The man sat in the balcony watching
the revered reverend pass the torch
to his equally progressive successor
who had come highly recommended

by a famous, book publishing, liberal
buddy of the progressive pastor. The
young successor, hand-picked by the
pastor and his famous buddy, sat with

his handsome family. The beloved
pastor asked the young man to stand.
The much beloved pastor then said,
“Behold your people. People behold

your new shepherd,” almost like Jesus
on the cross telling the beloved
disciple and Jesus’ mother to behold
each other. For the next two years the

now beloved former pastor sat in
the front row as “the kid” (as the
near sainted former beloved pastor
called him) preached. In three

years, the revered reverend had
started his own congregation in
the clubhouse of a nearby country
club, “the kid” had headed back

home and a right-wing, evangel-
ical mega-church had purchased
the building and began advertising
their ten a.m. “rock n’ praise”

service. Some make things happen.
Some watch things happen. Some
ask, “What happened?” At least
the evangelicals are happy.