it back and forth as huge flames shot out of it. Some fell to the ground, yet nothing caught on fire. It made me think of Moses and the burning bush.
Behind this came a huge banner carried by two Kandalaurean men. It was royal blue. Bolts of lightning shot out of it. Just like the flames, some hit the ground, yet nothing caught on fire. Others lit up the sky. Peals of thunder shook the ground. I thought we might be having an earthquake. It was a bit scary, yet awesome at the same time. I looked over at Nicholas.
“I told you it would be live,” he said.
“You did,” I replied. “But I never expected it to be this much alive.”
One banner looked like a bluish green waterfall, yet nothing was getting wet.
“It’s liquid worship,” said Andron.
The atmosphere was thick with what seemed like a river passing through us and around us filled with love, peace, and joy. Nobody got soaked.
“I don’t think we have anything on Earth that comes close to this,” I said.
“No,” said Andron. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if you see it in heaven.” He smiled his smile.
I continued watching the procession. Marchers put their banners and flags in special holders in front and to the sides of the stage. There may have been close to a hundred of them.
Everything pictured on the banners came to life. Eagles soared in and out, and flowers danced on banners leaving a sweet fragrance in the air. Trees waved their branches and clapped to the beat of the poles and drums. A polar bear stood up on its hind legs, uttered loud sounds, and waved its arms to the sky. Stars sparkled brightly like diamond jewels and sang. It seemed as if all nature worshipped God.
As the last flag was set to rest, the man in the percussion section began playing the huge drum. As it got louder and louder, the ground began to shake. I thought we were going to have an earthquake.
“Andron, what’s happening?” I asked.
“He’s coming,” he shouted.
Before I could ask who, the Kandalaureans began to fall facedown on the ground. Some were kneeling with their heads down. I began to kneel, and as I did, I saw Him. He was mounted on a very muscular white steed. Gracefully and majestically He rode down the center aisle. He was glorious!
“I’ve gotta tell Mom and Dad that I saw Jesus,” I whispered. “I can’t believe it. He’s wonderful.”
“Don’t talk. Just reverence Him,” said Nicholas.
I was awestruck, completely dumbfounded. Everyone else was worshipping Him, and there I was, the only one with my head up.
When He got to the front, I thought He might turn around and face us. Instead He simply rode into the sky over the stage and disappeared in a cloud.
“Whoa! That was amazing,” I whispered.
Now the drum had quieted down to nothing. No one spoke. Some Kandalaureans sat down again.
A handsome young man with dark hair and blue eyes made his way to one side of the stage. His face was radiant, as if covered with bronze or gold. In his hands was a stringed instrument like a lyre. He began to play quietly and sing.
Slowly dancers made their way to the stage. They wore simple white garments, some designed with jewels. Many had gold or silver bands around their waists or around their heads. Some of the women wore wreaths of flowers in their hair. Their movements were similar to our ballet.
A beautiful lady with long white hair came to the center front. Though her hair was white, she didn’t have a single wrinkle. Her blue eyes sparkled like Andron’s. The other dancers moved aside for her. With her toes she pushed herself up into the air and stood suspended about five feet up. Two young men came and stood on either side of her, pushing themselves about a foot in the air. All three raised their hands separately to the sky and clasped them together over their heads. As flutes, whistles, violins, and harps began to play, the three dancers began spinning midair. They spun so fast, you couldn’t see their faces, like ice skaters sometimes do at the end of their performance.
As they were spinning, supernatural things began to happen. The sky lit up like gold around them. The other dancers held their hands clasped above their heads also, becoming like statues with their eyes fixed on the three. An emerald hue appeared above the gold in the sky. Then all colors of the rainbow were visible. Blue flames shot out of either side. Something that looked like glitter began falling from the sky.
Three women got up and sang in soft, airy tones. Voices from a faraway place joined them. I think they were actually singing with the angels:
“We love you, King of kings and Lord of lords. We worship You and you alone. We adore You and Your Son, Jesus. To You belongs all power and glory forever.”
The singers sang louder, repeating the same words, till they were in full voice. Then they were soft and airy again. All was quiet. No one made a sound. All Kandalaureans had closed their eyes. Some were kneeling with their arms stretched to the sky. Others were flat on the ground with arms stretched out front in worship.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in such silence. I knew that the atmosphere was filled with the glory of God. I could barely move my arms and legs. Even my breathing seemed like an interruption. I didn’t want this part to end. I wanted to breathe in that glory forever.
Eventually the three dancers ceased their spinning and the woman descended
to the same height off the ground as the men. They took each others’ hands and raised their clasped hands to the sky. Slowly they began to turn in a circle, their feet still suspended midair about a foot above the ground. A soft wind gently carried them to the left of the stage. The other dancers all turned toward them. Then they were also lifted and gently carried away by a soft breeze.
A clap of thunder broke the silence. Soft rain fell from the heavens, sprinkling the ground. No one got wet. Still none of the Kandalaureans moved.
Finally the man with the lyre began to play a hymn that everyone seemed to know. My knees were so weak from the glory of God in the atmosphere that I would have fallen if Andron and Nicholas hadn’t caught me.
As people sang, they began leaving their chairs and formed a huge circle, holding hands. When the hymn was finished they praised God, telling Him how much they loved Him. They ended with another song as they danced in a circle. After hugging and embracing, they scattered and departed for their homes.
“Whew!” I said, trying to catch my breath. “That was really something.”
“Did it meet your expectations?” asked Nicholas.
“I could never have dreamed up something like that in a million years,” I exclaimed. As I started to walk, my legs wobbled and I fell. They had to catch me again. I laughed because I felt almost intoxicated from the worship. They laughed too.
“Earthlings might not be able to handle our worship,” said Nicholas.
“That was way more intense than anything I know of,” I gasped. “I just wish Mom and Dad could have been here.”
Andron gave me some fruit for energy, and we walked together to their house. We didn’t sleep in the house that night, but in the tree house Andron and Nicholas had designed. I loved it, and I wished I had one like it back home.