Chapter 10

    
   When Elijah finally regained consciousness, he had a massive headache, and his lips were starting to crack. He felt nauseous. He wasn't sure if it was from the lack of food and water, or the fever from the infection he had in his face. There was also the possibility it was from the pound of blackberries he ate a few hours ago. Elijah just lay there now, not even attempting to pick off the bugs crawling through his hair and over his skin, but rather, praying for death to come quickly.

   Lying there, he noticed a sound that was growing in intensity every few moments...shaking the ground...thunder! It was thundering, and that meant rain!! He got up and started moving toward a nearby clearing where he remembered seeing several hardwood trees with large, broad, leaves. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was going to get as much of the rainwater as possible. He knew that his very life depended on it. He doubted he would get enough to offset the dehydration that was setting in, and it promised to get worse as the blackberries began moving through him. He just needed to get as much water as possible. Any little bit would help. He had never known a thirst like this. He felt as though he had been crawling through the hot, rocky desert of southern Israel, under the brutal sun, and then, instead of drinking water, he felt as though he had drug his tongue across the scorched, dry, gritty earth. It was a horrible feeling, and his body was suffering.

   He took off both of his shoes, hoping to catch at least some water with them. He also dug a small hole in the ground directly where he pictured that the water running off the leaves would land, and then took off his shirt and laid it in the depression. His hope was that water might pool in there, being absorbed by his shirt before being sucked into the ground. He was desperate, willing to do anything.

Twenty minutes later, the rain came, and with a vengeance. Elijah cried, because he realized God was sending him a gift. It came in torrents. Elijah stood out there, stripped his clothes off, and bathed in the streaming water. It was an amazing feeling, like bathing his body in liquid sunshine. The rain rinsed his hair and face of the dirt and bugs that were congregating there, and gave him a sense of revival and hope. He kept wringing his clothes and sucking every drop of water that came from them, continually praying for more, and that's exactly what he got - more and more and more. There he stood, naked in the middle of a clearing, lighning flashing overhead and finally clean for the first time in days.

   The thunderstorm was brief, but it was enough to recharge his severely-depleted batteries. He was able to get a couple good drinks of water from his shoes, plus sucking on his water-drenched clothes made his tongue feel better. With a renewed spirit, he put his shoes back on, but simply carried his clothes as he walked off in search of water run-off from the surrounding hills and ridges.

***

    Jason Barlow had been with the Crag Rats based out of Hood River, (the oldest mountain search and rescue team in the United States), for about eight months, after serving as an Army Ranger for eight years. Originally from a large farm in Iowa, he fell in love with the northwest after training with the Ranger's 2^nd Battalion, located at Fort Lewis, Washington. He had never seen so many towering trees, or breathed air so fresh and clean. He knew that he would move to this area as soon as his enlistment was up, so when he heard about the volunteer opportunity with the Crag Rats, he jumped at it. With his background as a Ranger with extensive survival and navigation training; combined with his strong body, quick mind, and easy-going personality, he was a shoe-in for the team. He found that life with this group was similar to the military life that he loved, without the long and frequent deployments to unheard-of countries all over the world. They always carried their cell phone, always prepared to spring into action the moment a call comes in of someone lost or injured in the mountains. There's a plethora of variables that spring into play when the call goes out to find a hiker, or to pull someone off a mountain, and there's little time to go over any developments that may affect a rescue, such as wildfires, avalanche dangers on the mountains, or weather. They quickly assimilate that data so that they can focus their attention and energy on getting to those who may be hanging onto life by a thread. Every call elicits a major adrenaline rush, but Jason had no idea that his life would soon be changed forever.

***

   “Kids, I want you to get your stuff together to go camping. We are taking Elijah's parents up to where we saw him.”

   “Dad, what if we can't find him, or he's....well, dead?” Mike wasn't sure if he should bring Eric and Micah and subject them the horrors of seeing Elijah again, alive or dead. He decided that they had a vested interest in seeing Elijah be reunited with his family, regardless of his condition. They were 'standing in the gap' for Elijah, a Christian way of saying that they are constantly praying for him. Mike felt as though they should be involved in rescuing Elijah. There is a life lesson here for his kids he thought. Life isn't all about us, it's about how we impact the lives around us. Mike's pastor often says that our life is about being “God's hands extended” to those in need around us. That's what Mike really wants to impart to Eric and Micah today.

“Well, Eric...I guess that's the chance we have to take, but if we don't go out there, or if we delay, the chances of us getting to him before he dies are reduced significantly. Let's reunite him with his family, guys.”

“Yeah!” Micah yelled as she ran around the house gathering the things she thought she would need. She was excited to go back out there and go on this adventure with her dad and brother.

   Eric looked a little puzzled. “Dad, how long are we going to be there? How many nights? How much stuff do I bring?” He stuffed his North Face day pack with pants, shirts, socks and underwear and a light jacket. He grabbed a ball cap and his Bible and declared himself ready. Micah also said she's ready as she slings her backpack over her shoulder. Mike put on his best smile for the kids. He wanted to exude confidence, but he was almost nauseous from anxiety. He sure didn't want to see that boy dead, but more importantly, he didn't want his kids to see him dead, either. “Please God, shield my children from anything bad over the next couple days. Don't let them see Elijah dead.”

   God heard that prayer, and would indeed answer it. Mike didn't realize that it would be much worse for his kids than he could possibly imagine.

***

    Summertime in Oregon is notoriously hot and dry, particularly in central and eastern Oregon. The danger of wild fires is always on the minds of the ranchers and other townspeople that live east of the Cascades. These huge and intense fires are God's way of cleansing the land, burning off the old and making way for new growth. Every year there are literally dozens, if not hundreds of wildfires; and most are started by lightning strikes. They tend to burn themselves out without posing any danger to lives or property, but occasionally one will blow up out of control, or threaten someone's property. As Jason climbed through the brush on his way down to the river he thought aloud, “My God it's dry this year. If we have a fire, it'll be a bad one. There's so much fuel here.” Dust kicked up around his feet with every step. Jason had never seen a wild fire up close, but he would soon be closer than he could ever imagine.

   Jason made his way onto the rocks along the bank of the Deschutes River and set his pole and tackle box down and sat on the huge rock about 5 feet from the wild water. Trout fishing was his passion-actually, Jason is game for any type of fishing. He kept his pole and tackle in his truck, and has been known to just pull over when seeing a river or a lake and throw out a line. This is his favorite spot, just south of Maupin. The air is clean yet hot, and it's rare that you come out here and don't run into deer, elk, or a bald eagle on the wing. Jason strips off his shirt, revealing a thick, muscular body with a deep purple scar on his right side where an enemy bullet found it's mark. Luckily, it was off-center and passed right through, missing his liver and kidney by a couple inches. He peels off his shoes and rigs up his line, preparing for an afternoon of battle with his favorite adversary these days.

   Jason Barlow was a warrior with a warrior's spirit. A man is either born with it or without it. The Army Rangers simply take that spirit, often unknown to the individual, and develop it into something fearless and unshakable. He has looked into the eyes of his enemy in Iraq and killed with his bare hands because he was too close to shoot. Putting a well-placed bullet down range that finds its mark is one thing, but causing another man's life to end with your bare hands and with focused rage is something entirely different. Jason comes here for the quiet and to silence the demons. As he threw the line out into the rapids of the churning water, he was thankful that he came back alive, but he often struggled with why he survived while so many of his closest friends died. Sometimes, late at night while lying in his bed, he thinks they got the better deal.

