When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker Page B

right. We’re not questioning God’s work in either of your lives. It’s a wonderful thing, more than any one of us could ask for. Your book, Jan, has done as much for this country’s spiritual health as Billy Graham’s crusades are doing. Don’t take us wrong. But you have to remember that you do represent the church, son. The eyes of the world are on you. You have our honor, but you also have our caution.”
    â€œI didn’t ask to represent the church,” Janjic said. “I had God in mind when I wrote the book. Have I caused a specific offense, or are we just playing with words? I’m feeling schooled here.”
    â€œNonsense,” Frank said. “We’re simply cautioning you to watch your step, Jan. You have a wonderful personality, young man, but you do tend to fly off the handle at times. I understand how difficult it must be to live with the memories of the war; I survived the battlefields of World War I myself. But that doesn’t change our responsibility to hold the highest standard. Now’s the time to consider pitfalls—not after you’ve stumbled into them.”
    â€œAnd how many women or children did you see butchered in your war? How many years did you spend in prison?”
    â€œI’m not referring to stress from the war, and you know it. I’m talking about moral pitfalls, Jan. Any questionable appearance. It would reflect badly on the church.”
    â€œWe’re just cautioning you,” Ted Rund said. “You’ve been known to be rather unorthodox. I, for one, couldn’t be more pleased over what’s happened, my friend. But you’re speaking for the church now. You’ve been on virtually every television show in the country. We’re in times of upheaval. The moral state of our country is under a full-throttled assault and the church is being scrutinized under a new light. You’re one of our most effective spokesmen. We’re simply holding you accountable.”
    Jan leaned back and tapped his fingers on the table. They were obviously not telling him everything.
    â€œWhat did I do? Tell me how I offended you,” Jan said.
    Roald and Frank looked at each other, but it was Frank who answered. “What you did was call our character into question last week in front of two million viewers.”
    â€œ Your character? You mean with Walter Cronkite?” Jan asked incredulously. “He asked if the church today understands the love of Christ. I said no. You found that offensive?”
    â€œI believe ‘not at all’ were the words you chose. And yes, our character. We represent the church; the church represents Christ’s love, and you have the gall to say on a national show that we don’t understand that love. You don’t think that undermines the leadership?”
    Ivena interrupted them quietly. “You still haven’t answered my question, gentlemen. What is the real message of Janjic’s book?”
    They looked at her dumbly, as if her mind were not functioning properly.
    â€œLet me tell you then,” she said. “The message is that God loves man passionately. That one moment with God is worth death. He gave his own life for nothing less. I’m not sure any of you has learned the nature of God’s love yet.”
    Except for the sound of Bob Story’s spoon clinking through his coffee the room fell to silence. They had come from all over the country for a conference in Atlanta and carved out a few hours in Janjic’s honor; surely they had not expected this. Jan looked at Roald and offered that set grin of his, as if to say, “She’s right— you know she is .” Roald held Jan’s eyes for a full second and then looked at Ivena.
    â€œI think that Ivena’s right,” he said. “We’re all learning about God’s love. Ivena has simply expressed this truth in a way that’s as unique as Jan’s story. And