Community

Posted On April 16, 2024

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 ESV

“God’s very existence in Trinity is personal, communal, and loving.
God exists as a loving relationship engaging the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

J. Ellsworth Kalas

One of the biggest mysteries in Christian doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity: God is one, but He exists in three Persons. We may never fully understand how this works, but by revealing Himself to us this way, and by creating us in His image, God has made it clear that we have been designed to live in community.

Our plan for 2024 is a new format that blends an ongoing fiction story with a devotional each week. Our current story is a science fiction tale I’ve named Awakening. It’s a story about faith, with a focus on the core beliefs of Christianity. This week, our adventure continues with Chapter 9. The doctrinal focus is the Holy Trinity. (Click here for Quick Links to previous chapters.) As a reminder, I am using colored boxes to set the story apart from the rest of the post. So, any text that has a colored background is part of the fictional story. And any text that does not, is not. The video below gives a short recap of the story so far. I hope you enjoy Awakening!

Awakening
Chapter 9: Community

“So go and make followers of all people in the world.
Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
~Matthew 28:19 NCV

God’s nature is to be self-revealing, and He has revealed Himself to be one God existing in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each equal yet distinct Person exists in loving relationship with the others, and each is fully God.

The fullness of this mystery is beyond our human understanding, but maybe trying to fully comprehend it isn’t the point. Twentieth-century Earth theologian Christopher Mwoleka offers us a useful, as well as challenging, perspective on the Trinity:

“I think we have problems in understanding the Holy Trinity because we approach the mystery from the wrong side. The intellectual side is not the best side to start with…. The right approach to the mystery is to imitate the Trinity…. God does not reveal Himself to us for the sake of speculation. He is not giving us a riddle to solve. He is offering us life. He is telling us: ‘This is what it means to live, now begin to live as I do.’ What is the one and only reason why God revealed this mystery to us if it is not to stress that life is not life at all unless it is shared? If we would once begin to share life in all its aspects, we would soon understand what the Trinity is all about and rejoice.”

Perhaps the best way to understand the Trinity is to imitate the Trinity. God has shown us that to live at all is to live in community. We cannot do this alone. Thankfully, we don’t have to. To go and make followers of all people means to bring them into this loving community of life with God and with each other. And then we can experience the life He has always meant for us to live.
– – – – – – – – – –
Excerpt from FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH
25th anniversary ed., Helios Publishers, 240 AN (2476 AD)

Faith had the dreams again. Dreams about the destruction of Hargraves Tower. Dreams about the formation of the wormhole. Dreams about her husband’s gray eyes. All the same as before. But this time she had new dreams, too:

She saw a little girl with long, dark hair laughing as she chased a Golden Retriever through a lush courtyard. She saw the same dog, the fur on its face now white with age, lying still on its bed. And she saw the same girl, now older, crying as she said goodbye to her beloved pet. Next, she saw the girl as a young woman holding the hand of an older woman who lay dying in a hospital bed. She felt the young woman’s anguish and helplessness as she watched the older woman wasting away. Then she saw more scenes from the woman’s life — sitting on a balcony looking up at the stars, attending the funeral of a friend, tending to a sick child, and on and on. In each case, Faith felt things from the woman’s perspective as the woman wrestled with hidden questions, doubts, and fears …

Faith startled awake feeling overwhelmed and confused by the scenes still flooding her mind. And for a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was. She blinked a few times and took in her surroundings: the soft earth, the cool air, the dark trees. Then it came back to her. She was in the forest by the lake — the lake where Michael had purposely crashed their ship to keep her presence on Nova from being discovered. She rolled over and saw Michael tending the campfire. “What time is it?” she asked groggily.

“It’s about three hours until dawn,” Michael answered. Faith pushed herself up off the ground and started to walk over to him. “We’ll need to go soon,” Michael continued, “but I thought Peter could use some rest first.” He glanced at Peter, who was snoring peacefully a few meters away.

Faith looked over and smiled as she was once again reminded of her father. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Let’s let him sleep a while.”

Faith sat down next to Michael and watched the fire. She had so many questions on her mind, and she still didn’t know exactly what the plan was once they left here, but she was content for now to just sit in silence and stare at the flames. Michael, seeming to sense her mood, did the same. They sat side by side, listening to the sounds of the forest punctuated occasionally by the sound of crackling wood, and let the warmth of the fire wash over them.

After several long moments, the spell was broken when Peter suddenly awoke and realized how late it was. “Why did you let me sleep so long?” he chided Michael as he got up and quickly packed his things.

“You needed it, buddy,” Michael answered as he doused the fire. “You’re no use to us exhausted.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter mumbled as he walked over and stomped on the ashes.

Michael turned to Faith. “He’s always grouchy when he doesn’t get enough sleep,” he teased.

