On Saturday afternoon, Landon stepped outside and closed the door to Mac’s Place. The humidity was waiting for him in the dead heat of the day. “Might as well get this over with,” he mumbled as he prepared to walk the mile and a half to Keiner Plaza for the revival under the tent. What had he been thinking not accepting the ride? Because you thought you might back out, his mind told him.
His roommate thought it would be cool to go, but in the heat, a tent meeting was anything but cool. “It’s my day to spend with my son, and I ain’t missing that for nothing. He looks just like me,” he said proudly.
Grady’s excitement wasn’t contagious. Landon tried not to think about being a prodigal father. It was bad enough he was a prodigal son, brother, cousin, grandson, friend…He adjusted the straw fedora he had purchased for two dollars at a secondhand store to keep from suffering a heat stroke.
The hat is not big enough to give you shade. Do you not remember Jonah? God whispered, reminding him of Jonah 4:6. I give you relief from the sun and shelter from the rain.
People gathered around the tent came into his view when he turned on Market Street. It was almost show time as Landon made his way through the crowd; he was surprised to see many of the seats taken. Maybe it was for relief. Suddenly, Landon remembered his hat and removed it. There had to be fifty-plus rows. Landon took the back seat. He would watch Octavia from afar, listen a little to Rossi, then sneak out unnoticed.
The microphone shrieked as an older woman welcomed the crowd. “Praise the Lord, everybody. Come on in where we have shade and water. Despite the heat, we’re going to magnify the Lord.” She went through a melody of church songs, slamming on the tambourine to keep rhythm. Where were the musicians? He saw a drum set and a portable keyboard. By the third song, a teenager adjusted the seat behind the drums, twirled his sticks and picked up the beat.
Rossi strolled onto the makeshift stage. There was nothing pompous about his mannerism as he knelt before one of a pair of folding chairs and prayed. Landon sensed Octavia’s presence before she captured his attention as she appeared with another one of the other two praise dancers.
When it was their turn to perform, the keyboardist still had not shown up and the drummer did his best with “I Give Myself Away,” but it wasn’t enough for Octavia to soar. Without thinking, Landon stood and strolled down the side aisle to the front. He situated himself behind the keyboard.
This was for Octavia, he told himself as he nodded to the drummer and they harmonized the song. Octavia’s body seemed to come to life. Her dancing was like a drug—he wanted more, but when she and her partner slowed their steps, Landon ended the song.
The crowd roared with applause at their performance as Rossi came to the microphone. Landon was about to tip his way back to his seat, but Rossi held up a hand to stop him. “Thank you, Evangelist Gale, for the songs and Sisters Octavia and Deb for the dance…and our musicians, Brothers Dion and Landon.”
Brother? Landon hadn’t been anyone’s church brother in a long time. As it dawned on him what he’d done, Landon squirmed on the bench, uncomfortable being in a pulpit after all the sins he’d had committed and for which he couldn’t repent.
“I’m bringing my text from Luke 15:2–7,” Rossi said, forcing him to pay attention. “It’s okay, if you don’t have your Bible, you can find it using your iPads or iPhones. The passage is a parable about something that was valuable but went astray, got lost, and was rebellious.
“‘And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them. And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance’.”
Rossi closed his Bible and began to pray, “Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus, You are the Great Shepherd and we are Your sheep. Help us to stay with the flock…”
Landon began to perspire, and it had nothing to do with the heat. He was relieved when Rossi said, “Amen.”
“I call this a happy text. Sheep aren’t the smallest animals, but their instinct tells them there is safety in numbers. That’s why they flock. God gives us the same instinct. However, they are easily sidetracked. Over the years, there have been reports of hundreds and thousands of sheep that perish because they’re following the leader. Sometimes, sheep do get lost mentally as well as physically. With urgency, the shepherd has to find that sheep before it self-destructs. No matter what trouble the sheep finds himself in, the shepherd—his friend and savior—comes to save him…and Jesus will find you”
Landon swallowed as his heart sank. The Master Shepherd had come for him. He didn’t know if that was the message Rossi intended to preach, but God was speaking to him.
“This is your day to be still and let God find you,” Rossi said softly, asking everyone to stand. “Landon…”
He jumped, hearing his name.
“Will you play something soft—altar call music?” Rossi gave him a look that conveyed Landon knew what he was talking about, then turned back to the crowd. “All you have to do is repent to God. You can either walk up to the altar or raise your hand, and I’ll come to you and pray for you. It’s time to let God bring you back to the flock…” Rossi continued to plead. “For those of you who want to be baptized in Jesus’ name, we have vans ready to take you to church to the baptismal pools.”
The keyboard gave Landon security to keep from raising his hand or walking to Rossi for prayer, but something told him things were about to change. Without knowing it, Octavia had lured him out from hiding.