The morning was sunkissed and warm, with clear blues skies - a stark contrast to the dreary cloudiness of the previous week. I found myself on a path, with green and yellow knee-high grass to either side of me, and oak trees spotting the landscape, strong and healthy from the recent rains.
I wore plain clothes, just a short-sleeved white shirt and some soft black pants, with grey and black walking shoes. And I had a golden medal dangling around my neck, held there by a red, white, and blue ribbon.
And then I saw him walking towards me. A man, yes, and he was older than I was. He wore a brown, tweed jacket over a blue button down shirt, with brown trousers, brown walking shoes, and a walking stick in his left hand. He was a bit shorter than I was, and looked a bit bookish and introverted, but, as he came closer, he smiled gently to me and beckoned me closer.
I made my way towards him. I was uncertain of what exactly he wanted from me, but a strange peace came over me when I heard him say from a distance, with an English accent, “Hello, Kevin! Beautiful morning for a walk!”
He knew my name, and I sensed he knew a lot about me. But I couldn’t place how I knew him.
“Hello!” I replied, tentatively, as we got closer and closer to each other.
As he approached me, he reached out his right hand and said, “Wonderful to finally meet you. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
I shook his hand, with a puzzled look on my face.
“A long time?” I asked. “I’m sorry, but you seem to know me, yet I don’t know you. May I ask what your name is?”
“Of course,” he said, gently. “My name is Jack. Jack Lewis. And it’s ok you that you don’t know me yet. You will. All in due time.
“Shall we?” Jack asked, as he pointed further down the path, from where he had come.
I nodded, and we set out together.
*
“So, tell me about that golden medal you’re wearing,” said Jack after a few silent minutes of walking.
“Don’t you know?” I asked, clutching the medal.
“I have fading memories of what medals were for,” said Jack, “but it’s been so long since I’ve been around medals. Maybe you could tell me about yours?”
“I can!” I said, confidently. “Every ten years, the First Steward gives you a new medal - either a golden one, a silver one, or a bronze one, based on your life over the previous decade. The medal is a representation of all you’ve accomplished for the Stewardship over the previous ten years, and also allows you access to everything the Stewardship gives you in return for your work.”
“What does the Stewardship give you in return for your work?” asked Jack.
“Well, everything!” I said. “The Stewardship gives food and drink and shelter and clothing and money and medical care and workout equipment and education and transportation - really, anything you could want.”
“But there’s a difference between a golden medal, a silver medal, and a bronze medal, right?” asked Jack.
“Yes,” I said, excited that he knew that. “The golden medal is for the top 10% of citizens. The silver medal is for the next 20% of citizens. And the bronze medal is for the remaining 70% of citizens.”
“So you’re part of the top 10% of citizens, is that right?” asked Jack.
“That’s correct,” I said, smiling, again clutching my golden medal.
We walked for a few minutes in silence. Then I asked, a bit tentatively, “Where is your medal? Aren’t we supposed to wear it at all times? That’s the law.”
“Where I come from, there are no more medals,” said Jack, gently. “We gave those up a long time ago.”
“But how do you live without a medal?” I asked.
“Well, first off, we don’t live - at least not in the way you do. In my country, the first step is to let your old life die. Only when that old life is dead can you enter into your new life - your true life.”
I shuttered at his words.
Jack continued, “It’s a kind of rebirth. And it takes years for this rebirth to really take root. But, in my country, with each passing day, and each passing year, you slowly come to realize that life is more than what you produce. You realize that life is about how you love. And how you give. And how you sacrifice. In my country, you actually live by loving, giving, and sacrificing.”
“But how is that possible?” I asked, shaken. “How do you eat and drink and take care of things?”
“All things are taken care of for us. By the High King. We put our complete trust in Him and He provides.”
“And what do you all do for work in your country?” I asked.
“There is no such thing as work in my country,” said Jack. “Only glory. We glorify the High King. He glorifies us. Everything comes from Him. All is in Him and through Him. And, in that glory, all is as it should be.”
“You mean that, in your country, you don’t have to prove yourself?” I asked.
