Leo

By Alvin C. Rose, Jr.

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     There was a man in the land of the South, whose name was Leo; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. And while his material possessions were few, his spiritual accomplishments were many. He regularly visited all of the patients in his small-town hospital;

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he belonged to a local civic group, active in community charitable work; he daily dropped in to see an aged widow with no family and did her heavy household work; he served as preacher for a small church and worked harmoniously with other churches in his area; he spent an hour daily in devotional Bible study and personal prayer.

     Now it came to pass one day that Satan presented himself unto God. And God said unto Satan, "Where have you been?" Then Satan answered God and said, "Oh, here and yonder." And God said unto Satan, "Have you ever thought about My servant, Leo? There is no one like him on the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that fears Me, and turns away from evil." Then Satan answered God, "Does Leo fear You for nothing? Have you not built an invisible shield around him, and around all that he has, on all four sides, top, and bottom? But let me have him for a while, and he will renounce You to Your face." And God said unto Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not harm his physical body." So Satan went forth from the presence of God.

     And it fell on a typical day that there came the postman unto Leo, giving him a letter that was from a large church in Absernash, a major Southern city, offering him the position as minister. In return for his services, the church would give him a substantial increase in salary, the use of a new, three-bedroom, brick parsonage with all utilities paid (except for long distance calls), and a new Pontiac every two years. At his evening meal, Leo was badgered by his wife to take the position. "But who will serve the Podunk church?" he asked his wife. "Oh, they'll find someone," she answered, "didn't they find you?" "But my civic club..." "There'll be another one where we're going." "The hospital patients..." "Their relatives will come to see them." "The widow across the street has no relatives." "Look Leo, are you gonna let some old worthless lady keep you from advancing yourself? Why, she'll be dead before long anyhow. Curse her hide and let her die!!!" "What'll I tell the church?" "Tell them you've decided to make a change and go where you can serve the Lord more effectively."

     And so Leo, his wife, sons, and daughters, move to Absernash, leaving Podunk and its needy citizens behind. Westland Pike was a well-established church of several hundred white, middle-class worshippers. Leo had never been in such comfortable surroundings, and while his members were not spiritually active, they were friendly.

     Absernash was the home of Daniel Livingston College, named for that saint who a century earlier had saved the brotherhood from total digression over the stained-glass issue. Livingston invited Leo to speak at a chapel service after he began working with Westland Pike. The administration was pleased with the soundness of his chapel talk, and he was invited to be one of the speakers at the annual March Lecture Series, held at Livingston. Leo accepted and was quite impressed when many small-town preachers taped his message and came by afterwards with hearty congratulations for a job well done in defending the Truth.

     The editor of the Gullible Answers, also located in Absernash, asked Leo to write a series of articles for his journal on "Why I Am a Member of the One- and-Only, Honest-to-Goodness True Church." Leo eagerly responded, and all of the loyal brotherhood read his words and saw his name.

     Leaders of churches throughout the brotherhood asked Leo to conduct Gospel Meetings for them, and his summers were spent away from Absernash, as he filled many pulpits, keeping a detailed account of the visible responses to his preaching and writing accounts of them in the news section of the Gullible Answers. Leo was soon asked to become assistant editor of that sound brotherhood publication, and all knew that he was being groomed for the editor's position as the old editor would soon be retiring.

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     The first public debate for Leo came a few years later when he confronted a well-known preacher of another segment of the brotherhood on the issue of whether or not it was in harmony with the teachings of the Bible to have a radio and television program like the "Call of (the) Last Days" (C.O.L.D.), which received support from congregations and individual members of the True Church throughout the nation. Leo then went across the country on a combination speaking and debate tour on behalf of the COLD. Even after he gloriously returned in triumph to Absernash and the Westland Pike Church, he continued to "ring the rafters" as he spoke against those who would oppose the COLD.

     Leo had little time for prayer and devotional Bible reading. His study periods were spent in finding proof texts to use in his sermons and debates, especially for the cause of COLD. And he had heard that some liberal members were practicing foot-washing in their homes, and this heresy must be stopped lest it spread into the worship services. Once again Leo would save the brotherhood from doctrinal error with his voice in the pulpit and with his pen in the Gullible Answers.

     Meanwhile, the Podunk church never found another preacher, except for Sunday "fill-ins," as the Podunk church had no parsonage and offered no large salary. Local hospital patients in Podunk were no longer guaranteed a weekly visit. A local civic club had lost a valuable and active member. An old widow became depressed and soon died.

     And it came to pass on another day that Satan presented himself before God. And God said, "Where have you been?" And Satan answered God and said, "Oh, here and yonder." And God said, "Well, you've won another of My servants." "Yes, I suppose I have. You know, it really isn't challenging any longer. When I took men's material goods, their families, their health, and their reputations away from them, I had a terrible time. I'll never forget that disappointing experience with that Uz fellow, Job. But I've learned. If I'll multiply their material goods and their reputations, I'll get them every time. Now I'll have Leo. He never visits the sick, clothes the naked, feeds the hungry, or takes in the stranger. Even when he converts someone to You, he does it to put another 'notch on his gun.' Now Leo wins debates, not souls. He is concerned about foot-washing, not salvation. Ha. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha....

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