by Tim White
Homer said, “Son, go ahead and shoot me. I am an evil man and deserve to die.”
I stroked his head as I hugged him. “You are not an unredeemable person. Your life is more than just the sum of your past actions. God loves you and you can change your life just the way I was changed. That is why Jesus died on the cross. If all we have is vengeance than there is no hope for the world. We need a savior who can take the worst in us and love us as we discover the best for us.”
Homer replied from the pain of his soul, “That is just a myth that has given people false hope.”
I said, “Maybe, and maybe it is a truth so great that it can only be approached by exploring what seems like a myth that seems too good to be true. It is people on the sidelines who know all the answers and make perfect judgments of everyone else. Those on the battlefield of life who have been broken by unimaginable injustice know they have a limited understanding. Maybe our modernistic enlightened society hides behind what we believe are absolute paradigms and we are afraid to admit that we still have a lot to learn—especially when it comes to forgiveness and change. Surprisingly, it is our narratives, even our myths determine what we learn or are open to learn. What we believe makes us better or worse. I have chosen to follow the radical Jesus Christ as revealed in what I believe are inspired scriptures. What you choose to believe will determine the meaning of your life.”
Homer said, “You have always been very intelligent, big sister, and you sound like a doctor. But this Biblical Christianity is not for me.”
“Why?” I asked. “This could be a turning point for you.”
Homer cried, “Because I am gay, sister. I have read the book of Romans and the warnings in the books of the law in the Old Testament, and there is no room in heaven for homosexuals.”
I hugged my brother tighter. “I tell you that God does love you. I love you. The Bible said, for God so loved the world. We are all part of the world. It says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. None of us is perfect; all of us need forgiveness. When Paul spoke about it in Romans, he was speaking to people who were accusing homosexuals, and he was telling them that gossip is just as bad. I think that God intended marriage for a man and a woman and he intended us not to divorce or to kill other people, or to falsely judge people. But all of those are part of this imperfect world that can only be healed by the mighty love of God shown through people. God loves us right where we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way. We can spend the rest of our lives not judging others and trying ourselves to follow God’s will as it is shown to us.”
Homer said, “You mean I can become a Christ follower even though I am gay?”
“Yes,” I said emphatically. Homer replied sobbing with guilt and hopelessness.
“But Christianity doesn’t agree with you about this issue.”
“That is the point that everyone misses,” I replied with a hug. “You are not an issue; you are my little brother.”
I was allowed to take Homer home to Wallowa. First he went through rehab to get off his addiction to drugs and alcohol. I visited him when they let me. And our family accepted him.
Grandpa Caleb and Grandma Elizabeth both gave him a hug. “Welcome to our family.”
When we returned home to the Sundown lodge, which was surrounded by the individual Sundown family cabins, we had a great celebration. Ulee’s wealthy brother Stick booked up the Wallowa Lake Lodge and showed great hospitality for all of our guests. Telemachus brought his new Arabic love interest, who it turned out was a shiite Muslim of Iranian descent. I knew in my heart she would someday be my daughter-in-law. Nhung stayed right by my side—I was so proud of the courage she had shown through the whole experience.
Our family and guests enjoyed long hikes to secret fishing spots; they played in beautiful Lake Wallowa, and we always rode our noble Appaloosas throughout the meadows and canyons of the mountains. There was a new generation of Sundown warriors: young men and women with more optimism and pride in the old ways than ever.
At night Grandpa Caleb Joseph Sundown told stories around the campfire, a position once reserved for his dad, Ephraim, who was in heaven with his wife. Grandma Elizabeth Sundown gave Nez Perce blankets to Homer and all of our guests. It was a great moment. As the story was told of our last adventure, I was proud. I had moved from being a victim in my early life to become a hero.
I sat down smelling the ponderosa pine smoke, seeing the smiling faces of my grandchildren, the wisdom of Ulee’s parents both smiling, and the love of my life Ulysses Looking Glass Sundown. He was more handsome now as a 60-year-old man than ever in his life. His scar on his face showed his love for me and his rugged good looks. His hair was long and gray. My children and grandchildren listened with eager smiles. Grandpa Caleb started the drumbeat. Grandma Elizabeth harmonized with the flute. “And, I began, it was a day like any other day. Seven young brothers were running ten miles into the high Wallowa Mountains with their faithful dog Argos.”
Epilogue
IT WAS A cinnamon grizzly bear being reintroduced to these Wallowa Mountains. The arctic wolf was also reintroduced much to the objection of ranchers. Telemachus stood face to face with the opponent. He drew his axe and bowie knife and stuck them in the log in front of him. There were many fallen logs in between the two making the twenty-five yards a much longer distance. Telemachus sighed as he pulled out his compound bow with carbon arrow and deadly sharp metallic arrowhead more deadly than a bullet. Telemachus felt guilt at the display of this modern weapon in this ancient place against the heir of his tribal nemesis. The bear could sense the danger in this brave. But there was an instinctive score to settle between these two alpha predators.
Telemachus felt fear, opportunity to prove his brave heritage, and the adrenalin of a coming battle that he had been prepared for by many generations. The strangest thing happened. The bear discovered a treasure covering the ground surrounding them. The forest fire that had swept through this swamp a couple years earlier had prepared the ground cover to become a solid mile of rich sweet huckleberries. This treat of the mountains usually came in small plants spread around taking almost as much energy to gather as to eat. But now it was the first and last time either of them had found such a gold mine of huckleberries. Then the massive grizzly sat down in front of his enemy—his prey. The warrior looked down to see what the bear was doing. Excitement and wonder filled the brave as he had never heard of so many huckleberries massed together. It was a perfect resolution to the conflict between man and beast; there was a bond between the two enemies and a truce before the fight. Telemachus sat to eat his fill of berries. If I die here now, the warrior thought, I might as well enjoy this piece of heaven. Maybe the bear was thinking the same thing.
The man made sounds of pleasure as he ate his fill. The bear seemed to moan his delight. They looked up at each other as if they shared their excitement. The rare pleasure was bonding. They felt their kindred spirits. These two rare wild beings were always on the edge of extinction. They lost their hunger for battle as they filled their stomachs. Telemachus looked up to see the bear quiet and resting. They sat and looked at each other closely admiring the fight in each other. Sensing their common bravery, the bear stood up as if to say, “I have killed your ancestors.” Telemachus stood up with his axe and said, “You know that you will die fighting this warrior.” The bear growled as if to say “We would both die.” Then Telemachus smiled and spoke out loud in strong calm voice, “My friend, those huckleberries were good.”
The bear’s furry face was covered with the stain of huckleberries. He wandered away looking back over his shoulder, two endangered enemies who had evolved upon the miracle of mutual respect. Our family prays that heroes will emerge to bring an end to human trafficking, to foster treating indigenous people with respect, and most of all to embrace the freedom that comes with the idea of the United States of America. May future generations look around at the mountains and the people and believe in what might be for our world.