Twenty-Five Years of Hell
It was Succoth, 1979, being observed at Lewis & Clark Campground, in the State of Missouri, and on the banks of the Missouri River. Only a few years later that ground was purchased by a split-off congregation from the “Assemblies of Yahweh”, but that is another story. Anyway, It appeared from the best of my surmising, that several of the Elders of the group were eating lunch at the camp of one of their peers. Whether it was Elder Jacob O. Meyer eating at the camp of Elder Sylvester Jordon, or vice-versa, I do not know. For sure, Elder Meyer was there, and I’m pretty sure Jordan, Perhaps Elder Wilson too? And Elder Donald R Mansager? And somehow, I know not how, Yours Truly ended up at the table too.
As the proverb admonisheth, I had not taken too much food. As my plate went on empty, and, as the new young man in the presence of the established Elders, I did not feel comfortable doing more than cast a few furtive glances at a couple of the serving dishes. Elder Meyer picked up on it immediately, and in the typical PA Dutch hospitable way, insisted I eat more, and passed a dish. Whatever else he said or did in doing so, appears to have earned him a mild admonition from one of his fellow Elders. His response though, I remember as clear as if it was yesterday. He said, “As it is written, the Elder shall serve the Younger”. I’m sure it was intended as a lesson to his Peers; a lesson in service to an inferior, and in humility.
At that moment, I think I would have cheerfully followed the man through Hell. I still think of it as his most honorable quote, and it has taken the edge off the many injustices that have occurred to others in the group, and yes, perhaps even in a small way to myself. And so, at the culmination of 25+ years with the group, as the time came for them to expel me, for reasons that they know best (and they were not overly generous in sharing the information with me) I soon had time to reflect on my sojourn with the group, the “AOY”, in the past tense. And one of my conclusions, was that yes, indeed, I HAD followed Elder Meyer through Hell for 25 years!
And the Moral of the Story? Learn of Yahweh and of His good ways in the time of your youth. Turn away from the vanity of lasciviousness, and the wretchedness of unfaithfulness, stay far away from thefts, lies, and fornications. You may think you’re fooling someone when you are not immediately brought to task for your youthful errors; but be it known: Your Sins will Find You Out! And so the time was for my chastisement. How could I be bitter against the instrument of Yahweh’s chastisement? And to sum up the Beth-Hell sojourn, as it is often affectionately known to ex-members, as the proverb saith, “The End is Better than the Beginning”. Savor the freedom. Rejoice in persecutions and afflictions. Live well, it is the best revenge. YHWH bless!
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