   Jason was never a religious guy, nor has he ever been to church; but he was sure there was no god after experiencing the horrors of war. He'd been invited a few times to a church in his neighborhood, but had always  found excuses to get out of it. “Religion is for the weak, opium for the masses,” he always liked to say. Jason figured that at the end of the day, he's responsible for how his life turns out, instead of giving up control to a 'higher power.' Besides, if God is supposed to be a 'loving' God, why would He ever allow the atrocities that he witnessed? It just didn't make sense to him, so he never spent too much time thinking about it. He figured his time is better spent chasing the fish. “Here fishy, fishy, fishy....”

Chapter 9

    "Pastor, thank you for seeing me on short notice. This last week has been really extraordinary. I need some help sorting things out in my head."
   "No problem, Mike. Before we get started, I’d1ike to pray, ok?"
   "Sure. No problem."
   "Lord, we come together today to seek Your face, to lift You up and glorify Your name. We ask for wisdom and direction, and we thank You as we give You all the glory, honor and praise. In Jesus' name, amen.” Ok, Mike, what's so extraordinary? I've known you for almost ten years, and I've never really seen you so shaken, except when Linda died. Is this that bad?" Mike loved his pastor, and trusted him more than any other person on earth. He had been a pillar in Mike's life after Linda died, so the only person he thought of talking to in this case was Pastor Phil Patterson.

   "Yeah, this is bad. It started Saturday afternoon when Eric, Micah and I went hiking over near Sisters, on the west side of Three-Finger Jack. Everything was fine until we heard a mountain lion scream. That shook the kids up a little because it was pretty close, but we decided that it would be alright, so we kept going. A little further along, Eric sees this big rock ledge and climbs up for the view. After helping Micah up on the rock, he notices something white that was obviously out of place up there near a tree. They decide to run off and investigate, and a few minutes later, I hear my daughter scream like she's never screamed before. I took off running towards them, and when I arrived at where they were, they were holding a Jewish prayer shawl, soaked in blood." Mike was visibly shaken as he recalled the surrealistic events of that day. Pastor Phil looked about as surprised as if he had just woke up with his head sewn into the carpet.

   "Are you sure it was a Jewish prayer shawl, Mike? What did it look like?" Mike described it in perfect detail, adding that he recognized the writing as Hebrew from his World Religions course in college. "It gets worse, Pastor. Not three minutes after Micah screamed, this guy came running as hard and fast as he could right through the brush and trees bleeding with chunks of flesh hanging off his face. As soon as he broke through into our little location, Micah took one good look at him and burst into tears. Eric turned nine shades of white. Phil, this guy's face was mauled by a cougar an hour prior. In fact, that was the mountain lion's scream that we heard.

   “Holy Jesus, what did you do then?”

   “Well, we walked back to where he was staying and talked for a bit. He was very evasive about why he was there, but I really got the feeling that he was running. He mentioned to me that his father is the Chief Rabbi of B'nai Torah synagogue here in Portland, so I called his father, Rabbi Geller and we met at Noah's Bagels so I could tell him what I know about his son.”

   “How did that go?” Pastor Phil was riveted and hanging on his every word.

   “Not very well. I prayed on the way over there that God would give me the words to say. I realized that I may only have one opportunity to talk with this Jewish Rabbi, so I decided to make the most of it. I explained that my family is praying for him and his family, and that Jesus can help him through this. I wanted him to know what Jesus could do for him in this situation.”

  Pastor Phil was aghast. “Are you serious? You said WHAT? Mike, you know I love you and I have always loved your passion for evangelism, but that was the wrong place, the wrong person, and certainly the wrong time. I'm sure you already know what I’m going to explain to you, but sometimes hearing it from another person can give you a different perspective. Jews have every right to be suspicious and even cynical towards the Christian church. This may shock you, but approaching a Jew with Jesus in the same manner that you would approach a non-Jew is really quite insulting to him. Especially to someone as learned in the scriptures as a rabbi. They aren't interested in hearing about what Saint John, Saint Paul, or Saint Larry has to say about Jesus and His blessed mother, Mary. I don't mean to make light of our Savior and the New Testament, but those things have no validity to a Jew. These people were chosen by God to safeguard His Word, and His plan for the world. He chose to appear to them, to speak to them, and to protect them. They are special, Mike. The promises of God to Israel still apply today. Don't get me wrong, they need Jesus, or 'Yeshua' to them, but they take the Scriptures and the things of God very seriously. That's why we can't just walk up to them on the street and ask them if they want to get 'saved'. That's not fair to them, or us, because we probably won't appreciate the response we get. If you want to approach Rabbi Geller with the gospel, then you do it without words. Develop a relationship with him with no pretensions. Just be a good friend, and study the Torah and Talmud. Take classes at the synagogue and learn Hebrew. Dig into it and be able to talk about it intelligently. When you can sit with him and just talk about the Torah portion of the week, and Rashi's commentary on it, you will earn a great deal of respect from him. Then you can start asking him questions about certain messianic passages, like in Isaiah, or Daniel chapter 9. The bottom line is that your zeal for Jesus compelled you to corner a Jewish Rabbi with the gospel, when he was only meeting with you to find out information concerning his missing son. I would have knocked your head off if you would've said that to me. Did you at least tell him where his son is?”

   “Not exactly. I gave him Elijah's bloody prayer shawl and he collapsed on the floor in huge sobs. I felt horrible and ashamed, so I left.”

   “You need to call him and apologize and then offer to take him to where you saw his son - no strings attached. You have to do that right away, Mike.”

   “Perhaps I'll go to the synagogue to see him.”

   “I think that's a bad idea, also. It's too invasive. Just call him and make him understand your heart. This is not about evangelism, Mike. If you want to reach him, do it with love, not words. Take him to his son. No pretenses. No strings attached.”

***

  “Shalom! Thank you for calling B'nai Torah, this is Rebekah. How may I help you?”

   “Uh, hi. Rabbi Geller, please.”

   “May I tell him who's calling?”

   “Yes, please tell him Mike Blanchard is calling for him.” Mike was certain he wouldn't take his call.

   “Rabbi, Mr. Mike Blanchard is on the phone for you.”

   Zvi was deep in thought when the phone rang. He had come back to his office after leaving Noah's Bagels and took a few minutes to wash his face and recollect his thoughts. He was considering what to say to Mike once he finally got the nerve to call him. Just thinking about this man grieved his spirit, so the thought of calling him and seeking him out for more information literally made him nauseous. What kind of a person would prey on a man with a broken heart and a grieving family to promote his religion? "Shalom. This is Rabbi Geller…"

  "Rabbi Geller?"

  "What do you want with me now, Mr. Blanchard. Would you like to come over and baptize my family?"

  "Zvi, I deserve that. I only called to offer my heartfelt apology. What I did was inexcusable and terribly unfair to you. I don't blame you for exploding at me. I would've done the same thing. Zvi, please forgive me. I want to offer you all the information I have about Elijah, no strings attached. If you'd like to go out and look for him, I'd be glad to take you to where I last saw him." There was a long, dramatic pause on the telephone, and if Mike heard correctly, he could hear a man's pride melting away…

   "Mike, I forgive you, and I'd like to offer an apology of my own. I am sorry for erupting at you like that. You didn't deserve all that. It was a combination of what you said, plus no sleep or food for the last few days. My family and I have been under a tremendous emotional strain this last week, and you took the brunt of all that. I respect your faith and appreciate your love for God. Let's start all over, Mike."

