John Lyman - The Secret Chapel

Leo hadn’t realized that Lev’s family had been part of the exodus from Europe. “That must have been very difficult for them. Did your father ever talk about those days?”

“He said it seemed peaceful here at first. The British still controlled the area and had been trying to limit Jewish immigration to Palestine. After the Holocaust, tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the region. The Irgun, an underground Jewish organization, fought the British, blowing up their headquarters in the King David Hotel. The Brits finally had enough and pulled the last of their troops out of Palestine in 1948 after the U.N. voted for the partition of the Holy Land into an Arab state and a Jewish state. Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city. After the British pulled out, it was open warfare between the Arabs and Jews. My parents went to live in a kibbutz formed outside of Tel Aviv for safety. I remember the fighting then and have witnessed it ever since.”

“You’ve led quite a life, Lev. I have to admire the Jewish people for preserving their heritage after everything they’ve been through. Why did you convert to Christianity?”

“That’s a strange question coming from a priest.”

Leo smiled. “Not really. I just haven’t met many Jews who’ve converted to another religion. They all seem pretty happy with their own beliefs.”

Lev lit the cigar hanging from his mouth with a match. “Most are happy with being Jewish. Sometimes, I think they’re a little too happy.”

Leo seemed puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Well, here in Israel, we’re basically a Jewish state, even though the government is supposedly secular, and that causes problems in any society.”

As a university professor of theology, this was the kind of discussion Leo relished. “Are you saying that nationalism, along with a predominant national religion, gives rise to radicalism?”

“Yes, in a way, but religion by itself is broader than nationalism and affects people in many countries all over the world. I believe that, no matter where you live, only religious moderation can stop religious extremism.”

“So you converted to Christianity because you found it more moderate?”

“No, we Christians can be just as extreme in our beliefs. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. My late wife was a Christian. She was truly an angel sent from above. We had long talks on the subject of Christ’s ministry and how he gave his life to save humanity. She believed we lived in a self-centered world instead of a God-centered world and dedicated her life to looking out for others. She never pushed her Christian beliefs on me, and I never pushed my Jewish ones on her. Out of curiosity and respect for her, I began reading the Christian Bible and the story of Jesus.”

“What happened?” Leo asked.

“Slowly, over time, I began to join the ranks of the Sabra, other Jews who believe Christ was the Messiah.”

“Was there any one thing that convinced you?”

“Without going into details, let’s just say I had a religious experience one day when I was walking with my wife through the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. I converted shortly thereafter.”

“Sounds mysterious,” Leo said. “However, if you’re going to have a religious experience, I can’t think of a better place to have one.”

Lev smiled. He was starting to like this priest and his easy going manner.

“Did you meet your wife here in Israel?” Leo asked.

“Yes, she moved here to study at the university. She told me she wanted to experience biblical history from a front row seat. We were both young students at the time, and she totally captivated me. We dated for only three months before I begged her to stay here in Israel and marry me. Despite her better judgment, she finally gave in.”

“Did she ever miss living back in the States?”

“No, she was very happy here. She had seen the culture in America slowly change over time. The society had become increasingly more consumer-driven and self-centered. The work ethic of the agrarian society that existed before the Great Depression had largely vanished, replaced instead with a dependent society that allowed the government and big corporations to make all their decisions for them. Over the years, we both watched as a whole generation of Americans drifted away from God and civil discourse became less polite and more aggressive. Society was becoming more violent, and just driving down the highway was becoming an exercise in probability, but for some reason, there was no unifying sense of outrage. There was only denial and a detachment from past values.”

Lev reached into a cooler on the seat between them and removed two ice-cold bottles of water before handing one to Leo. “I mean, don’t the people in your country realize that they have a say in the way their country is evolving? They dutifully pay their taxes and allow the powerful in Congress and Wall Street dictate what they eat, think, and watch on TV. Take for instance the Ten Commandments.”

“What do you mean?”

“God’s commandments are the very basis for most of the laws in the civilized world, yet a small number of people who deny His existence have sued to have them removed from your courthouses … and they’ve won.”

“I guess sometimes democracy can be plagued with unintended consequences,” Leo said. “You know, I grew up in a tough rural section of Pennsylvania. My people worked in the mines. We were surrounded by an Amish community and church-going Christian neighbors who were mostly farmers. Almost everyone in our community worked hard and helped others in need. We even grew most of our food in our own gardens. Most still do. But step out of that little enclave of safety we called our home town and it was like going to another planet.”

“Exactly, Father. And if things don’t start to change soon, there’ll be no turning back. Once the moral fabric of a society begins to tear, it’s almost impossible to return to the way things were.”

“What do you suggest, Lev? I mean, the problems aren’t just in America. The whole world seems to be heading toward moral bankruptcy. I’m just a simple priest, but even I can see that it’s going to take something more than just sermons and speeches to bring people to action. Of course, that raises another question. Just what kind of action do we take? I agree that some groups seem to be going to extremes to erase God from our everyday life, but we have to be cautious that we don’t move toward a theocracy like those that exist in a few Middle Eastern countries. I’ll take a few less public monuments to Christianity any day over a repressive government that dictates my moral agenda.”

“It’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it, Father? Democracy, theocracy, communism, anarchy. Which way do we turn in a world that’s so confused? I’m just saying that I hope it’s not too late and that the world ends up on the right path, because some of our own young people are beginning to doubt the meaning of faith and the part it plays in their future. That’s why I feel the Bible code is so important. If we can prove that God exists and is talking to us again, it will change not only how everyone on earth will begin to look at how they’re leading their lives, but how they view their leaders and their neighbors around the world.”

The morning sun was rising over a cloudless sky when they turned left onto a long paved driveway lined with olive trees and drove under an arched stone gate topped with a brown wooden cross next to a blue Star of David.

Lev’s ancient Land Rover rolled to a stop in front of an enormous Mediterranean-style villa set back from the beach behind a series of sand dunes. A rolling green lawn surrounded the villa’s brilliant white stucco exterior, and flowers were everywhere.