Building on Dreams

Chapter 4 - Questions About Faith

Greg hesitated. “You are correct that the instructors may introduce bias,” Greg cautioned. “They will interpret the passages according to their own understanding.”

“If I run into difficulty in that respect, I will most likely consult with someone from my own faith for assistance in understanding the difference,” Susan assured him. “Who knows, maybe I’ll even write a letter to John like I said at dinner. He’s worked with you on things like this. I suspect he’d be a good resource, and he does respond to emails.”

Greg continued to study her, still clearly concerned, but not saying anything.

“Greg, I’m not about to try to convert to Judaism, if that’s what you are worried about,” Susan assured him.

“Are you certain? During our trip to the Bay Area, you did share with me your beliefs concerning the deity of Jesus,” he reminded her.

“Yes I did. But I believe everything else Christians teach about who He is, what He did, His place in heaven now,” Susan told him. “I still say He is the key to the covenant between God and Gentiles. Nothing I learn by learning to read and understand Hebrew is going to change that. You may rest assured that will continue to be a point in theology on which we will continue to disagree, only perhaps after I learn, we can then disagree in two languages.”

Greg smiled a wry smile.

“I don’t suppose I can argue with that,” he relented.

“You could try, but I wouldn’t advise it,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go to bed. You do have to get up early tomorrow.”

“In a moment,” Greg told her.

Susan arched an expectant brow.

“You prayed with me tonight,” Greg said.

“Yes.”

“You started your period?”

“Yes,” Susan confirmed.

“When?”

“Just this evening. My cycles are just about back to the normal thirty days.”

“You never did ovulate this month,” Greg observed.

“I usually don’t,” Susan reminded him.

Greg nodded as they climbed into bed. She’d told him this many, many times; but it was only now that he was seeing the evidence for himself, that he was beginning to accept that she might be correct. It was not, he insisted to himself that he doubted she believed what she told him, only that he’d never heard of a condition like this before and wasn’t entirely confident before that she might be right.

“Good night, Susan.”

“Good night, Greg,” she said and she turned out the light.

c

Saturday morning did come early at the Abernathy’s house. Following their family discussion on Hebrew and religion the night before, Susan was completely unsurprised when Zackary appeared at the breakfast table holding the yarmulke he’d been given once before in his hands and asking if he could go with Greg and Jessie to the local synagogue for services.

“You can,” Susan told him. “But I’m still going to expect you to go to church tomorrow with me too.”

“You don’t make Jessie go with you when she goes,” Zackary objected.

“You’re right, I don’t. But I have made an effort to raise you as a Christian, so until you decide otherwise, I plan to continue that practice,”’ Susan told him.