Page 43 of A Boy Called Lovesong

I smirked at the irony. “If only you knew me better.”

“Perhaps I’ll get the chance to do just that.”

The bell tolled again. “Shit, I gotta go. Maybe you’ll decide to join us. I play the organ. Come for the music if nothing else.”

With that he hurried out of the room, again moving so deftly that it was as though he could see perfectly.

I heard his footsteps bounding down the crumbling grand staircase.

I went to the balcony and watched as he raced across the road, splashing through puddles, saying, “Coming through. Excuse me,” so other townsfolk headed toward the church doors could step out of his way.

A moment later I heard the rich, deep chords of an organ playing.

I looked back to the bed where Chet sat looking expectantly at me.

“You wanna go downstairs and take a peek?” I asked.

Chet barked and wagged his tail.

“Okay. But just a peek.”

The entire town had already filed into the church by the time Chet and I ventured warily across the street, avoiding the muddy potholes.

Through the open doors of the church, I saw the tiny township seated at the pews.

Cybil and Earl were there, as well as Li’l Leroy now dressed in his Sunday best even though it wasn’t Sunday at all. Beside Leroy sat Maybelle, and behind them sat the workers from the cotton fields, while up in the front pew sat a woman whom I hadn’t yet met. I knew this despite the fact that from where I stood just outside the door, all I could see was the back of her.

Her gray hair was tied in a bun like a school mistress.

There was a string of pearls around her neck.

And in her hand was a black silk fan which she waved busily to keep her neck cool.

On the left side of the raised dais was an organ at which Lovesong sat, while standing behind a wooden pulpit on the right was Reverend Jim, dressed in black as he addressed his flock.

“Grace and peace be unto you all, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ above,” he said, arms raised and his voice booming with authority. “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are gathered here today in the presence of our Holy Father, united in his love and grace. As we gather as a community, I feel led by the Holy Spirit to speak on the theme of welcoming the stranger—a biblical command, a divine invitation, and a call to reflect the love of Christ. But as we open our hearts, we must also remember to guard them, for the enemy moves like a shadow, always seeking to swallow the light.”

Was he referring to me?

Was I the shadow?

I inched further behind the door.

“The Scriptures tell us, time and again, that we are to welcome the stranger, the foreigner, and the outsider. In Leviticus chapter nineteen, verse thirty-four, God commands us to treat the sojourner as one of our own, saying, ‘The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt, and I am the Lord your God.’”

The woman with the silk fan called out, “Amen!”

The reverend nodded his approval of the woman’s remark. “But be warned, dear brothers and sisters. As we open our hearts and homes, we must also remain vigilant. The Good Book warns us that while God calls us to welcome the stranger, the enemy is always seeking an opportunity to sow division, confusion, and destruction. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour’ says Peter, chapter five, verse eight.”

I shuffled another step backward.

“This is a sobering reminder, my children of Christ. We are not just opening our doors to those who come in peace; we are also called to discern the spirit behind every encounter. It is not enough to simply be kind and hospitable; we must also be watchful. Not every person who enters our lives comes in the name of Christ. We must remember that the Devil can disguise himself as an angel of light, so says the Book of Corinthians. He may appear in the guise of a stranger, but his intentions are far from holy. We must exercise wisdom and discernment, especially when inviting someone into our community. Are their words aligned with the truth of the Gospel? Does their life reflect the fruits of the Spirit according to the Book of Galatians—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control? Or has the Devil come for your soul?”

“Amen!” cried the woman in the front row.

“Amen!” nodded the reverend.

“A song!” shouted Maybelle. “Let us praise the Lord with our voices raised in song.”

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