Peter grabbed a half-empty backpack and tossed it at Michael. “Just finish packing up, O wise one!”

“Right away, sleeping beauty!” Michael retorted as he caught the pack and gave Peter a snappy salute.

Peter rolled his eyes, and Faith couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t blame it all on Michael,” she said as she finished packing up her own things. “I agreed to let you sleep, too.”

Peter looked at her and smiled. “Well, in that case,” he replied sweetly, “all is forgiven.”

“Thank you, good sir!” Michael answered theatrically.

Peter turned back to Michael. “But don’t push it!” he said with mock seriousness.

Michael gave him one more silly salute and then headed off toward Peter’s ship to start loading up.

Peter shook his head and sighed. “I think he’s had too much coffee,” he said as they watched him go. Faith smiled. She would always be grateful that these two were in her life. Peter looked back and surveyed the campsite once more. “I think that’s everything,” he said as he picked up his own pack. He turned and studied her for a moment with that fatherly expression of his. “You ready to go, kiddo?”

Faith shouldered her pack. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” She still wasn’t sure what the plan was, but she knew she wouldn’t be facing it alone.

Peter smiled at her and then started walking back toward his ship. He spoke, and though it was Peter’s voice, it suddenly felt like the Lord was speaking through him directly to her: “Follow me,” he said.

Always, she thought as she fell in step behind him.

The trip to Helios took about an hour. They arrived while it was still dark, and Peter landed his ship near a small cluster of trees on the outskirts of town. He unloaded Faith’s pack from the cargo compartment and slung it over his shoulder. “We walk from here,” he explained.

Faith couldn’t make out much in the pre-dawn darkness. They emerged from the trees and made their way along rocky trail which sloped gently downward. The wind grew still and Faith realized they were surrounded on either side by walls of rock, as though they were walking between two giant boulders or rocky hills. There was barely enough light to see, and she was grateful that Peter was leading the way. Michael followed close behind her, presumably to make sure she didn’t get lost, and she was grateful for that as well.

After a few minutes, she began to see a faint glow of light up ahead. “It’s not much further,” Peter encouraged. They continued toward the light, and she could hear the sound of running water in the distance. Soon, they emerged from their path through the cliffs onto the bank of a narrow river, and Faith could suddenly see again. Peter stopped and pointed toward the lights of the city on their left. “Helios,” he said.

Faith needed a minute to take it all in. She had seen a few early pictures of the colony, but the cityscape before her took her breath away. The river was fed by a series of small waterfalls, providing the perfect backdrop. There were well-lit multilevel towers built among the cliffs on either side of the river, with sleek bridges connecting them. And the landscape surrounding the city was lush with vegetation. She could even see rooftop and terrace gardens scattered among the buildings. The entire scene was the perfect balance of nature and modern architecture. And it was overwhelmingly beautiful.

“We better keep moving,” Peter said as he started toward the city. Dr. Suresh is waiting for us.

Thanks to the night sky and the many trees surrounding the city, they were able to approach the clinic with little risk of being seen by anyone. The clinic where they had arranged to meet Dr. Suresh was located in one of the towers near the edge of town. Avoiding the main entrance to the tower, they headed around to a side door.

Peter quickly entered a code on the keypad for the electronic lock and then pushed the door open. They walked quietly down a dimly lit hallway to a bank of elevators and took a lift to the tenth floor. When the elevator door opened, they stepped out into another dimly lit hallway and followed Peter to an unmarked gray door near the end of the hall. He knocked softly, and the door opened. They stepped quickly through into a darkened room and shut the door behind them.

“This way,” a female voice said. They followed the woman across the room to a door on the opposite side. She opened the door and led them through. They emerged in what appeared to be a medical exam room. The lighting was minimal, but quite bright compared to the room they had just come from, and it took a second for Faith’s eyes to adjust. When they did, she finally got a good look at the woman, and her mouth dropped open. It was the woman from her dreams.

“Hello, Faith. I’m Dr. Priya Suresh.” She extended her hand and Faith shook it automatically, still staring at the woman. “Has Peter explained why you’re here?”

Faith didn’t process the words right away. “What?” she finally said, realizing that she had been asked a question.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Dr. Suresh repeated.

“Uh, no, not really,” Faith answered distractedly. What does this mean? Why did I dream about this woman? She still found herself staring.

Dr. Suresh glanced at Peter and Michael and then back at Faith. “Are you all right?” she asked.

Faith forced herself to snap out of it. “Yes, sorry. I’m fine. It’s just been a long night.”

Dr. Suresh didn’t seem convinced, but she let it go and got back to the task at hand. She addressed Peter and Michael: “I’ll give you all a minute while I go get everything ready.” She glanced at Faith briefly and then left the room.

Now Faith was really confused. “What’s going on?”

