A man in a mask walks into a church with a gun in his hand.

Every step that he takes with his glock is a tick or a tock on a clock who’s alarm means it’s time for someone to enter that eternal sleep.

As he walks towards the alter, Psalm 23 becomes everyone’s native tongue. If the Lord was their Shepherd why was he allowing this man to lead them like lambs to the slaughter?

Every son and every daughter covers their head and begins to cry as this guy’s gun begins to rise…
And you can imagine their confusion when he closes his eyes and presses the muzzle against his temple’s side and…

He starts to talk.

He talks about how his faith is weak.
He talks about the prayers he prays but doesn’t believe.

He talks about how his son isn’t actually his son.
He talks about how is daughter is a bigger slut than her mum.

He talks about how society has alienated him.
He talks about how he can’t do anything wrong without being judged.

He talks about how his lack of voice has left him no choice but to end his life.

The congregation finally remember theirs spines and begin shouting lines like,

“You’re going to hell”
“Pull the trigger”
“There’s no place in heaven for people like you”

He cocks back the gun and is about to shoot when a lady tells him to stop.

She says she recognizes his voice.

She says he’s a member of the congregation.

She takes his silence for omission and makes it her mission to end this without blood being spilled
She says if he talks to their pastor everything will be better.

He says it’s too late for the pastor to do anything for him but she disagrees.

She talks about how people’s lives have changed because of the pastor.
She talks about how marriages have been saved because of the pastor.
She talks about how the dead have been raised because of the pastor.

She talks about how junkies have become doctors, criminals have become lawyers and beggars have become rich men because of the pastor.

She talks about how even the most wretched, unlovable people have experienced God’s unconditional love because of the pastor.

His attention is has finally been caught and demands to see the pastor.

She asks him to wait, because the pastor’s running late.

He tells her to call the pastor’s phone.

She’s hesitant at first but takes out her phone and dials the pastor’s number.

Suddenly the hall is filled a soul stirring rendition of Amazing Grace as the phone in the masked man’s back pocket begins to ring.

He answers and watches her quiver as her mouth utters a trembling ‘Hello?’

through her phone,

through his phone

and into his ear.

He doesn’t reply.

Bang.

Poem written by Bobby A

…Seek God first.