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Fortunato
by Josh Bruce History may show this last November to be the time when the republic was saved, or to be the last gasp of freedom from a dying dream. While all hope rests in Christ, there is much responsibility placed on man. There are some in particular that bear this burden more acutely. I speak mainly of those individuals who hold new found positions and new found recognition. These leaders would do well to heed the warning of Fortunato. In one of his short stories, Edgar Allan Poe details the last moments of this man, Fortunato. The narrator has been wronged by the title character and decides to kill him. Fortunato is respected and feared by many. Despite his wealth and power, he does have a weakness. He is extremely prideful of his own connoisseurship of wine. The narrator informs Fortunato that he has procured of bottle of, what he believes to be, rare Amontillado. He says he is on the way to another well known connoisseur named Luchesi to test the voracity of the salesman's claim. This predictably inflames the pride of Fortunato and he insists that he be the judge of the libation. The narrator leads him into a wine cellar deep, deep under his home. When they are well out of earshot, He chains the drunken Fortunato to the back of a small room and using brick and mortar, seals off the door, walling him in forever. The moment you set foot in the beltway, many will see you as Fortunato. There will be many attempts to lure you close. Countless opportunities to compromise. You will hear things like "welcome to the club" and "come on, every one does it." There will be attempts to co-op you, to tone you down, to make you fit their mold. Should you stand firm, you will hear "Maybe I should go to Luchesi, he knows what's going on." Do not follow! Their words may sound sweet, but their throats are open graves. They are the problem we have trusted you to remedy. I beg you, do not be swayed be the leadership of men, but by the leadership of your creator. You will have many choices to make. So many will see you as a way to reenergize their own careers. They will lead you deep into the wine cellar, promising a great prize. "Find yourself with us and you will never have to worry." "Nothing really changes, not fundamentally." You will brush webs from your face as you descend. The air may thicken with mold and nitre. Darkness, true darkness is something you can feel. It can wrap you like blanket. If you did not know that before, you will learn it then. Soon, you may reach a point. A point were you realize where you are and what you have done. A point where every tiny lapse of conviction cascades down upon you. You turn to head back to the surface, back to the light from whence you came. Two steps in to your escape you are hit in the gut with a bat. Only it is not a bat. It's just how it feels when you reach the end of a chain wrapped firmly around your waist. In horror you strain to see through the pitch. You call out to those you trusted. To your temporary relief, they answer. They say "welcome to the club." As your eyes adjust you take in the horror before you. A wall is being constructed by those who lead you down. Terror briefly gives way to confusion as you notice that they are building this wall from the inside! They are walling you and themselves in. Understand this, the leadership of our forefathers is gone. Those that still think they can play business as usual will destroy themselves and take you down with them. You must resurrect the values and leadership of the past. No one will do this for you and everyone will try to stop you. You, by yourself can be defeated. You all must become something more than yourselves. You must embody freedom, hope and charity or you will fail. There is more at stake than your next term. There is even more at stake than the greatest country this world has known. One day we will all stand in front of our creator and answer for the stewardship we have shown over what we were given. This is not a game you can play for four years and go home. Your choices have eternal ramifications. For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 My name is Josh Bruce. I am a 30 year old security alarm technician. I attend North Wake Baptist Church in Wake Forest. I am married with three children. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |