[OP: "Everything that Has Breath" -- Matt Redman]

[Decided to try something a little different for this chapter. The idea is sort of a day in the walk for the Christian characters, a little closer look at their world and perspective, without the others distracting it.

Feel free to skip it if you're not interested. Otherwise, this ought to be unique. Looking forward to trying it myself.]

Shine woke up to worship music coming on as Wally was getting up and ready for his morning run.

Shine sat up.

"Today is the day," she said.

"Yep," Wally said.

They'd talked about needing to do this and finally had settled on today.

It was the middle of a busy week, but they and Kurt had elected to devote one day to recharging and focusing on God instead of their usual activities.

Kurt did this anyway, but he was going to be joining them...later.

But they'd agreed together to start the day off that way also.

Both of them had an affinity for slightly older (though here they'd be futuristic) worship songs, so that was the cassette Wally had inserted.

[Everyday--Sonicflood]

https://youtu.be/0Vc8F-L0mC0

What to say Lord...it's
You gave me life,
And I can't explain just how much You mean to me now.
That You would save me, Lord
Give all that I am to you
Every day I could be a light
That shines Your name

Every day Lord

I learn to stand upon your word
And I pray that I
I might come to know you more
And You would guide me in
Every single step I take
That everyday I could
Be a light unto the world

Every day, it's You I live for
Every day, I'll follow after You
Every day, I'll walk with You, my Lord
Every day Lord

Shine was singing along while she got out her Bible for her morning devotional/prayer time.

Shine was not the most organized person. She tended to do it at whatever time she felt she could fit it in, and she alternated between Bible reading, listening to teachings, just worshiping, or praying, or sometimes just taking a walk and contemplating on things. She thought if you obsessed about what it was exactly you did, you missed the whole point.

Wally? He liked to fit it in while running or doing something else. It was hard for him to just sit and focus on one thing. He didn't mind that so much if he had someone else to join him, but he got distracted easily on his own. Usually he joined Shine when she did hers or joined the group.

They both knew that Kurt would be totally the opposite of them. Because of his time at the Monastery, he believed in discipline and repetition.

He always got up and did things in the right order and with a reverent spirit and solemnity that wasn't like their more American and perhaps charismatic-influenced ways.

But that was fine. It worked for him, and he seemed to get a lot out of it. And he didn't insist on them doing it that way in order to take them seriously. They each had their own methods that seemed to help them concentrate.

* * *

After spending the first part of the day doing this, Shine and Wally joined Kurt and the handful of others who agreed to participate in this in the garden inside.

Storm had suggested this. She said she always felt more at peace around plants anyway.

It was generous of her, considering the garden had been destroyed some months ago and had taken this long to recover. But she was starting to enjoy sharing it also. Everyone said it was the nicest room in the house.

Shine dragged the boom box in there so they could keep playing music, and the younger kids would dance around the plants--carefully.

Shine'd dance with them, honestly. She had no shame.

The others would just listen to the music.

Storm always said this one song in particular sounded happy, and she couldn't help but smile if she heard it.

[At least that's how this song effects me personally.]

https://youtu.be/KrpBBbSvWT8

[I could Sing of Your Love-- Sonicflood]

"Over the mountains and the sea. Your river runs with love for me, and I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free. 

I'm happy to be in the truth, and I will daily lift my hands, for I will always sing of when Your love came down.

Oh, I feel like dancing. It's foolishness I know. But when the world has seen the light, they will dance with joy, like we're dancing now."

It was strange for people like Logan to see how happy the others got--over something they couldn't see or hear or touch--yet it'd get them excited like it was Christmas morning or their birthday.

But over time, he'd started to understand it better. He didn't get like them, but he felt kind of glad about it and grateful to see other mutants so happy.

Kurt told him that it was not the monks' way to be so loud and enthusiastic, but he saw good in it, and he liked seeing people get happy about God.

It was odd that, for how different all of them were, in temperament and background and practice, no one felt left out or out of place. Perhaps because Shine, Wally, and Kurt encouraged them all to just contribute whatever they felt they could and not to try to do what everyone else did.

Shine apparently had been on the receiving end of such pressure many times, and it had been more distracting than helpful.

[I suppose only other Christians will understand how awkward those 'come to the front' moments can be for people who might be more suited to quiet and contemplative worship.

There is a time and place to be open in front of everyone about your faith, I believe. But I knew too many people who just assumed being loud and into worship meant they were spiritual, and it really doesn't. You can be a jerk and still do those things. Sometimes you need to reflect on things while in church, instead.

Nothing against alter calls, but I don't write them often partly because I think they're relied on too much. (Not that anyone else I know of writes Christian fan fiction...at least I've never found any. It probably exists somewhere--comment if you know)... But other Christian fiction.

I mean, though, I feel like my stories are sort of like those bands that have Christian artists but don't have the label. My stories are about my characters, and many of those characters are Christian, but not all of them, and the whole story is not about that solely. Of course I interweave my faith in, but I wouldn't want to be accused of discarding actual good writing just to get my message across, so I always work hard at that aspect also.]

After this they had a new order of business: baptism.

Shine and Kurt had both decided it was high time for this. Apparently it was a staple of Christian practice.

