The Modern Day

“Messiah”
By Christopher Foster
My name is Elizabeth, my last name isn’t important. What’s
important? What’s important is that I tell his story, Paul’s story. What
I’m about to tell you is neither a lie nor a joke, its real. What I’m
about to tell you is very important. Paul was a man that knew he was
put on this earth for a reason, he just didn’t know why. The year was
1960 and everything imaginable was going on from Civil Rights to
prejudice and segregation but little did the world know something
amazing was about to happen. When Paul was 2 years old he was
dropped off in front of Saint Jews Foster Care Center in St. Louis MO.
Little was known about Paul’s parents at the time and this made Paul
angry. He didn’t know who or what he was although any orphan
would feel the same way and although Paul didn’t know who he was
he knew he was meant for something. Paul had a secrete, a secrete
some would call fact while others would call it fiction, a secrete that
made him famous when he got older. Paul thought he was cursed, he
always thought that there were good curses and bad curses but all
curses had a consequence. Paul always wondered why when he was
7 years old he fell off a tree and split his head open, most kids would
die from an injury like that but Paul survived in less in a month! Paul
always wondered why when he was 14 he got hit by a car and the car
broke his leg in four places; most teens would need at least two
months to heal, Paul recovered in less than twenty-four hours! The
doctors were shocked, how could a regular kid recover that fast? Was
it good health or was it something else? What ever it was it was no
short of amazing and that’s exactly how I would describe the next set
of events. Paul had a friend named Ryan; he met Ryan at the Foster
Home. Ryan was Paul’s best friend and Ryan’s mother was like a
mother to Paul. She was his mentor, his teacher, and his friend; she
died of cancer when Paul turned 30. Ryan asked Paul to come over
and keep him company and say his last words to his mother who was
lying in her bed. Paul walked into the room and saw her on the bed
cold and lifeless. Paul walked up to her and started crying, tears ran
down his face like a waterfall. He sat next to her and took her cold
hand, he then closed his eyes and prayed to God, he said “why, why,
God did you let this happen, I, I, ….she was my teacher and mentor, she was
the only mother I ever known and you took her away from me! I didn’t know
who I was but she taught me that even in the darkest of darkness there’s
always light. She was my light and now that light is gone, what do I do
now? God I know this is impossible but, but can you give me a sign, a sign
to let me know that everything will be ok, please God please!” Impossible,
that’s what Paul said but what happened next was just that,
impossible. Suddenly Paul felt fingers moving, what he thought was
his own was actually hers! He then felt his hand get warmer and
warmer, Paul looked up and saw her moving! Paul called Ryan into
the room and they both watched in disbelief as their mother rose
from the dead! Her eyes opened and she started crying tears of joy as
did her sons. It was amazing; a 64-year-old woman who died of
cancer suddenly came back to life. This was all over the news; some
thought it was the work of God while others thought it was just
magic. Paul was skeptical; he listened to all the doctors as they came
up with several different reasons why a person who may look dead
can actually not be dead at all. Paul thought it was fake too, but he
also thought maybe just maybe he made his best friend’s mother
come back to life. A few weeks later Paul went out for a walk to think
things over, he sat in the park for a while. As he sat in the park he
saw a bird with a broken wing on the ground and it looked like it
was about to die. Paul picked it up and knew the bird didn’t have
much time left so he whistled a melody to the bird. The melody
wasn’t from a movie, song or TV show but a melody that would
soothe even the worst ears. The melody must have been some form of
magic because just seconds later the bird’s wing was healed and it
flew away! Paul was now more than ever a believer; he knew that
this wasn’t just magic. Paul still wanted to see if he was the “one” so
a few months later Paul went out to the edge of the Mississippi River
and thought to himself “what if I could walk on it.” Paul then took off
his shoes and began to walk across the river and he was astounded,
the water was cold but Paul wasn’t falling, he was walking on the
water like it was the ground. It was almost like this water; this river
was made for him. As Paul walked back he saw a boat full of fishers
and they were in shock at what they were seeing. Soon all around the
country Paul was known as the “modern day messiah” and this got
Paul thinking “could I be the reincarnation of Christ.” Paul knew he had
a gift but to be sure Paul decided to go across seas to the city of
Nazareth in Isreal to find out anything he could about his parents
and this is where I met him. I worked as a carpenter, the work was
hard but it paid enough, Nazareth was an ok place to live but it could
be better a lot better. I saw him walking into the main parts of the
city. He looked like a man that was looking for something but didn’t
know what he was looking for. We met that evening, he asked me for
a place to stay and I let him stay with me and it was these days and
nights that made me realize Paul was an amazing man, he spoke in a
poetic way that made him seem to know everything about anything.
The year was 1993 and Paul had lived with me in Nazareth for over a
year and was still searching for any clue about who his parents were.
One day Paul finally found what he was looking for because that
night Paul came home and told me that he had made a huge
discovery. Paul told me that he had went to an old church outside of
the city and found an old piece of the Old Testament and found out
that it was actually a missing piece. The missing piece read “The
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. I shall
be with my father after the great storm passes and on the third day I
shall raise and two thousand years later I shall have a reincarnation
of myself and he shall do my father’s will.” Paul then found out from
an old minister that this was actually a part of a letter that Jesus
himself wrote. The minister also gave Paul a letter that explained in
great detail the secrete of Paul’s parents. The letter read “To my best
friend’s son, Paul I’m telling you this because you’re parents would want me to.
Your mother’s name was Mariann but we all called her Mary and your father’s
name was Abraham. You were born in this church purposely away from the public
and here’s why. Before you were born your mother had a dream and in this dream
she said God spoke to her. She said God told her that she was going to have a
special son, a son that was going to be the reincarnation of his only son, Jesus! Your
mother told the entire city about this, she knew it was true while others feared this
and thought this was a trick by the devil. A clan of assassins came together and
thought it was best to kill Mary and her unborn baby but when your mother had
you she had to make the ultimate sacrifice, she died hours after giving birth to you.