   “Meet me at Shorty's Corner and we'll leave from there. It'll be dark by the time we arrive, but we can set up a campsite and use it for our base camp while we search.”

   “Sounds good, Mike. I'll see you there.”

***

   “Honey, get Jeremiah ready because Mr. Blanchard is taking us to where he saw Elijah last. I'll be home in 15 minutes, so please be ready to go when I get there. We will need outdoor clothes and be ready to spend a few nights in the wilderness.”

   “Ok, we'll be ready. Zvi, did he mention if Elijah is alright? What did he say?”

   “I'll tell you everything when I get there. Please be ready to go.”

Chapter 8

  Mike shook violently as he drove from Noah's Bagels to his church. He had never intentionally hurt anyone before, so to think that he had been so insensitive and caused this man so much pain in his most vulnerable moment was killing Mike inside. He desperately needed to talk to his Pastor, Dave Patterson. Mike pulled out his cell, scrolled through his phonelist until he got to the number he wanted to call.

  “City Bible Church, how may I direct your call?”

  “This is Mike Blanchard, may I speak with Pastor Phil, please? It's quite urgent.”

  “One moment while I check to see if he's available.” He had only been on hold for a few moments when Pastor Phil came on the line.

  “Hi Mike, what's going on?” There was an unmistakeable warmth in his voice that Mike found consolatory.

  “Pastor, I really need to see you for about 30 minutes. Could I please come by?”

  “You bet, Mike. I assume you're on your way right now?”

  “Yes, I'll be there in about 15 minutes.”

Pastor Phil looked at his watch. “No problem, Mike. See you when you get here.”

***

  The exhaustion Elijah felt from not sleeping for over 24 hours finally overcame him and he drifted off into a deep, uninterrupted sleep. So deep, in fact, that he didn't feel the first ant crawling and exploring his face and the deep gashes across the side of his head. Not realizing that ferns are home to literally dozens of creepy-crawlies of all types, he was soon completely covered. Drawn by the scent of blood and infected flesh, they swarmed his face; exploring every hole, every scent. Ants, spiders, aphids, and even a few beetles were making themselves busy in his hair, in his nostrils, and even exploring his ear near the wound. A few ants were making their way in and out of his mouth.
   Deep in sleep, Elijah was having a nightmare. He was dreaming that he was completely covered in bugs and he couldn't do anything about it. As he started regaining consciousness, his brain started detecting sensations that were alien to anything he'd ever experienced before. His ear tickled. Something was in his mouth. And his nose. His scalp was crawling. Something was terribly wrong. His face was throbbing worse than it ever had. Elijah, though tough in his own respect, always went out of his way to avoid bugs of all kinds, so waking up and finding them swarming all over his face, in his clothes, and in his ears, nose, and mouth was too much for him to handle. He could almost fool himself into believing that he could handle an encounter with a deadly mountain lion, or that he could survive in the wild on his own; but he could not for even a brief moment handle being covered in bugs.

   If he was able to think clearly, he would see them as a gift from God, as all those bugs are edible, except for the spiders. Ants, beetles, aphids, crickets and nearly everything else found among the fronds of ferns are a great source of protein, and may very well hold the balance between life and death for someone in Elijah's condition. He didn't see it that way, however. Screaming and jumping up and down, he lost complete control. He swatted at his face, head and arms, trying to knock off every real and imagined insect. In doing so, he slapped the deep cuts in his face that were, by now, swollen and infected. The combination of no food, sleep, water; loss of blood, the trauma of being covered with bugs, and the inconceivable pain of his bleeding, infected face pushed him over the edge; from sanity to insanity, from tough and confident to broken and despairing.

From consciousness to unconsciousness; Elijah’s world went black.

***

   After being helped up from the floor, someone handed him a note that was left for him. It said, "Rabbi Geller, I am so sorry for my complete lack of tact and empathy. Please forgive me. Here are the telephone numbers for my office, home, and cell phone. Call me for anything, especially if you want to go look for Elijah. I know where he is."
   Zvi was completely drained. He could process rational thoughts no more than he could sprout wings and fly. Driving home, he screamed at God for allowing such a sick and horrible joke to be played on him. Maybe it wasn't a joke. Maybe Blanchard did know about Elijah. He did, after all, have his prayer shawl. Was Elijah alive? His gut told him that he was. He just knew it. Call it a parent's intuition. Maybe this guy, Blanchard, had good intentions and just felt compelled to share his spiritual convictions with someone who is in need. Rabbi Geller knew all about spiritual passion. All that matters is that he gets his Elijah back, no matter what.
Pulling into his driveway, he sees his beautiful wife staring aimlessly out the window. She had been strangely silent since Elijah left. Normally outgoing and bursting with affection for her family, Rachael had been noticeably cool this last week. Did she somehow blame him? For the last 26 years of marriage, she had met him at the door every time he came home with an affectionate hug and passionate kiss, like she hadn't seen him in months. She hadn't been at the door this last week, and when he reaches for her, she pulls away. She spends most of her day in the window, praying... willing her son back home.
   "Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing today?" His heart hurts to see her this way. If only she was the same outgoing, bubbly woman he'd grown so intimately familiar with over the years, this would be more bearable for him, but seeing her hurt silently like this...apart from him, made the burden seem nearly unmanageable. He needed his best friend, his soul-mate; and she was quietly absent, going through her own torment.
   "Did you find anything out about Elijah today?"
   "A little. Not much. I talked to someone very briefly today who saw Elijah in the Deschutes National Forest. He said that he would be glad to show me where he saw Elijah."
   “Really? Honey, that's great news! Let's go right now and look for him!" Seeing Rachael's eyes sparkle for the first time in several days lifted Zvi's heart. No man has ever loved his family as much as he, so he wanted to safeguard his wife's moment of joy. He decided not to show her Elijah's blood drenched prayer shawl.
   "I just need to call him and arrange a time with him."
   "Who is he? How did he know to get in touch with you?"
   "He was hiking with his two children and they and Elijah all kind of ran into each other. He said that Elijah scared the life out of his daughter. I don't know exactly what he meant by that, but I'll give him a call to see when he might be able to go back out there. I need to go back to the office for a couple things, and I'll call him from there. I'll let you know how it goes."

Chapter 7

  There has always been a religious tension amongst Jews and Christians. The Jews are suspicious of Christians because for centuries some of the most horrible crimes against humanity were committed under the guise of Christianity; for example, numerous pogroms, the Inquisitions, and even Martin Luther, Hitler and the Nazis were claiming to do what they were doing as Christians. Some Christians balk at the Jews because they think the Jews killed Jesus, some think that they’re ignorant for having the Holy Scriptures of God and refusing to believe in who they claim to be the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God. Others are simply intimidated by them, so they ignore the Jews out of ignorance. Few are those who bridge that gap in love and mutual respect, laying aside doctrinal differences and celebrating a mutual love for the true God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Neither Rabbi Geller, nor his wife, Rachael, were able to do that. Both had lost large numbers of their immediate family to the horrors of Nazi Germany in Poland. Zvi was actually able to identify his parents in a photo of bodies lying naked in a mass grave after being machine-gunned to death in the frigid winter snow. As far as the Geller’s were concerned, Christians would all have a special place in hell reserved just for them...and that suited them just fine.

***

  Zvi's heart was racing almost as fast as he was, as he wove in and out of traffic along Hwy 26 towards Beaverton. He was imagining what he would say to this man, or what this man would say to him. Would he have good news? Was Elijah alright? He mentioned Elijah might be in trouble. What kind of trouble? He said he saw Eli while hiking with his children...where in the world could he be, and why would he be out in the forest? A million questions raced through his head as Rabbi Geller pulled his black, convertible BMW onto the Hwy 217 exit, then a few more miles to the Canyon Road exit. He nearly side-swiped a teal Ford Taurus as he was positioning himself to get in the furthest lane on the right. Taking the exit, he pulled onto Canyon Road, then into the parking lot that that houses Noah’s Bagels. Zvi takes a moment to collect himself and his thoughts, says a quick prayer and walks into the bakery.
  Mike was already there and waiting, nibbling on a piece of babka bread and sipping a double mocha. He recognized Zvi immediately when he walked in. He'd never seen him before, but he looked exactly as he pictured in his mind; short and a little thick around the mid-section, but striking to look at. He looked exactly like what he pictured a rabbi to look like. He wore a yarmulke similar to Elijah's, and had the same intense look on his face, like he was drinking in every detail of his surroundings. His presence was definitely felt as he entered the bakery. Mike stood up to greet him.
  "Rabbi Geller?" Mike extended his hand.
  "Yes, and you are Mr. Blanchard?" Rabbi Geller exposed his anxiety with his handshake. "Yes, but please call me Mike."
  "Alright, and you may call me Zvi. Now, please tell me what you know about Elijah."
  "Yesterday, my two children and I were in Deschutes National Forest on a hiking trip. We ran into Elijah. Actually, he nearly ran into us, and scared the life out of my twelve year-old daughter, Micah. You know, Zvi, I am actually a bit nervous about our meeting today because I'm not sure about what to say to you."
  "What's for you to say; except telling me everything you know about my son? Zvi was a little put-off already that Mike seemed to have another motive or agenda for this conversation.
  "Well, Zvi...I will tell you all about Elijah, but I really want to ask you about what led him out there. It's a very wild and dangerous place. He wasn't prepared to be out there. It almost appeared to me that he was thrown into that situation. "
  "Like he was kidnapped and left out there?" Zvi was getting more upset by the moment.
  “No, I wouldn't say that. It's just that his behavior was so strange and wanton that there had to be something undelying.....just that perhaps his personal situation back home was so bad that he felt compelled to run as far away from everything he knew as he could. It seems as though that's the farthest he could get from society. That's my theory from my limited conversation with him."
  "Well, at the risk of being rude and abrupt, Mr. Blanchard, I am not much interested in your psychoanalysis of what is compelling my son to do what he's doing. I am not interested in anything you have to say, unless it is giving me information on where I can find my son, so please, give me that information and we can be on our way."

  Mike sat there quietly for a moment, thinking about how to say what was really on his heart. Though intelligent and educated, tact was never a strong point of Mike's. He was always a victim of impulse and the need to say exactly what he was thinking and feeling at the very moment he thought and felt it. He may not have another opportunity after this with the rabbi, so he needed to give it his best shot. "Lord, please give me the right words."
  "Zvi, there is something that I really feel weighing on my heart that I need to share with you. I feel it as a conviction in my spirit, so please indulge me just a few more moments of your time. We may not have another meeting after this one..."
  “You’re damn right about that." Zvi was doing everything in his power to remain under control, but that was proving difficult. He was a volcano of raw, explosive emotion, and Mike was lighting his fuse. Zvi hadn't slept in nearly three days, praying and fasting constantly, and for a moment he felt as though this messenger might be the answer to his prayers, but he's turning out to be nothing more than a story teller yanking on the frail strings of his heart. Sure he saw Elijah, or did he? How could he be sure it was his son that he saw?
  "Zvi, I want to you to know that my children and I have been praying and will continue to pray for you and Elijah."
  "Thank you. Now, is that what you felt compelled to tell me?"
  "No...not exactly. Zvi, I need to tell you about Jesus and what He can do for you and your family in this situation." That was it. Of all the things in the world he could have said, that was the one thing that guaranteed a total emotional meltdown.
  "Are you serious? Have you completely lost your mind? I came here in faith that you would help me find my poor lost son, who you say may be in trouble, but instead you want to tell me about Jesus and what he can do for my family?" Zvi was leaning completely over the table, the veins in his forehead bulging and drops of spittle flying everywhere as his voice steadily grew louder until he was yelling…
  "You want to know what Jesus can do for my family, eh? Is it the same thing he did for my parents when the Nazi’s stripped them naked in the freezing Polish snow with the rest of their family and village, and machine-gunned them to death? In the name of Jesus! You're trying to tell me about the same Jesus? Maybe you're another sick Jew-hater like them. Maybe you've killed my son, and now you're here to taunt me by telling me about Jesus!" Zvi was yelling and weeping at the same time by now. "Do you or do you not know where my son is??"
  Mike couldn't even look at this man who was on his feet, completely undone emotionally. The entire bakery had come to a complete standstill...nobody dared to even breathe. His answer came out as a weak, broken whisper.

  "Yes I do." Mike wanted to weep. Zvi lunged forward and grabbed him by the shirt, nearly yanking him out of his chair...
  "Then prove it! You prove to me that you saw my Elijah. Right now!! How...how can I know it's my son you're telling me about?? Say something or I will beat you to within an inch of your life you sick sonofabitch!"
  With that, Mike pulled away from Zvi's grip, reached into his satchel and pulled out Elijah's prayer shawl, covered in his blood and tossed it on the table in front of Zvi. Everyone in the store took a collective breath at the sight of the bloody garment. Zvi looked down at it and immediately recognized it as his son's. He picked it up and clutched it to his chest as he collapsed from an emotional overload. Lying on the floor he just squeezed the shawl and wept like he'd never wept before.

***

  Elijah knew he needed to get out and look for water, but the ripping pain in his face was almost too much for him to bear. He hasn't been able to sleep more than a couple hours at a time since it happened, which is to say, since he arrived in this wild and untamed parcel of land. The food and water that Mike left him ran out a day and a half ago. His situation was turning critical. Deciding that he needed to force the issue, he headed out of his little niche and onto the rock outcropping. Looking out over the carpet of trees that stretch for miles in all directions, Elijah scanned the enormous landscape for any sign of water. His eyes were focused like an eagles, squinting as he practically willed a river into view. Nothing. He knows there's water here somewhere because as he surveyed the panorama before him - an explosion of greens painted against the deep blue backdrop of the wild Oregon sky, evidence of life flourished everywhere. He just needs to stop and think, but he can't concentrate due to the pain and discomfort his wound is causing. Under normal circumstances, he would know to look for low ground, look for a sharp decline off the mountains. He would know that water is right at his fingertips on these mountains from glacial melt and run-off, but he just wasn't able to process such simple knowledge.