Peter and Michael looked at each other and then motioned for Faith to sit down. She did, and Michael began to explain. “You remember what I told you before about our arrival here on Nova?”

“Yes,” Faith answered hesitantly. “That we had to make an emergency landing because of a computer glitch.”

Michael nodded and continued, “And because of the malfunction, we had no reliable navigation and no communication. We landed miles from the nearest colony. I couldn’t get anyone on the radio, and I couldn’t get you to wake up. We were in real trouble. I didn’t know what we were going to do. But then, out of nowhere, this guy shows up,” he said, indicating Peter.

Peter interjected. “As I said before, God led me to you.”

“Right,” Michael said. “It still blows my mind, though.” Then to Peter, “Why don’t you take it from here.”

Peter nodded. “Exactly how God led me to you is a story for another time. But when I found you both, you were already considered terrorists. Devon Hargraves did his best to convince everyone on Nova that you — especially you, Faith, since your predictions were on record — were responsible for the attack on the ICMC hangar as well as the collapse of the wormhole, though no one could come up with any plausible theories about how you could have done the latter.”

Faith nodded. She knew most of this already.

Peter continued, “I explained all of this to Michael and then helped him hide your ship. I also told him that you would both need new names. With all the confusion just after the wormhole collapse, and because there was no longer a way to communicate with Earth to verify anything, it was a simple matter to manufacture identities for both of you. He became Michael Gabriel, colony transport pilot, and you became Faith Amara, medical assistant.”

It occurred to Faith that she still didn’t know Michael’s real name. She thought about asking him, but it probably wasn’t the best time. And she doubted he would tell her anyway. He and Peter had made it very clear that it was best for her to let her memories return on their own.

Just then, Dr. Suresh came back into the room. “I’m ready whenever you are,” she said.

“Ready for what?” Faith still didn’t know what they were doing here.

Dr. Suresh glanced at Peter. “Officially, Faith Amara has been in cryosleep in Dr. Suresh’s clinic since arriving on Nova seven years ago,” Peter explained. “Dr. Suresh has been covering for us the whole time we had you hidden away.”

Faith was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of awe and gratitude. First Michael, then Peter, and now Dr. Suresh. God had brought all of these people together to keep her safe. It was amazing. And humbling. “Thank you,” she said.

Dr. Suresh nodded. “You’re most welcome,” she said kindly. Then to Peter and Michael, “But we really need to get on with this. The clinic will be open soon.”

“I’m sorry,” Faith said. “I still don’t understand.”

Michael took over the explanation. “Officially, Faith Amara has been in cryosleep in this clinic for the past seven years. So, that’s where we need to put you now. Because tomorrow, it’s time for her to officially wake up.”

Initially shocked by what Michael had said, Faith was relieved to find out that she would only be put in simulated cryosleep. The plan was to put her in the empty cryopod Dr. Suresh had been using to fake Faith’s existence in the clinic. Then Dr. Suresh would give her a sedative to put her to sleep. Her temperature would be taken down only slightly, just enough to successfully pull off the illusion. Then, in a few hours, when there were others in the clinic to witness it, Dr. Suresh would suddenly “discover” that Faith Amara was waking up. Dr. Suresh would take charge of the procedure so that it would appear to be an actual awakening from cryosleep.

It all made sense. It was a good plan. Still, as Faith followed Dr. Suresh to the back room and climbed into the cryopod, she couldn’t help but be nervous. The last time she did this, she didn’t wake up for twenty years! But she knew she wasn’t in this alone. Peter and Michael were right there with her, and Dr. Suresh had already proven that she was also a friend.

Plus, there must be a reason God had shown Faith scenes from Dr. Suresh’s life in her dreams. Maybe He was trying to tell her that she was going to help Dr. Suresh somehow. If so, Faith could rest assured that she be awake again soon in order to do so. No matter what, she knew that God would always be with her.

Faith lay back in the cryopod. As Dr. Suresh administered the sedative, Faith closed her eyes and began to pray. It was the words of Psalm 4:8 which formed in her mind:

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”

END OF PART I

We have reached the end of PART I – THE SHIP. Next time, we will begin PART II – THE COLONY.

This week’s Scripture passages focus on the Holy Trinity and the importance of living in community with other believers. We aren’t in this alone. We were made to remain in fellowship with God and with each other. As we help each other, encourage each other, learn from each other, and strengthen each other, we grow in faith and build up the body of Christ. And we embrace the wondrous life God intends for us!

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

References:

• Christian Believer: Knowing God with Heart and Mind — Readings. Abingdon Press, 1999.
• Kalas, J. Ellsworth. Christian Believer: Knowing God with Heart and Mind — Study Manual. Abingdon Press, 1999.

Images & Audio:

• Images created using Midjourney Bot AI image generator, midjourney.com
• Audio clips from mixkit.co