The sermon, as promised, dealt with the proposition that the road to Hell was paved with good intentions. It was not enough for us to act with the best and most righteous goals in mind, Martin Vanderpoel told us, because the highest purpose could be betrayed if it were advanced by actions which were not good and righteous in and of themselves.
I didn't pay too much attention to how he elaborated on this because my mind got caught up in the central thesis of the argument and played with it. I wondered whether it was worse for men to do the wrong things for the right reason or the right things for the wrong reason. It wasn't the first time I wondered, or the last.
Then we were standing, and his arms were spread, his robed draping like the wings of an enormous bird, his voice vibrant and resonant.
'The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.'
Amen.
A few people slipped out of the church without stopping for a few words with Reverend Vanderpoel.
The rest lined up for a handshake. I managed to be at the end of the line.
When it was finally my turn Vanderpoel blinked at me. He knew my face was familiar, but he couldn't figure out why.
Then he said, 'Why, it's Mr. Scudder! I certainly never expected to see you at our services.'
'It was enjoyable.'
'I'm pleased to hear you say that. I hardly anticipated seeing you again, and I didn't dream of hoping that our incidental meeting might lead you to search for the presence of God.' He looked past my shoulder, a half-smile on his lips. 'He does work in mysterious ways, does He not?'
'So it seems.'
'That a particular tragedy could have this effect upon a person like yourself.
I imagine I might find myself using that as a theme for a sermon at some later date.'
'I'd like to talk to you, Reverend Vanderpoel. In private, I think.'
'Oh, dear,' he said. 'I'm quite pressed for time today, I'm afraid. I'm sure you have a great many questions about religion, one is always filled with questions that seem to have a great need for immediate answers, but-'
'I don't want to talk about religion, sir.'
'Oh?'
'It's about your son and Wendy Hanniford.'
'I already told you all that I know.'
'I'm afraid I have to tell you some things, sir. And we'd better have that conversation now, and it really will have to be private.'
'Oh?' He looked at me intently, and I watched the play of emotions on his face. 'Very well,' he said.
'I do have a few tasks that need to be attended to. I'll just be a moment.'
I waited, and he wasn't more than ten minutes. Then he took me companionably by the arm and led me through the back of the church and through a door into the rectory. We wound up in the room we had been in before. The electric fire glowed on the hearth, and again he stood in front of it and warmed his long-fingered hands.
'I like a cup of coffee after morning services,' he said. 'You'll join me?'
'No, thank you.'
He left the room and came back with coffee. 'Well, Mr. Scudder? What's so urgent?' His tone was deliberately light, but there was tension underneath it.
'I enjoyed the services this morning,' I said.
'Yes, so you said, and I'm pleased to hear it. However-'
'I was hoping for a different Old Testament text.'
'Isaiah is difficult to grasp, I agree. A poet and a man of vision. There are some interesting commentaries on today's reading if you're interested.'
'I was hoping the reading might be from Genesis.'
'Oh, we don't start over until Whitsunday, you know. But why Genesis?'
'A particular portion of Genesis, actually.'
'Oh?'
'The Twenty-second Chapter.'
He closed his eyes for a moment and frowned in concentration. He opened them and shrugged apologetically. 'I used to have a fair memory for chapter and verse. It's been one of the casualties of the aging process, I'm afraid. Shall I look it up?'
I said, ' And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.'