  Coming down off the ledge, he made his way west, away from everything he needs to live, and right into the clutches of desperation. Cutting through thick underbrush he stumbled headlong into a tangle of blackberry bushes that overran the entire hillside. Being on the fringes of starvation, Elijah gorged himself on the wild berries, not considering the repercussions that it would have on his already dehydrated body. In a matter of just a few minutes his hands were bloody from the scratches the thorny vines inflict, but he didn't not care. He found temporary relief from the pangs of hunger, and that's all that mattered. He has moved from calculated decision-making ability to the mind-set of instant gratification. He knew that he was holding on to life by a quickly unraveling string, groping aimlessly in the dark for some shred of hope that just doesn't exist for him now. He was in way over his head and had, essentially, passed the point of no return. He was a dead man walking, and the fact of the matter had been at the forefront of his mind all day, knowing that even if he wanted to leave here and go home, he couldn't. He wasn’t strong enough physically to make it back to where he left his car, not to mention the fact that he had no idea where his car was located. His stomach strongly disagreed with his choice of food, but the pain of hunger has receded for the time being. He needed to keep searching for water. He made his way down the hill, through the cedars; into a meadow of grass as tall as him, but found no water. The heat was making his stomach hurt the more, adding debilitating abdominal cramps to his list of problems.
  "Oh God, are You going to let me die out here? My decision to leave home may have been rash, but I am still Your child, Your own creation! You are El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God, who provides for all my needs. I need water and real food or I will die. I commit these things to Your hands. Amen." Elijah decided to duck into the tree line where there was plenty of shade and huge ferns growing under the protective canopy of the pine trees.

  "Oy...I'm exhausted from walking all over God's green earth, and I've logged more miles than Moses today, so I think I'll just lay down in these ferns and take a nap. No harm, no foul, and then I'll get up in an hour and keep looking for a stream, pond, or puddle." In an hour, he'll wish he'd never woke up at all.

Chapter 6

 
  "Rabbi Geller, thank you very much for your time and cooperation. At this point, I will go back to the police station and write this information up into a report, and in the morning a detective will be assigned to the case. He may or may not need to contact you for more information. I, however, will be taken off this case when the detective is assigned. I know this is very difficult for you, but please know that we will do everything we can to find your son."
  "Thank you, officer. Please come by or call with any information. You have my home and office number." Officer Thompson loved his job as a police officer, but he hated to see families grieving.

***

   As Mike and his children walked away back toward their car, Elijah was gripped with fear. Darkness would descend soon and he would literally be at the mercy of the night. Most predators hunt at night, and are drawn by the scent of blood, the mark of an easy meal. “What am I doing out here? It's getting cold, and I have no shelter at all, only the shelter-half and poncho that Mike left me. I guess this is the litmus test. If I can make it through the night without being a tasty snack for a bear or cougar, then I guess I'll be just fine.” Then he giggled, he wasn't sure why exactly, and it felt out of place considering the circumstances, but he giggled out loud. Then he laughed, and before he knew it he was laughing uncontrollably, hysterically, from deep within his core. “I am obviously losing my mind. I wonder if I'll lose my mind before I die?” The sudden thought that he would inevitably die out here sobered him up. Fast. That wasn't funny.

   Elijah set up the shelter-half above him by tying off the ends to branches so it formed a sloped covering over his head. He then took his shoe and tied the shoelaces to one of the eyelets in the middle of one side so that it pulled it down to form a funnel. The shoe just barely touched the ground. If it happened to rain, the water would be funneled into his shoe so he could drink it. Elijah was pretty proud of himself for thinking of such a creative set-up. “Maybe I can do this after all. It isn't brain surgery.” He then arranged the supplies over against the rock wall so he had room to stretch out on the cold, hard ground and used the rolled-up poncho as a pillow. “Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melekh ha-olam...Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe...” Elijah didn't have his prayer shawl, but he decided he should recite the bedtime prayers anyway. He didn't need the prayer book, he had every word memorized. He closed his eyes as he whispered each word, and a great peace fell over him. A reassurance that somehow, someway everything would be alright. It was these little moments where he felt a special connection with God that made life bearable for Elijah. With that, he drifted off to sleep on his first night deep in the unforgiving Oregon wilderness.

***

   It was yesterday that Mike had that experience with Elijah in the Sisters wilderness area, and he hasn't been able to get him off his mind. His sleep was fitful, filled with recurring nightmares of a horribly disfigured man jumping out of the bushes at him. Is Elijah dead? Is he hungry? Why is he out there in the first place? What would compel a man to leave everything he knows, every comfort that a civilized life offers, for a life of raw survival? What if it was Eric, his own son? He would want someone to contact him if they saw him...especially if he was injured. He knew that he needed to locate Elijah's father. What would he say? "Hello Rabbi Geller. Do you know where your son is? No? Well, his face has been shredded to ribbons by a mountain lion in the Deschutes National Forest. Oh, by the way, my name is Mike Blanchard." There was not going to be any part to this that would be easy. Time was of the essence because, in Mike's opinion, Elijah didn't have much time left.
  "Information. What city, please?"
  "Portland. Jewish Community Center, please."
  "One moment. Here's your number: 503-555-4608"
  Mike called the number and got a young man on the end. "Shalom and thank you for calling the Mittleman Jewish Community Center: My name is Daniel. How may I assist you?"
  "Uh, yes. I need to know which synagogue would be the biggest one in Portland. Actually, I'm looking for a Rabbi Geller. Could you point me in the right direction, please?"
  "Sure! Rabbi Geller leads B'nai Torah over on NW 23rd. The telephone number is…” Daniel was obviously looking up the number for Mike, for which Mike was very appreciative. It's always better to call first as opposed to just dropping in on someone. “….here it is. Are you ready?"
  "Yes, go ahead please.”
  “503-555-3655. Hope that helps!”
  "It does and thank you very much."
  "My pleasure. Have a great day, and shalom."
  "Uh, shalom to you." Mike had to smile. It felt funny saying a word from another language to a native speaker of that language when you don't really understand the full scope of that word. Mike knew that the word shalom has a very special and rich meaning in the Hebrew language, but he'd forgotten what it was. It felt good to say it though.

***

  “Shalom! B'nai Torah, this is Rebekah. How may I help you?"
  “Rabbi Geller, Please.”
  "May I ask who this is and the nature of your business, please?" There was a brief pause while Mike thought about what to say.
  "Uh, my name is Mike Blanchard, and I need to talk to him about his son. I believe his son is in trouble."
  "One moment, Mr. Blanchard, and I'll see if the Rabbi is available." Rebekah knew exactly what was going on with Rabbi Geller and his son because she was in the adjoining office when they had their argument. She raced to his office to tell him face to face that someone was on the phone for him concerning Elijah, instead of just beeping into his office over the intercom. She burst through the door excitedly, only to find him reading the story of David and Absalom, his troubled son, for the thousandth time, trying to glean some special insight into how to deal with his own situation from David's example.
  "Rabbi, there's a man on the phone for you. He said that it's about Elijah, he believes Elijah is in trouble."
  "Thank-you, Rebekah." His heart was racing and his hands started sweating and trembling.
  "This is Rabbi Geller. Who might this be?"
  "Hello Rabbi, my name is Mike Blanchard. I'm not sure about my right to call you with this, and I don't want to sound nosy, but I'm calling about your son, Elijah. I saw him yesterday while I was hiking with my children. Perhaps we could get together, Rabbi. I'm not real comfortable talking about this over the telephone."
  "Yes, yes. Certainly. Where are you located?"
  "I'm in Beaverton, just off Canyon Road."
  "I'll meet you at 'Noah's Bagels' in the shopping center parking lot. Do you know where that is?" “Yes. I'll be waiting for you. I'm wearing khakis with a navy blue polo."
  "See you in twenty minutes." Zvi reached over and dialed his secretary's desk. "Yes, Rabbi Geller?"
  "Rebekah, cancel the rest of my appointments today. Something has come up."

