He was the former president of a local rotary club, and I wondered at his sad face, “What happened?” I asked, concerned.
“I got a call from the incoming president, he told me not to come for his installation!” said the former president. “It was I who introduced him to the club, even changed the meeting day so he a doctor could attend. I had gone with him years ago to the health minister when his hospital got into trouble! Stood by him often as a friend!”
I looked at him puzzled, “Then why wouldn’t he want you for his installation?” I asked.
“He even came over to my home last week to invite me!” said the man sadly.
“What brought about the change in attitude?” I asked, “Did you wink at his wife?”
Sad eyes that stared back at me, told me to stop my banter and listen, “As a president, I’d taken a stand on certain issues,” he said, “I was against projects that were an eyewash for publicity, had raised my voice against discontinuing welfare schemes that served the people!”
“And did he agree with you?” I asked.
“Yes!” said the former president, “But yesterday some members told him that if I was invited for his installation, they would boycott his investiture ceremony!”
“He should have laughed at them!” I said.
“He didn’t! He called me this morning and pleaded with me not to come!”
I looked at the shaken man and led him to a chair, “Two thousand years ago,” I said sitting next to him, “There lived a young man, who went from one town to another healing the sick, the physically challenged and even raising the dead to life!”
“He must have been well loved!” said the former president.
“He was killed!” I said, “Nailed to a cross!”
“Impossible!” shouted the former president.
“And in my mind,” I said, “As that innocent man was nailed to the cross, he must have looked down and seen many of those whom he’d healed. Why, he even brought back to life a Roman officer’s daughter, and that man was there!”
“They could have spoken up and prevented his death!” said the former rotary president.
“Like your friend who’s just betrayed you, they chose to remain silent!” I said, “But the incident doesn’t stop here, the Man on the cross as he died, cried up to God, ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”
“How could he?” whispered my friend, “He should have asked for revenge!”
“I believe,” I said, “That he was telling God, that the reason they’d chosen to remain silent was because they had no idea of the Power of Truth, that if they had only chosen to speak up, all the powers of heaven and earth would have stood by them. But they were afraid, and to forgive them for their fear!”
My friend smiled suddenly and nodded, “Yes,” he said, “I will too..!”
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com
