I thought the droning would never stop. Unlike "The Shining" there was no suspense and no compelling plot. Just droning... I thought "Can't they see we are tortured and tormented!" As Jack horrorized Wendy-his wife in the movie-in a distant mountain mansion, we mercilessly endured with no hope of escape.

Wendy ran helplessly from room to room while Jack faithfully tracked her. In the same way with their eyes sighted on us, they made sounds without meaning. It flowed from their mouths like slow smoke. But we were stilled and silent with no way of escape.

"If someone would happen by in a surprise visit." she hoped. But with too much snow Wendy new the distance from town was too much to traverse: "Unlikely, just give up; surrender and He would be satiated." But in our case surrender only inflamed the abuser.

They spoke and as they heard their own voices, it was as though there was an added octane boost with every beat on their ear drums. They revved harder and longer, cycling up and up! We shrank.

Our shoes became interesting. I noted the dirt in my nails, an old song came to mind with a list of forgotten tasks. Oh, it was a spiritual moment but I obscured my ecstasy. "We were suffering for Christ." I joked silently. I empathized with the mental torture and brain washing of to my Christian brothers by the communist. I began to feel oneness with them. In a small way I knew their pain.

The audience was captive but not captivated! A kid told of his struggles with Weed. Then the gate was opened for scriptural advice from the "older and wiser," to help the young man. It turned out to be a gross abuse of the scriptures and the young man. One droning from Rom 8 and the other only God knows where, they couldn't stop. Man, I love Jesus but I was burdened by the reading and lack of a practicality. I was p@$*ed! My thoughts were "Just shut up and tell the kid what he needs to do!"

The reading was ethereal and nebulous; I'm not even sure it was related. If ones desire is to bring someone to confusion and spiritual despair, this was a great strategy. If they wanted us to hate the Bible, they were well on their way. If they were trying to convince us the Bible has no tangible answers but was simply esoteric bs: They were verging on perfection.

One teaching and encouraging needs to cut to the quick and synthesize the words of the Bible, compiling it with experiential wisdom and then be concise. I think a quote of Einstein is suited "If you can t explain it simply, you don t understand it well enough."

Early in Christ...the empty spiritual palaver...the lack of clarity...the lack of direction, help, and care got me nowhere. At first I thought it was me but then I realized it was them. They had been neglected! They had been confused by the conundrums and then strangely, perversely they became impressed with the nonsense.

The horror is: They became Jack... "Run Wendy...run!"

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