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The Waldenses (5)

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The Waldenses (5)

7 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

High in the mountains, in a beautiful meadow, a group of people were together. A row of rocks formed a protecting wall around them, given by nature itself. Towering above them, pointing to the clear blue sky, were the high mountain peaks, their snow caps glistening in the sun. The people were standing in a half circle, listening intently to the preacher, who was standing on one of the rocks.

It was so good to have the preacher here to tell them about the Word of God! He explained to them what was the most necessary thing. Oh, yes, Mother, who was sitting there with little Hank, knew it; she had felt it strongly the last time — that she needed a new heart. Her heart was wicked, her sins were so many! Every day those sins increased. Therefore she needed the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear what the preacher read from the Word of God: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The words sank into her heart. Suddenly, however, she heard another voice, too. It was a familiar voice: “Flee! The soldiers are coming! Flee!”

There was James, who came running and panting, bursting into their gathering. He saw his father. “Dad! I saw the soldiers! They are coming from that mountain!” He made a gesture to the west.

For a moment some people panicked and started to run.

“Stop!” the preacher cried. “Stop, people! Listen first!”

Father, who stood close to the preacher, started to talk. He tried to calm the frightened crowd.

“I know where we can go. The soldiers will never find us there. Don’t panic! The Lord will take care of us,” he said. “Don’t talk anymore; just follow me. First the women with the children, the men last.”

He went to the corner of the meadow. There, between some huge rocks, was a little opening. The people, very quiet now, followed him in single file. The children, wide-eyed and wondering, didn’t dare to ask anything. The only thing they heard from their mothers was: “Shh! Just follow me. Shh!”

There was hardly a path to follow. It was not so easy to walk here. They had to be careful not to stumble.

Father led the people even higher. Then, after a while, he walked around a massive wall, and they began to descend again. Finally they entered a small, wooded valley.

Father stopped, and he waited for all the people to walk down the slope.

“We can stay here,” he said. “We will hide under the trees. Let’s not talk. I don’t expect the soldiers here. They do not know about this place. But if there is danger, just follow me again. There are still other places.”

“Are there no big caves?” one of the men asked.

Father shook his head. “I don’t think that is necessary. For now we are safe.”

The preacher came forward.

“Let us first ask the Lord for His protection, and then we will wait,” he said.

The men took off their caps, and the women sat down. The preacher started to pray, and he asked the Lord to be with them and to protect them from the enemy.

When he was finished, the people spread out under the trees.

It was getting darker under the trees. It was also becoming more chilly, and the mothers wrapped their little ones in their own big shawls. But then they started shivering themselves. Fortunately it did not rain.

They were waiting for the two men who had been sent out to investigate. These men would go as close to the village as possible to see if the soldiers were still there. Why was it taking them so long? Maybe that wasn’t a good sign.

Finally the two men came into the valley. Their faces were somber. Nobody dared to ask them anything. They walked straight to the men who were standing with the preacher. It was quiet now, so everybody could hear them.

“The soldiers are gone,” they said, “but — the village is gone, too.”

The people gasped.

“They burned everything.”

Oh! A soft moaning sounded through the valley from one end to the other. It was muffled by the many leaves overhead.

The men stood in a circle. They looked dejected.

Then the preacher started to speak. “Let us thank the Lord that all our lives are spared, and that the soldiers are gone.”

The men straightened their shoulders. They took off their caps and bowed their heads.

After the prayer, the preacher asked Father, “What are we going to do? Let’s make a plan with the other men.”

“I know a large cave —” Father began hesitantly.

“No!” One of the men who had gone to the village cut him off forcefully. “Don’t go into a cave! We have not told everything yet. Now we have to. In the neighboring village the people saw the soldiers too late. At the last moment the men sent the women and the children away. They fled into the mountains and hid in a big cave. In the meantime, the men fought, but they were defeated. Then the soldiers went after the women and the children. They found the cave and made a big fire in front of it. No one came out.”

Now a loud weeping went up. Their neighbors! Those poor women! Those poor children!

It was night. A few stars twinkled and softened the blackness of the sky. Under the trees it was dark. The children slept on a big pile of leaves, snugly cuddled together for warmth. The parents were wide awake. Who could sleep after all the calamities of that day?

They waited for the morning. Then they would go to the village. Maybe there was something left for them.

But there was not much left. When they wandered through the remnants of the village, they started to weep again. The church had been burned down, too. In the pastures were the cows, dead. Behind the barn were some sheep, dead.

James walked around. He had the feeling that he was dreaming. Was this all real?

Mother found some pots and some knives in the ashes of their house. That was all.

They looked at each other. They thought about the people in the neighboring village, who had lost their lives. Then they straightened their backs. They still had so much to be thankful for!

They gathered around the remnants of the church. The preacher was still there. In these circumstances, he did not want to leave the people yet.

Father started to talk again. Most of the time, people asked him for advice. Now he wanted to make some decisions.

“There is not much left,” he said, “but we are all spared.”

He let those words sink in. The people wholeheartedly agreed.

“I am afraid that we cannot live here in peace anymore. The soldiers will come back. We have to start all over again. Why not try a new beginning again in another place? You all know that I have explored the mountains quite a bit. I know a beautiful valley, very well hidden from view. There is wood for houses and a stream for water. Let us move there.”

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zondag 1 februari 1998

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The Waldenses (5)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zondag 1 februari 1998

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's