***

  SNAP!

  Elijah's eyes popped wide open and his heart froze in his chest. The sharp, crisp sound of a twig snapping in the dead of night is unmistakable, and violently ripped him from his chilled, fitful sleep. Elijah was frozen in sheer terror as he strained to hear every little sound and determine if he was moments from his end. He could hear something moving out there, quietly and with purpose. Was it the cougar coming back for him? Could it be a bear?

  “Oh God, I am so scared right now. Only You know what is out there. Please protect me from any harm.” Prayer seemed superficial at the moment, but it was knee-jerk for Elijah. He loved praying-he would talk to God all day long at school, at work, or just laying around the house. Elijah felt that if there were one person out there that understood him, it was the One Who created him. God became Elijah's friend, and he needed his Friend right now.

  “Ok, what are my options?” Elijah was speaking to himself, trying to wrap his brain around the reality of the situation that was confronting him. “I could lay here and hope it's a deer walking by, or I could yell and scream at the top of my lungs to scare it away...oh I wish I had a flashlight. If I simply lay here, I might as well smear myself with A-1 sauce,” so with that, Elijah jumped up as fast as he could and screamed at the top of lungs while running madly around in circles.

  “AAAAHHHHH!!!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!! THIS IS MY HOUSE!!!!!!”

Elijah did his best to slow his breathing down so he could listen, and he could hear the sound of feet running off into the black of night. “It worked. I may not be so fortunate tomorrow night, but at least I made it the first night!” Surprisingly, Elijah felt good. He momentarily believed that he was in control of his surroundings, that he could make it out here.

  He looked at his watch; 3:30 am. “There's no way I'll fall back asleep now, but I can't see in the dark. I'll just position myself with my back to the massive rocks here and spend some time praying.” Before he knew it, the horizon hinted at a hue of orange, then fingers of light peeled back the darkness and presented a new day as a gift to Elijah. He was grateful, and humbly accepted this gift from God. Elijah was beginning to realize that living under these conditions would be a monumental challenge for even the most experienced survival experts, so he needed to use his head and think every decision through very carefully. Elijah was tremendously grateful for the supplies Mike left for him. He'll ration them while also looking for other food sources. He knew he was in trouble because though he'd seen plenty of evidence of wildlife, he just didn't have the skills to make a trap or snare. He thought about spearing fish, but so far he'd been unable to locate a river or stream, which was extremely disheartening because the water in the canteens would run out soon. Elijah knew he needed to find water fast. Besides, if he could find a river or stream, he could perhaps figure out a way to kill some larger game for food. He would scout out a watering hole and then lay in ambush for them. He could do it; he just needed to find it. As soon as the sun offered enough light to see, he'd go looking for that stream Mike mentioned.
  The pain in his face had set in with a vengeance late last night. He attempted to clean it out with the water in the canteen, but as soon as the water made contact with the inside of the gash, every nerve in his head started screaming. He gingerly dabbed around it with the gauze in the first-aid packet Mike gave him and then he tied the compress on. He realized that he probably looked pretty hideous, but then again, there's no one out here to impress. When he got up this morning, he quickly untied the compress, but it was stuck to his face...thick, dried, caked blood forming a seal over the wound and bandage that had to be removed.

Elijah let out a sharp, piercing cry as he ripped the compress from his face, reopening the huge gash, which by now was severely swollen, as it began to bleed profusely. As he sat there bleeding all over himself, his head pounding with pain and hunger cramps setting in, Elijah started taking a quick inventory of his dismal situation. He knew that food would soon turn into a serious problem, and the lack of water was more serious yet. Compounding the direness of his situation was the fact that he had lost an unhealthy amount of blood from a massive head injury sustained while facing-off with a cougar. His face was disfigured from the swelling, infection was setting in, and it was still bleeding.

  "Other than that, things are terrific! Mike was right," he thought to himself, "I'm not going to make it. I'll be dead before anyone comes back this way. They say that hindsight is 20/20. I should never have left my family like I did. Who am I kidding? I am dying. I will never see my family again. I'll never feel my dad's arm around me as we discuss the Torah together, or my mom's affection when she would just give me a hug for no particular reason. Jeremiah will never have a big brother to look up to, to protect him, to confide in. I will never meet Sarah under the wedding chuppah. Look at where my pride and selfishness has gotten me, and subsequently what it has done to my family. Oh God, I am so sorry." Elijah broke down and wept bitterly as the reality of his situation set in.

Chapter 5

    Elijah had just set off to look for food when he heard a heart-rending scream. It was a girl’s scream, and not a playful one, but one of terror; real genuine fright. He had no idea who she was or what was going on, but he started racing in that direction. His worst fear was that the mountain lion was stalking some defenseless little girl. Though he was nearly as defenseless in the same situation not more than an hour ago, he was determined to protect or assist whoever it was in trouble. Running just as hard and fast as he could, he covered quite a distance in no time. He focused on the area where he heard the scream, and it seemed to be in the very place where he faced the deadly panther just a short time prior. The fear started creeping back as he recalled looking into eyes that were looking at him as though he were already dead. His knees started feeling wobbly, but he didn’t know what this little girl’s situation entailed. He only knew that he may be her only chance to escape this lion’s inherent instinct to kill.

   “God, please be with me. Be with me as You were with Daniel in the lions’ den. You are my Protector, my Stronghold. Thank-You.” As he came flying through the last small clearing about twelve feet across, he started screaming at the top of his lungs in an effort to scare the cougar away.

   As he came bursting through the bushes, grass, and branches screaming and waving his arms,

he nearly ran smack into Mike as he was holding and comforting his daughter. If they weren’t scared before Elijah arrived, they were absolutely horrified at the sight of this man who is screaming and waving his arms like a maniac with large chunks of bloody flesh hanging off his face like ribbons. Micah began screaming and crying as Eric, just out of sheer instinct, jumped on Elijah and wrestled him to the ground, and with his eyes closed, was swinging his fists at Elijah’s head with everything he had. Everyone was running on pure fear and adrenaline. Mike lunged to pull Eric off Elijah while Micah retained a vise-like grip around her father’s waist and her head buried in the small of his back. As Eric got up, Elijah screamed in agony and wiped the blood out of his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

   “I think a better question is, “What the hell is wrong with you?? You look like you lost a fight with a legion of ninjas.” Mike couldn't stop staring at this mess of blood and flesh in front of him. He was in a nightmare and was trying to force himself awake.