Soon after your father took you away from here and took you to the United States
where you could live a safe and peaceful life and soon after unknown assassins killed
your father. Paul my dear boy, now you know the truth and please I beg you to
leave this place. God gave you this gift for a reason, I don’t know why but you are
the one that can show this modern day world that God is real.” As Paul finished
reading the letter he began to cry and I began to comfort him. It
was like a heavy weight was lifted and yet an even bigger one was
put on him. Paul didn’t know why he was given this gift but he
didn’t care at this point. That night was a night to remember
because it was the night Paul told me that he loved me. I thought,
finally he said it and I also thought about what they say about love
at first sight, its true. I loved Paul so much, not because of his gift
but because he was a gift to me. I’ve waited so long for a man like
Paul to come and talk me and share my interests and have a love
for me that could only be matched by the love of God! I said that
night was a night to remember because in the middle of the night
Paul woke up and looked like he had seen a ghost. He told me that
he had a dream and in this dream God actually spoke to him. He
told me God said “My son, I know you’re scared but I’m here to tell you I
gave you this gift for two reasons. The first reason is because I needed someone
to show this new world the light. With all the wars and hate going on I needed
someone to do what Christ did. Which is to show love, peace, and compassion
and that is what I need you to do. I need you to show love, peace, and
compassion, show it through my eyes. The second reason I chose you is because
your mother and father died for you and for my message to be heard. Now, there
is a man named Father Moore, he is the Prime Minister of Nazareth. He has
become ill with cancer and will die in a week unless you heal him. You have the
power to heal him that is why I’m giving you this choice. Its your decision but
I’m also here to warn you of the dangers of Nazareth because after two thousand
years people are still simple minded and don’t believe in my word or in me.”
Paul then asked me who Father Moore was. I told him Father
Moore was elected Prime Minister of Nazareth two years ago and
since then Nazareth has become a place of hate and confusion. He’s
made laws against paying lower class workers like me and he’s
even killed several people and children for disobeying him and
since he’s the head of the government there’s no stopping him.
After I told Paul this, he knew he had a default decision to make.
He could either heal a modern day Hitler or save Nazareth by
allowing Father Moore to die but in doing this Paul could be
sentenced to death! The day finally came when one of Father
Moore’s men came and asked Paul to come with him. By this time
everyone in Nazareth knew about Paul and his secrete. A few hours
later Paul came back and told me after a heated argument Paul
didn’t heal Father Moore, I embraced Paul with a hug and kiss. I
was happy for Paul and for Nazareth but at the same time I was
still worried but I didn’t care, Paul did what he thought was right
and that’s why I loved him. Three days later Paul and I shared our
final dinner; afterwards Paul sat me down and said that he couldn’t
live without me. He said that if it was possible he would trade this
gift for the greatest gift of all, me. Paul then bent down with tears
in his eyes and said the words “will you marry me my dear sweet
Elizabeth?” Without hesitation I said yes, his words and my reply
were like music to my ears there was nothing that could break this
moment. Until we get a knock at the door and suddenly four men
came in the house and took Paul away! I kept asking what’s going
on, why are you doing this and the only words I heard were Paul’s
as he said “I love you!” They took Paul away to the capital building
and they put Paul in jail for two weeks. Those were the longest two
weeks of my life. Everyday people from all over the world came to
my house asking about Paul, it was as if he was like some kind of
celebrity. After two weeks Paul had his day in court and it was
broadcast all over the news and after a long trail they found Paul
guilty of fraud and murder. The judge said “If your are the
reincarnation of Jesus why didn’t you heal Father Moore. You’ve
been here for two weeks and you’ve said nothing in you defense,
which means you must have came here to purposely kill Father
Moore. You are a liar and you are not the “new god”. As the prime
judge of Nazareth I sentence you to death for fraud and murder!”
Those were the most harmful words I’ve ever heard. They were
going to kill Paul because God chose him and he didn’t save Father
Moore. One day later Paul was taken to a room and in this room
was seven men with guns ready to kill. As his fiancée I was asked
to attend but I didn’t want to go to such a massacre instead I
watched from a special room. From beginning to end I cried, every
bullet that went into his body I felt, every moan and scream he
made I heard and every tear he shed they were shed be me as well.
A total of sixteen bullets went into Paul’s body sixteen, bullets that
were never meant to be there. When Paul died I think apiece of me
died too, I felt dead and cold inside; I had just lost the best thing
that ever happened to me. The way I see it Paul knew what he was
getting in to when he went to Father Moore. Three days later I
received a letter, it was a letter Paul had written to me the day
before he died. The letter read “Dear Elizabeth,
I write this to you as a friend and your gift
to the world. As you know I’m about die and
please, please don’t cry, if you do let it be
tears of not sorrow but of joy. I know this is not
right but I did what I thought was right. I let a
man die but only to save many more, I thought
to myself why should I let a man full of sin live.
God gave me this gift to help and save
Nazareth and you. God’s gift to you was I and
God’s gift to me was you. Please my dear
sweet Elizabeth don’t worry about me cause
soon I’ll be with my mother and father in
heaven. God gave me this gift to show this
world that God is still real as is his message.
That is why I need you to go and spread God’s
word, this world still needs saving and after
two thousand years its time for a change. Tell
the world about me, put hope in all who fear it
and make believers out of the non- believers. I
love with all my heart Elizabeth, I will miss you
but I will always be with you. Seeing is
believing and I thank you for believing in me as
I believed in you!”
Love, Paul,
your modern
day Messiah