Perfect in the Weakness: A Divine Mandate Story

*"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. " 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV*

"What kind of power does God have when Speer rules from Zlatoust to Petrograd? What are we supposed to do about that?" Marian asked. The Father wore his robes, his goatee neatly managed, and there was softness in his eyes. She wore mercenary camouflage along with a patch with a skull smoking a cigar and "Republic of West Alaska" in two languages and three alphabets.

The American Dream had failed in Russia, but she would keep it up for a memory. Still, she was a woman of God, but she just wanted to know.

"And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me. Psalms 50:15," he said.

"I know. That's what everyone says. All I know is that I came here for money, I found God after WerBell died, and everyone's mostly happy here, but right across the Zlatoust Line is German settlements and slaves in all but name. Where's God?" she asked.

"This is...a complicated question. People call it the Problem of Evil. It's been asked ever since Epicurus. There are a lot of answers, Marian. I could say that some evil is necessary, or that evil is simply the absence of God and of good. I could say that the LORD wanted to give us free will. I've wrestled with this, as you have. The answer that I've come to is that the LORD gives us all challenges. Why did the LORD give us Speer and not the warmonger? Why did Speer decide to formally abolish slavery? Why did your Magadan fall to Rodzaevsky only for that Haman to be defeated by Valery Sablin?

"Ultimately, I think that it is because the LORD gives us challenges we could handle. We can handle a heartless leader of the Eagle Empire, but that same heartless leader was willing to treat his subjects with some few precious mercies. The new Haman won out, only to be defeated by a man who will find his way to Heaven. Without struggle, there would be no change, and without change, there would be no challenge, and without challenge there would be no growth.

"Adam and Eve lived in Eden, but was it not the LORD's plan for them to leave? Surely the LORD wouldn't have allowed the Serpent to tempt them if he had not intended it, as he is all-knowing and all loving. Our world is not Eden. It is harsh, chaotic, and at times destructive, but only because God knows that there is also kindness and hope that could never be found in Eden. That kindness and that hope will triumph. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the LORD: walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8."

"Okay, sure, but isn't that kind of callous? I get that we can't live in a perfect world, but there has to be somewhere in between a perfect world and Speer being the most powerful man in the world. What about Yockey? I can't go back home because of that lunatic. What about my family? What about when his Klan buddies start burning crosses in their yards, or worse? God is just fine with that?"

"The LORD is not. That's why he sent us here. To make sure that nobody, to use your example, finds themselves the target of fascists again. We can't make the LORD do all the work, surely."

"I thought you were a turn-the-other-cheek kind of guy," she said. She ran a hand through her crinkled hair.

"I am, but I am also a Christian. The LORD said that he would not bring peace, but a sword. Do you know what he meant by that?"

"That he'd bring conflict like you were saying?" she asked. She sat down on a pew in the Father's modest church, finally getting tired of standing.

"No. The sword is a divider. It divides families, divides peoples, it even divides nations. Sablin, you, me, all the people who embrace each other and live free and happy in the Mandate, all of the faithful worshippers and those on the path to the LORD in the greater world, we are the ones who have accepted the LORD's gift. People like the new Haman, or Speer, they are divided too. They are not just godless, which is forgivable, but heartless.

"While Speer may have allowed Christianity to exist in Germany, he himself is far from a Christian man. Rodzaevsky of course needs no explanation. They are aware of the LORD, they simply disobey him. The LORD allows such people to exist, but those people are only free so long as they live. Then, the LORD will judge them as he sees fit. Until then, we must do our best to use our God-given free will and all the other things I mentioned to make this Earthly realm a godly one."

"I guess that makes sense, in some way. This life is a trial, God gave us evil so that we have freedom but expects us to be good...That all makes sense. I just need to ask. What about my girlfriend? For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. Romans 1:26. Isn't that God saying that I'm doing something wrong? At least, that's what my old church believes. They probably believe it even more, now."

"You know as well as I do that that verse refers to the Isis cult in Rome. It is not a condemnation of a mercenary and a woman from Magadan. I personally don't have an issue with it as far as I know."

"But it's saying that that was one of the things that the followers of Isis did. If it was just against the Isis cult, then they wouldn't be talking about 'vile affections' and 'changing the natural use into that which is against nature'. It also talks about men having sex with each other, which would imply that God isn't really okay with homosexuals. I remember Sunday school."

He frowned at that, slumped in his simple wooden chair, and thought about it. "I don't have an answer for you today. I'll have one when the LORD feels it is the right time, and I'll try to see any relevant context. If the LORD is opposed to homosexuality, then I will tell you and for the sake of your faith I will ensure that you and Eudoxia will still be close friends but nothing more to the best of my ability. If the LORD is not, then I will be happy to tell you as well. I would like to tell you that the LORD is fine with it, but I genuinely have focused on more pressing matters than this so I haven't done my research. Just know that the LORD is with you, always. There are some relevant scripture, some in the Old Testament which is not as large of an issue and some in the New Testament which is more important to focus on. Various verses, not just one."

"Are you kidding? I might not be able to date her because of this?"

"Because of the word of the LORD. You would still be able to date her if you wished, I suppose, but if it is a sin I would only be disappointed for your spiritual well-being. Nobody would stone you, or starve you, but it would be a sin. I sincerely hope there are other explanations, though. I'll be at your doorstep once I am more familiar with the details. Good evening, Corporal Robinson."

"Goodbye, Father." She sighed and walked out of the church, eventually making her way to the small wood cottage on the outside of Verkhoyansk. It was an old place, not one piece of wood making it up had been part of the original build of the house. Things had gotten replaced, everything had, but the house remained in some Platonic way. She knocked on the door, scarf around her neck.

At that, a woman in a long-sleeved tunic and long skirt opened the door. "Marian!" she exclaimed, in her thick Russian accent. Marian nodded.

"Yeah. Can I come in? We need to talk."

Eudoxia stepped aside in her slippers and ushered in the soldier of a dead army. She sat down on an old couch and eyed the frost-flecked cross-barred windows. "I talked to the Father. He said a lot of things. We talked about God, Speer, free will, evil, all that stuff everyone else talks to him about when they aren't asking him to bless their pigs or whatever."

"Yes? Did something happen?"

"Kind of. I brought up Romans 1:26, and asked him if God was opposed to...you know, us. Us existing. Together."

"What did he say?"

"He said he wasn't sure, but he'd do his research and get back to me. We could still stay together if he finds out that the Bible says we can't. He just says he'll...you know, be disappointed in us. Since we're sinning."

"...It can't be a sin. Right?" she asked, though she sounded a little worried. Eudoxia looked up as if giving a quick prayer. "...If that's sinning, like everyone around here says...I don't know. You...You taught me about myself like this, showed me that it was even an option. We're staying together even if it's a sin, right?"

"Definitely. I guess we'll have to do charity work or something to make up for it," Marian chuckled hollowly.

"Is that how it works? Can't you be stoned for being with a woman?"

"I think that's only in the Old Testament, which sort of doesn't count the same way? Look, even if it doesn't work, we'll stay together. The Father's an amazing man, but even he can be wrong. We'll just have to trust that God knows better than the Father's theological research."

Eudoxia gulped and took Marian's hand. She squeezed.

*Author: RiverDelta*