“That’s correct,” said Jack, smiling. “All has already been proven. All has been taken care of. There is nothing left to do but simply live. To truly live.”
*
We continued down the path in silence for what seemed like a few hours. Gradually, something strange started happening. My golden medal started to gain weight - with each additional step. Just a little at first, but more and more as we walked. For my whole life, my medals (which, thankfully, were always golden) had hung so lightly around my neck. Almost weightless, really. But the further I walked with Jack, the more the golden medal weighed.
“Can we take a quick rest?” I asked Jack, as my shoulders hunched. “I’m a bit out of breath.”
“Of course we can,” replied Jack, gently.
And then we stood in silence.
“I know this is strange to say,” I said after a few moments, “but I’m having a bit of a hard time with my golden medal.”
“Yes, I know,” said Jack.
“This path we’re walking - where does it lead?” I asked, clutching my golden medal.
“This path leads to my country,” said Jack, smiling.
“I don’t know if I can make it much further,” I said as I hunched over. “For some reason, I’m very out of breath all of the sudden.”
“Yes, I can see that,” said Jack, gently. “But I can help you, if you’ll let me.”
“I don’t know,” I said, quickly. “I’ve never needed anyone’s help before, especially not on a leisurely morning walk. I’m sure I’ll be fine eventually. Let me just catch my breath.”
But I couldn’t catch my breath. The weight of my golden medal continued to grow and grow, so much so that I was now on my hands and knees, bent over, barely able to keep the golden medal off the ground.
“I’m not quite sure what’s happening!” I said to Jack, confused and frustrated. “I can’t seem to carry this weight!”
“I know,” said Jack, as he bent over me and put his hand reassuringly on my shoulder. “Nobody can.”
Then he bent down next to me and said, “Let me help you with that weight.”
“No!” I said, quickly. “I’ve never had any issues carrying my medals before. I’ll figure this out, and then we can continue our walk.”
“We cannot go any further unless you let me help you,” said Jack, gently.
“No, really,” I said. “I’ll be fine. Let me stand back up and we can continue.”
I tried to stand up, but the weight of the golden medal was too much. I did all I could to keep the medal off the ground, but I finally gave in and let the medal slam to ground with a thud - dragging me to the ground with it.
“I don’t know what’s going on!” I said to Jack. “I’m so embarrassed. I’ve never experienced this before!”
“Just take off the golden medal,” Jack said, softly.
“No, it’s ok,” I said, looking up at Jack. “I’ve got this.”
“Please, just take off the golden medal,” Jack said, again softly.
“I have to wear this golden medal. At all times. It’s the law. I’ll lose everything if I don’t keep it on.”
“Yes,” said Jack, “but look what the golden medal is doing to you.”
“This is just a blip,” I said. “I’ll fix it. Let me get some training in over the next couple weeks and then I’ll be strong enough to walk with you.”
“No,” Jack said, gently. “There is nothing you can do now to carry that weight. Don’t you see? We are in a new country now. In this country, you must leave your golden medal behind.”
“I can’t do that!” I cried. “My golden medal is all I have! I’ll lose everything if I leave it behind!”
“Yes,” said Jack, “that is true. If you leave behind your golden medal, you will lose everything - even your very life. But think of what you’ll gain in this new country! Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! Against such things there is no law! You will have life, and life to the full!”
I looked up at Jack and he shown with the brilliance of an angel, as if the sun itself was shining through him. More, there were tears running down his cheeks.
“Let me help you,” Jack said, softly. He reached down and put his radiant hands around my golden medal.
“Please, Jack,” I cried, as my own tears started streaming down my face. “I’m so scared!”
“Yes, we all have been scared like you,” Jack said, gently. “But true love drives out fear.”
And then Jack, as with a kind of superhuman power, removed the golden medal from around my neck.
“No!” I screamed.
And then I sat upright in my bed, sweat pouring down my face and pajamas soaked through.
“What is it, Love?” she asked, startled. “Are you ok?”
“I think so,” I said, softly. “Yes, I think I’m ok.”
I took a few deep breaths and gathered myself.
“Everything ok?” she asked.
“I think so,” I said, softly. “I think everything is going to be ok.”
📚