Disquieting: Day 6

Word Count: 36,019

Summary of Events:

Vera's father went to talk to Carlisle about his actions, and Vera was upset to learn that Carlisle believed that she'd overreacted to Miss Forsyth's comments, and didn't even believe that Miss Forsyth had said all that Vera had clearly heard Miss Forsyth say, prompting Vera to despair of the sudden change that had come over him, which even her parents couldn't explain. Since Kirk hadn't actually realised that the man he'd assigned Matthew to work with attended church, and thus wasn't able to supply Matthew any details about his church and their situation, Matthew asked the man himself over lunch the following day, which led to the man going on at length about what he believed a good pastor was…

Excerpt of the Day:

“A good man doesn’t compromise,” Mr. Millard said. “A good man isn’t selfishly inclined to do those things which best serve and please him, despite the needs of others. A good man defends what is right and just.”

Although he could agree, and nodded to indicate he did, Matthew felt those were much more general qualities of a Godly man than specific qualities that a pastor needed. A pastor was certainly to be a Godly man, but, at the same time, it took a little bit more than that to be a pastor, according to the Bible.

“A good man doesn’t turn aside to the right hand or to the left,” Mr. Millard said. “But he stays straight on the narrow way, not counselling with the wicked or the unrighteous, but holding fast to what is right and good.”

“And Godly,” Matthew added.

“Of course,” Mr. Millard said. “A good man is decisive, not having his decisions influenced by fears or insecurities. Who the powerful people are doesn’t matter to him. What matters to him is making the correct and right decision that needs to be made.”

It was all certainly good, Matthew agreed, although a wondering thought crossed his mind that maybe what Mr. Millard was talking about would give him what it was he wanted; that the reason was there, it just wasn’t being as straightforwardly transmitted to him as he’d wanted it to be when he’d asked Mr. Millard to give him the reason for his church’s need of a new pastor.

“A good man is one who is fair and just,” Mr. Millard continued. “A man not given to greed, selfishness, or any other activities which cause people to be hurt, whether those people are of particular importance to him or not.”

Matthew nodded again.

“A good man is also not a man who contravenes the wishes of anyone completely, but finds a way to please the greatest amount of people possible,” Mr. Millard added.

Furrowing his brow, Matthew glanced toward Mr. Millard. Hadn’t he said earlier that a good man was one who didn’t compromise? Now he’d effectively just said the opposite: a good man was one who compromised in order to please the most people.

“It is also the goal of a good man to meet the needs of everyone,” Mr. Millard continued. “For all men have needs, and not all men can meet their needs of themselves, but need assistance from others which a good man is more than obliged to give.”

Matthew shifted his jaw. No man could meet the needs of himself. It was God who provided for all men, either by His grace allowing them to continue living, and the world to continue functioning, or by using others to accomplish His ends. Matthew had to admit that he was starting to become perplexed and would need a good deal of time to ponder what Mr. Millard was saying.