“How lucky that you found us,” said Nona. “We are your family now. And, you’ll never be alone again with so many brothers and sisters.”
My throat was choked with emotions. I was good at reading people and every one of them was genuine based on what I could tell. Not all of the cult was bad. Good people made bad decisions every day. A poorly bad decision didn’t indicate that any of these people were bad, just that a lapse of judgement was made.
“Wait until the evening study group. Josiah is leading it. He does the best groups and we always have the most spirited discussions,” said Isa.
“What can I expect and who is Josiah?” I asked.
“Don’t tell her. It should be a surprise. We’ll go there after our meal,” said Isa.
I finished off my meal with an apple pie topped with cream. I was stuffed. They’d have to haul me out of my chair. Even sneaking some my food to Muffin, I still overate. Muffin didn’t have the same problem. He gorged on the steaks the attendants brought for his meal and was still looking expectedly for more. Greedy mutt.
Our table mates accompanied us to the study group. It was in a large room, but cozier than I expected. There were couches and pillows. They sure have a thing for pillows. Maybe they got a bulk discount for them or something.
I picked a random couch and Muffin jumped right up next to me. I tried pushing him off and when that didn’t work, tugged on his leash. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get him off the couch.
“It’s okay. He can go where we go. We value our companions,” said Isa.
Another way I stood out, but at least they were okay with it.
The room quickly filled up. I recognized a couple of people from the art lesson with Emma Lynn. Maybe one of them knows how I could contact her?
“Is there time to socialize after the study group?” I asked.
“Yes, but not much, we usually go straight to the nightly activity, which tonight is game night,” said Isa.
Josiah walked into the room. This was who was running the session? He just smiled at my surprise.
“Wait until he gets started. We don’t get him too often. You are so lucky to have this opportunity,” said Isa.
A plain and tall man took a spot behind the podium. “Welcome all. May The True One shine through the darkness,” said Josiah.
Everyone echoed that phrase.
“Tonight is a topic that can be difficult for many of The True One’s devoted. We will get through it together and come out stronger.”
“Trust. What is trust?” asked Josiah.
“It’s believing that you are safe with someone,” said a man.
“Yes, that’s part of it,” said Josiah.
“It’s what we give to The True One,” said a woman.
“Yes, that is also true. But what I want to talk about tonight is trust. It is the giving of yourself and having conviction that you can rely on someone or something without being hurt. It is knowing that your best decisions are taken into account and that your well-being is thought of. It’s also our ability to give ourselves wholly and freely to The True One. That is harder than it seems. Too often, we let fear, anxiety, and worries overtake our trust. It casts doubts and hurts our belief in something bigger than ourselves. The Book of Truth talks about this very thing. Please turn to Unity, Act II and Paragraph three in your devotional.”
Isa helped me find the section.
“Can I get a volunteer to read this section?” asked Josiah.
He looked around the room. “Thank you Brad. Please start at that section and end at Paragraph four.”
In a clear voice that projected from the man’s spot in the back of the room, the words of The Book of Truth came to me.
“For as I believe in you, I ask that you also believe in me and the love I bestow on you and your brothers and sisters. For I will never lie to you or lead you astray. I seek to help you walk the path of truth. For it is only on that path that you can see that which was hidden and experience the glory and goodness of The True One. Open up to my truth, assist your brothers and sisters to find me in the darkness for I am the light when they are lost and blind,” said Brad.
“That is one of my favorite passages and always leaves me in awe of The True One. He is the god above all others. Let’s discuss what he’s saying about trust and love. While he doesn’t use the word ‘trust’ that is what he refers to. This is a reminder of the love he has for us and the dream of sharing that with the world. We must trust in him to walk the path that he has shown us” said Josiah.
I found myself leaning forward and nodding at his question. There was logic in what he was saying and I found it pretty darn convincing. There was magic in these words that drew me in. I felt lighter and freer as those words were spoken by Brad. And, now listening to Josiah, it was like a light illuminating the darkness of ignorance with wisdom.
The session went on, we broke into small groups to share stories about trust. Because I was new, I didn’t have to share, which I was grateful for. I had no clue what I would have said. My backstory didn’t come with a philosophy and I certainly couldn’t
