The Cord. Stephen W. Robbins

as he struggled to stand and awaken. As Ashley stirred in bed and returned to sleep, he listened to George give a concise report. George explained that Maxwell, one of the team members, got greedy. “He wanted to serve both God and mammon. He ended up with neither. His ‘Judas kiss’ cost him his place on the team, and his soul.”

      “I don’t understand.”

      “Maxwell did not share the same level of commitment as the rest of us. His act of extortion was fueled by greed. He wanted personal power, fame, and fortune. He saw our plan—the return of Jesus for all to see—as a means of great gain. He wanted to control access to Jesus. And, we believe, he wanted Anne. He planned to be her Joseph.”

      “Maxwell intended to marry Anne?”

      “Yesterday, the day we rescued Anne, we found a video file open on Maxwell’s phone as he lay dead on the floor in a house on a kibbutz. It documented his intentions. He planned to take Anne as his wife, take Jesus as his son, and together they would take ‘The Holy Family’ on the road, selling hope from church to church.”

      No longer standing, but now fully awake, Pastor Donovan asked if he could speak with Anne.

      “Not yet, but soon.”

      “How soon?”

      “Tomorrow.”

      “Promise?”

      “Of course. Have I ever let you down?”

      For the moment, George’s “Of course” persuaded Pastor Donovan that he would indeed get to speak to his daughter tomorrow. However, George’s “Have I ever let you down?” would need further persuasion. Not ready to say good-bye, and certainly not ready to go back to sleep, he began to rattle off questions. “How did you find Anne? Where is she now? Is the baby all right? What happened to Maxwell? Why . . .”

      George interrupted, “I know you have many questions, but we must end our conversation. I will, though, answer your questions. A chip that was inserted into Anne back at SarkiSystems proved to be a great help in locating her. She is resting outside the city of Shechem. The baby is well. Maxwell took his own life after he refused to surrender.” With these terse answers, George said good-bye.

      Payne held the phone tightly. With a new set of questions churning inside, he anticipated insomnia—that overstayed, wayward guest in the Donovan home—showing up with even more questions as he sat on the couch awaiting Anne’s call.

      He awoke the next morning, still clenching the phone, when Bundt jumped into his lap. Like Anne would do, he found himself seeking comfort in the listening ear of their Labrador. “How much do I ask her? Did she see Maxwell commit suicide? How come I did not know about the chip? How much do I tell Ashley? When do I tell the church?” Payne unleashed his heart. Bundt listened.

      * * * * *

      Pastor Donovan cleared his schedule. He was not about to miss Anne’s call.

      “Hi, Daddy.” These two words, softly and tenderly spoken over the phone, sent tears down his cheeks. It had been too long. Too much had happened. Unable to speak, and desperate to breath, he willed for her to continue.

      “I know, Daddy. I love you, too.” Anne was barely able to voice these words before her own tears flowed. For the next few minutes, their shared silence and broken sentences spoke volumes. They understood each other. They needed each other. They were more than father and daughter; they were brother and sister in Christ, sharing the blessed hope.

      Payne asked Anne about her day. Neither was ready to delve into the horrors of recent events. She told him about her visit to the site of Jacob’s well. Though aware that the team resumed the documentary of her journey to Bethlehem, she became lost in her thoughts as she imagined Jesus offering “living water” to the Samaritan woman; then she imagined Jesus offering it to her. She shared, “Dad, as I sat still thinking about this encounter, the baby kicked. For the first time—far more than a brief flutter—I felt His movement. Right there, at the well, Jesus living in me became real. He gave me ‘a well of water springing up to eternal life.’”

      As she recounted her thoughts, it occurred to Pastor Donovan that her focus was not so much on the woman at the well, as it was on the Man at the well. Jesus’ first words to the woman, “Give Me a drink,” reminded Anne that Jesus was fully man. “Dad, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. And He will again dwell among us! We will behold His glory!”

      Pastor Donovan treasured Anne’s every word. He marveled at her maturity as she continued, “Jesus’ last words to the woman, ‘I who speak to you am He,’ reminds us that He was, and remains, fully God. He is the Messiah, the Lord, the Word that became flesh.”

      As much as Pastor Donovan cherished her day’s recollection, he could hear tiredness, even weariness in his daughter. His fatherly advice to “get some rest and eat right” prompted Anne to recount another thought from the day. “Before we hang up, I want to share one more thing that I heard Jesus say there at the well. He said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.’ Dad, I want this to be true of me, too. Every time the baby kicks, as my own spiritual discipline, I intend to quietly worship the Father in spirit and truth. With heart and head, I will be still and know that He is God.”

      Payne blessed Anne as they said their good-byes. Then he blessed God. Then he went into the bedroom, scooted Bundt off the bed, and hugged Ashley.

      * * * * *