Unlikely Church Chapter 2

Continuation of the story of Jake and Sarah after they left the bar in Oklahoma City. Jake and Sarah found themselves standing face to face in his darkened farmhouse on the western edge of Oklahoma City. Sarah, a 21-year-old elementary education major, stood clothed in her past righteousness and faithfulness to her Christian heritage. She fekt dizzy in the realization that she was in Jake’s house. Standing in front of Jake, she felt naked in the inadequacy of her beliefs. All that she has ever been seems at risk in the presence of Jake.  

Jake, a 37-year-old self-made man stood confident in himself. In the hush of his empty house, he whispered scripture from Ecclesiastes. “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  There is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”

Speaking with a full voice, Jake said, “This is the good that we should do. He made you beautiful for such a time as this. Don’t be afraid of the things God creates for us to do. Accept the gifts your creator has given.”  

Sarah felt lost and dizzy as so much of what she’d always believed fell away. It felt like waves of relief rolled over her, relief that she didn’t have to be perfect. Relief that there might be more pleasures in this physical existence than she’d realized.

Sarah didn’t speak but Jake saw the look of relief in her face. His father had been a preacher and told Jake that people’s faces had a way of telling you when they were ready for conversion. He said he could see in the faces of sinners if they were ready for the harvest.

Jake saw Sarah more as an angel than a sinner, but he did sense that she was ready for change in her life. In her round face and childlike eyes, he saw her hesitation and conflict falling away. He moved toward Sarah and placed his hands on her shoulders. To an onlooker it would have looked like a father appealing to his daughter, but Sarah wasn’t his daughter.

“Sarah,” Jake said, “this is your time.” He leaned down and kissed Sarah on the lips pausing to feel her warmth.

As Jake's lips met Sarah's, the world seemed to pause around them. Sarah, who had been poised on the precipice of her old life and the unknown, felt a surge of emotions. The kiss was gentle, a question rather than a demand, and it gave her the space to decide what she wanted.

In that moment, Sarah realized that she was at a crossroads. The life she had known, filled with strict beliefs and a clear path, was comforting in its certainty, but it had also felt constricting. Jake represented something else, a life where faith could coexist with questions, where she could explore the world and its pleasures without the fear of condemnation.

Pulling back slightly, Sarah looked into Jake's eyes, searching for answers to questions she couldn't quite articulate. Jake, sensing her turmoil, didn't push for more. He simply held her gaze, steady and unwavering.

"Sarah," he said softly, "whatever you decide, it's okay. This is your life, your journey. You don't have to be anything that doesn’t feel right. I'm not here to lead you but walk with you."

Sarah felt the weight of her upbringing, the expectations of her community, and the fear of judgment begin to lift.

"Thank you, Jake," she whispered, a newfound strength in her voice.

Still standing in Jake’s embrace, Sarah began to unbutton the top of her dress. Jake stood still and watched her trembling fingers struggle with the top two buttons. He cupped his large hands over hers and she paused as their eyes met.

“I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Let’s slow down.”

Sarah looked embarrassed and her round cheeks turned pink.

He probably thinks I’m a slut for falling so easily, she thought.

Jake saw the redness of her face, and said, “You’re not like any woman I’ve known and I’ve known a few. I think you’re a special young lady. I don’t want to do anything that blocks us from having a future together if that’s in the cards.”

They continued to stand quietly for a moment absorbing what had happened.  They were no longer just a man and a woman from different worlds, but two individuals at the edge of discovering something deeper. they stepped away from each other, the tension of the moment eased, replaced by a comfortable silence.

Sarah knew there would be consequences to the changes she felt inside. There might be difficult conversations with family and friends as she struggled to figure out what her beliefs were and how they might change to accommodate relationship with others. Jake’s quiet understanding had shown her that it was possible to honor her heritage while also embracing the beauty and complexity of the present.

Together, they walked to the porch of Jake’s little farmhouse where they sat and talked for two hours, sharing stories, dreams, and fears. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter for both of them, one where judgment was replaced with acceptance, and where the journey mattered more than the destination.

Later as she lay in bed in her lonely apartment, Sarah thought of her early teaching. Perfect happiness has been promised in the next life as a reward for the merits man acquires on earth. The more virtuous you are in life the greater your capacity for happiness in heaven.

Those teachings seemed distant now. The idea of living forever didn’t seem real but she knew the concrete meaning of death. When she was in high school, the death of Jennifer, a friend in her faith, taught her the finality of existence. At the viewing, Sarah had tried to imagine Jennifer’s spirit taking flight toward heaven, but her dead body was the only reality she saw.

She remembered a conversation with Jennifer after her terminal diagnosis. Jennifer said, “I’ve remained pure for my Lord. I’ve been tempted but never succumbed to desires by staying emersed in scripture and growing in my faith instead. If I die, I’ll die as a virgin to be united with my Lord in eternity.”

Sarah hadn’t said anything but hugged her friend, wondering how long they had remaining in life.

Standing beside her friend’s remains she’d felt a deep conviction that Jennifer had no chance of continued existence. Jennifer had been so still, so cold. She was so completely absent of life. It seemed like such a tragic loss to realize she’d known so little of life.

Sarah needed to sleep and rolled over to face her curtained window. The next day was Sunday and church followed by a week filled with college classes. Maybe she could put thoughts of Jake aside in her business.