   “I understand I may have startled you a bit, but I came running to save this little girl. Certainly a funny way of saying thank-you, if you ask me.” The pain ripping through Elijah's face coursed through his body in waves, buckling his knees.
   “What were you going to save my daughter from, pal?” There was mix of sarcasm and curiosity in Mike’s voice.
   “The same cougar that did this to my face about an hour ago. I nearly ran right into him while he was perched in this tree over here when I came out of this clearing and he lunged at my head. I ducked, but he swatted my face. I've never felt pain like this before and I know that it’s bled a lot.”
   “My daughter screamed when they came across your.....”
   “Tallit....prayer shawl.”
   “Uh, right. Well, it really startled her to see something soaked in blood out here in the middle of nowhere. I guess I should introduce myself and my kids. My name is Mike Blanchard, and this is my son, Eric...”
   “Sorry I jumped on you. I was really scared and it was just instinct. I hope I didn’t hurt your face any more than it is already.”
   “No problem. I’m sure it looks worse than it really is, anyway. It hurts but I figure it'll be better in a couple of days...I figure it’s like a razor cut when you’re shaving. Those bleed forever.”
   “No, you're a mess and in need of immediate medical attention. Oh. this is my daughter, Micah. She’s still quite shaken.”
   “It’s nice to meet you, Micah. I’m terribly sorry I scared you. My name is Elijah. Boy, today has been pretty extraordinary, to say the least.” Eric shook Elijah’s hand, as did Mike, but Micah continued to hide behind her dad and brother. She didn’t want to get close to this guy who looked like he just walked off the set of “Friday the 13th”; only those gashes in his face were real, and they were deep; running the length of his face from the corner of his eyebrow downwards to just below his earlobe. His face was wide open and bleeding badly.

   “Yeah, that’s my prayer shawl. Look, I live near-by, just under that outcropping over there...”
   “That’s where we were heading to climb,” Eric piped-in.
   “Well, that’s where I set up camp. You’re welcome to walk back with me if you’d like.”
He seemed like a nice-enough guy, so Mike accepted his offer. Besides, the kids needed to sit down and unwind for a little bit. The walk was a relatively short one when Elijah announced they had arrived Mike was confused, expecting to see a cabin or trailer, but there was nothing...just a semi-enclosed area covered by pine needles and surrounded by large rocks. He saw nothing here to indicate that Elijah was camping, much less living here.
   “Well, Elijah, honestly...I feel as though I’m in the Twilight Zone. This has been the most bizarre day of my life, if not the most frightening. Let me say first that your face needs immediate medical attention. Are you camping?”
   “Well, sort-of. On a long-term basis. I’ve decided to move out here and just live in the wild. Right off the land. Pioneer-style.”
   “Elijah, I can’t leave you out here like this, so why don’t you pack up your stuff....wait, where is all your stuff? You do have gear, don’t you?”
   “Uh....” Elijah shifted uncomfortably. “Not exactly.”
   “Sleeping bag?”
   “No.”
   “Jacket?”
   “Nope.”
   “Any non-perishable food?”
   “Didn’t have time to pack.”
   Mike was beginning to understand. Either Elijah was a runaway, or he was a fugitive of the law. Regardless, he needed prompt medical attention or he'd be dead soon.
   “Elijah, all of us have been kinda thrown together in a bizarre set of events today, so I hope you don’t mind me asking what’s going on with you. I grew-up in these parts, and I know just how dangerous and unforgiving this wilderness can be. I see that you’re wearing church clothes in the middle of the wild with no sleeping bag and no provisions. Are you here to commit suicide, Elijah?
   “First of all, I am a Jew, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in a church. My father is the chief Rabbi of the largest synagogue in Portland.” Mike made a mental note to look this guy up later to inform him

about his son’s whereabouts.
   “Secondly, you need not be concerned about my personal business. I am not out here to commit suicide, just start a new life. I will learn to provide for myself. I’ll learn as I go. Can’t be that tough...pioneers did it years ago, so I can too.”
   Mike was angry at this guy’s ignorance because he knew that Elijah didn’t have a chance out here. He would be incredibly fortunate to survive two weeks, and his last days, however many he has left, will be a tortured existence. He’ll probably be praying and begging for death to come quickly, but it won’t. It will be elusive, teasing him but evading his grasp. He may starve to death, maybe die of thirst; and if the animals don’t get to him and kill him, the inevitable infection in his facial wound certainly will. Mike had to do something.
   “Elijah, why don’t you come with us and we’ll get you to a hospital so that wound can get stitched and dressed. It’s really bad, and if you don’t get it taken care-of, you’ll be sure to get an infection which will probably kill you. It’s nothing to mess with, Elijah. You can stay with us for awhile until you get better, and then come back out here if you want.” Mike knew that he would decline, but he had to offer.
   “No thanks, Mike. That’s a kind offer, but I’ll be fine. I’m tougher than I look.”
With that, Elijah managed a mangled smile, so Mike smiled back but he wanted to grab him and shake some sense into his thick, stubborn head.
   “Ok, suit yourself. We should get going, though. It’s going to get dark soon, and we don’t want to get caught out here. Here, why don’t you take these supplies we brought? You have nothing right now, and who knows, these just might keep you alive for a few extra days. I have a couple canteens of water, a few MRE’s, (Meal, Ready To Eat); a flashlight, a shelter-half, and a rain poncho. Oh, here’s a bandage and a compress for your face. Would you like me to clean and bandage it for you before we go?”
   “No, I’ll be alright, really. Thanks anyway, Mike.”
   “You’ll need a lot of water, so you should find your water source first. There's a stream about a mile to the east of here, but it's seasonal. It may be dried up right now, but it's worth checking first thing tomorrow. You can only go a few days without it before you die of dehydration. Good luck, Elijah.”
As they walked away, he almost thought he heard them saying a prayer for him.

***

  “Kids, Elijah needs our prayers. Actually, he needs a lot more than our prayers, but that's about all we can offer him right now. He’s in big trouble.”
   “That's for sure. Dad, how come we don’t have prayer shawls?” Eric was clearly curious about what made them different from Elijah.
   "Well son, Elijah is Jewish.”

   “What does that mean?” Micah had never heard of Jewish before and was intrigued.

   “The term 'Jewish' can mean two things: it can mean a race of people, or it can refer to the religion of Judaism. Those followers are called Jews. That's what Jesus was, Eric. Jews gave us the Old Testament and most of the New Testament." Eric and Micah just looked at him for a moment while they digested this bit of information and let it sink in.
   "Did Jesus have a prayer shawl like that one?" Micah also had a zeal for life and knowledge. Mike loved that about his kids. They refused to be glued to video games and meaningless television programs. If they watched TV, it was usually things on the Discovery channel. They loved nature programs, and because of that, Mike has always suspected that they may grow up to be biologists, veterinarians, or something in the life science field.
   "I really don't know, honey. I'm sure he did."
   "What was that thing on his head?" The kids didn't miss a thing.
   "That's called a yarmulke, and they wear it out of reverence to God. The Jewish people love God very, very much but they don't believe in Jesus."
   "Why not???" These two couldn't believe that someone could love God so much, but not believe in Jesus. He understood a little bit about the wall of enmity that exists between the Church and the Jewish people, but he wasn't sure how to explain that to his children. How do you explain that people who claim to believe the very same things you do, claim to love the same Jesus they do, annihilated over six million Jewish people in the name of Jesus?? It's nearly impossible for his finite mind to comprehend a number that big, and it truly made his heart hurt and ache when he considered the unconscionable, colossal sin committed by an evil few.

  Tears came to his eyes as he looked at his little girl and simply said, "Honey, there are a few doctrinal points that they disagree with us about. Pray for them, sweetie.” Micah looked up at him with the sweetest smile that could melt the hardest heart. His daughter loved Jesus with everything in her...they were truly best friends, so he had no doubt that she would be talking to Jesus very soon about these Jews that she just learned about who need Him.

Chapter 4

  “Rabbi Geller, can you please tell me the nature of the argument you had with Elijah this morning?” The police officer had come right over to take a statement and record as many details as possible.
  “Immediately after the Shabbat service, in my office, I asked Eli what his plans were for the summer. The boy is 24, hasn’t gone to college yet except for a few credits at Mt. Hood Community College. Most of his peers have graduated, they’re getting married, going for advanced degrees...what is he doing? Nothing! He has a go-nowhere job as a courier downtown, and he’s up half the night watching television. He leads a vocuous life that is leading where? He eats my food but doesn’t pay rent. I wanted to know what his plans were, and he immediately got defensive.” Just recalling it made Zvi feel as though his heart were being pulled from his chest. He loved Elijah intensely and wanted the very best for him...for both of his sons. They were the most precious gifts God had ever given him. He was entrusted with two fragile lives, and look how he’s failed.
  “What did Elijah say when you asked him what his plans for the summer entailed?” Officer Thompson had been with the Portland Police Bureau for fifteen years and had heard similar stories hundreds of times. This was so routine, yet every time he saw the pain involved in a family dispute, he ached for them. These were real people, not television actors, with very real pain and tears. He always did his best to bring about a happy ending to a tragic and sad story, so he’s already thinking about finishing with the family, putting the report in the computer so that all the law enforcement agencies in the metro area will have access to this information and will be looking for him.

  “He said not to bother him about it. He said that he would go to Israel again with us,” the Rabbi hesitated for just a second, but Thompson picked up on it.
  “What then, Rabbi Geller?”
  “Well, I suggested.......actually, I told him that I had already made arrangements for him to stay in Israel and attend Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It’s a very prestigious school, and I thought maybe he just needed a gentle nudge in the right direction.” Zvi was starting to choke-up again, tears rolling up and over his high cheek bones, down his round face and into his neatly-trimmed brown beard.

  “Eli then told me that he’s not going to school. He said he doesn’t know what he wants to do, but he definitely doesn’t want to attend school. He then told me that if I continue to push him....” Zvi’s voice trailed off as he began sobbing, his huge shoulders convulsing as his heart continued to break.
  “Just relax Rabbi Geller, take your time, and continue when you’re ready.” This was always an uncomfortable position to be in for Officer Thompson. He always felt like such an outsider, almost an impostor, an unwelcome guest that is only there out of necessity, but that is the compelling factor in the equation that pushes him do what he’s doing. “They need me right now, and Elijah needs me,” he thought to himself as the Rabbi tried to compose himself.
  “.........he said that if I continue to push him, that he would make choices and plans, but that they wouldn’t be at all what I would want for him.”
  “What did he mean by that?”
  “I have no idea, but I said, ‘Fine. You’re a grown man. Make decisions for your life. Let me know by 5pm tonight, and if you fail to do that, then you will attend Hebrew University in the fall.”
  “What did he say then?
  “That’s when he looked at me with the coldest eyes, emptiest eyes I have ever seen and said, “You will never see me, or talk to me again. Never.”
  Recalling those words and actually repeating them aloud served to finish one process that was put into motion already: Zvi’s heart, at that moment, was completely broken.

***

  Elijah knew that the wind and weather here generally came from the west-northwest, so he found a place where several large boulders the size of small cars partially encircled a soft part of the ground covered in pine needles. There was a small entrance that could be easily concealed, and the top was partially covered by overhanging limbs from pine and fir trees. Later he would strip some long branches and cover them with grass, leaves, ferns, or any other material he could find to improvise a more weather-proof covering for his new home. So as far as he could tell, this was about as good of a place as anyone could hope for. Somehow, in the process of meeting a mountain lion face to face, he’d managed to keep hold of his Tanakh, which, according to Christians, is the Old Testament. That was comforting, knowing that he had with him the very spoken words of God. He drew strength from knowing that the prophet Elijah also hid in a cave, as did David.

  They were hiding from people trying to kill them. Then and there, Elijah found himself hiding from....himself, from his own life. Where could he go to escape that? He remembered Psalm 139 that says, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? And where can I flee from Your Presence? If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the lowest depths, behold; You are there.” Elijah allowed those words to soak into his spirit for a few moments. The comforting presence of God washed over him and enveloped him like a warm blanket on a cold night.

  “Well, this is nice and I'd like to stay like this all night, but I need to get moving. This is a new life, a new start. No one to answer to, except God, and I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for Him to appear in a burning bush to talk to me. Unless He plans on feeding me manna and quail out here, I’m gonna need to go find some food.”

***

   “We’re almost there, Dad! Micah, climb up here on this rock with me....you can see forever!”
  “Wait up, Eric! Will you help me get on the rock, Daddy?”
  Mike had to admit this was the most fun he’d had in years. He realized just how blessed he really is to have a great job, a nice house, a newer car; but most importantly, he has two beautiful children who love each other and don’t fight like so many other kids. Eric is always looking out for his sister, and Micah looks up to Eric and confides in him. They both love God, and have given their lives to Jesus, which, Mike is convinced, makes all the difference in the world.
  “Ok sweetie, you can use me for balance. Push off from my shoulder, and place your right foot in this crevice. I’ll give you a boost, and then Eric will take your hand and pull you the rest of the way up, ok?”
  Micah scampered up the rock with no problem. Athletic prowess ran in the family. Both Mike and Linda were excellent athletes in high school and college. Eric is already playing varsity football, baseball, and wrestling; and Micah is in volleyball and cheerleading. They all love to stay active, though this is the first time they’ve been out together since the accident. Except for just a few passing comments like, “Ooh, these were mom’s favorite flowers,” or “Mom would love this view,” there wasn’t much emotional baggage being brought along today. They were just having a great time together.
  “Hey Micah, see that funny-looking tree over there?”
  “Yeah....so?”

  “Look to the left of it on the ground. There’s something white, like a towel or something. That’s really out of place out here....let’s go see what it is!”
  Micah looked down at her dad...”Can we, dad?”
  “You bet! Today we’re the three super-explorers and we go wherever we want, remember?!!”
  Eric leapt off the rock with impressive agility, then turned and offered his sister a hand. When they were both on the ground, they took off together through the trees toward their new discovery. Mike walked casually in their direction, receiving his own healing touch from nature, when he suddenly heard Micah scream. Mike dropped his heavy backpack and bolted toward them, not knowing exactly where they were, but able to follow the sound of his daughter’s cry. As he broke through the bushes and tree limbs, he came across Eric and Micah, both white as a sheet and trembling, holding a strange-looking garment that was about twice the size of a bath towel with tassels on the edges and long ones at each corner. There was strange writing on it....Mike recognized it as Hebrew from a religion course he took in college.

  By itself it was fascinating, but that’s not what made his little girl scream. The most intriguing part of this garment was not simply that it was obviously out of place here, deep in the forests of central Oregon, but that it was soaked in blood. Fresh blood.