[And I assume many people do not know why. And I mean even people in church, because I didn't get it either, and it took years before I had it properly explained to me, even after I was baptized.]

"Baptism," Shine explained, "is one of our symbolic practices where God uses something in the natural to bring about the supernatural."

Storm, given her history, was always very interested in the why of these practices.

"Ceremonies with water are very important," she said. "It's how we remember a lot of things. Usually it has to do with life.... Is it like the flood? Remembering God's judgment?"

"Wow, that's dark," Wally snorted.

They were by the pond at this time.

"That's a good guess," Shine said, "but no."

"It is about sin," Kurt said. "Putting off sin. At least that is how ve see it. Vhat do Protestants teach?"

"The same," Shine said. "Jesus was baptized to show submission to God. Christians baptize to show repentance, dying to sin. The immersion under water represents the spiritual grave that our sinful self goes into, and coming up out of it represents becoming alive again in Christ and being given His Spirit, like the Spirit of God descended as a dove onto Jesus [See the gospel of Matthew, I believe, for this story, or it might be Luke--or both]. Or some people prefer to think of it as being washed clean, since, you know, it's water."

"Interesting," Storm said.

"The church also sees it as publicly declaring your faith to other believers and the world," Shine said. "It's not, I believe, necessary to being saved itself, but to take responsibility for your salvation it is. And it's not taught that way, sadly. My mother explained it to me, but I wasn't ready until I was 14, I think. It felt like a huge deal back then. I knew I had decided for certain I was going to follow Jesus, and that was one way I was showing it."

"It's like a coming of age ceremony for Christians, then?" Storm might as well have been taking notes from the look on her face.

"Sort of, yes," Shine said. "Or an initiation ceremony, but we don't force it on people or anything to be included. We tell them to do it when they are ready. But I have heard that some people have spiritual awakenings when they do it. That didn't happen to me or anyone else I know, but I think God meets people at different times in different ways. Depends on what they need. Maybe some of them need that at that moment. Same with Communion. Ceremonies mean a lot to some people."

"Cool," Ryan said. "I was baptized last year, at camp actually."

"I remember they offered to do that," Jubilee said. "I didn't though. I didn't really get it--the whole water thing."

"Well, Storm was right in one way: Water often represents judgment," Shine said, "as well as new life. The whole world was destroyed in the flood, but a new world was also born out of it, for the remaining 8 people. It was a harder world, and, in many ways, life after becoming a Christian is harder. Jesus promised it would be. But it is also a new life. And less people find it. That's a given. But those who do become one family. I never thought of it that way, Ororo. You're good at this."

Storm looked pleased. "I was merely going off the things you told us about the Old Testament and how it often shows in actual events what the New Testament shows in symbolic ones."

"And who remembers why that is?" Shine looked for a show of hands. "Who was paying attention to that discussion?"

The kids looked at her blankly.

"That vas a fun day," Kurt said. "I remember. I learned something, actually, but I don't vant to give it avay."

"Come on, someone remembers," Wally said.

Finally one girl put her hand up. "Wasn't it because of the Holy Spirit?"

"Bingo." Shine nodded. "That's right. Because God poured out His Spirit, like Joel foretold. All the things we used to have to do in the material realm, like sacrifices, washing, and burning things with fire, we now can do through the Spirit, so God no longer requires the guilty people to be put to death in their bodily lives, but in their spiritual ones, and they get new life. And for extra points, who remembers what we call receiving the Spirit of God?"

"I know this one," Ryan said. "Baptism with the Spirit?"

They all got a "lightbulb" look.

"So that's how it connects," Jubilee said. "Whoa...this stuff is complicated."

"But amazing how it all interlocks?" Shine said. "Not to brag, but I know of no other religion that has that kind of continuity.... Maybe I'm just not that deep into them to find out, but from what I have dug up, I just don't find that dual puzzle piece fitting together thing about the practices.... I don't know--there might be levels to it they don't tell rookies. But we hide nothing."

"And with that said, who's ready to go under?" Wally joked.

Well, several people were after that.

Baptizing in the church involved dunking under the water and saying, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

[Some Christians do only the head, and, again, I don't think it has anything to do with being 'saved' itself, but I was taught that full immersion in the correct way because going all the way under is like being buried. That kind of makes sense, so food for thought to anyone who's interested.]

While they were doing this, and all three of the "veteran" Christians, as the DJs and Kurt referred to themselves, were trading off. Shine remarked to Logan and Morph,

"You know, I once heard a Christian comedian wonder how Jesus was baptized when they couldn't have said the 'Father and Son and Spirit' to Him, and he said maybe it was "You, Your daddy, and your best friend." [It's Michael Jr. If you want to know. He's pretty funny. You can find him on YT.]

"And is that actually what they said?" Morph said.

"No, Morph, it's a joke," Shine said, laughing. "I think John didn't use the name at all. At least, I have seen no record of it. I don't think he had the authority to. He was baptizing with water for repentance alone, but we baptize also with fire and the Spirit. That's what the Bible says. When the Holy Spirit appeared over the believers it looked like tongues of fire over their heads. I think I made that in Sunday School class once. It was fun. It also sounded like a rushing wind."

"Fire and wind?" Morph said. "Sounds like bad combination..." He chuckled.

Shine raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not making fun," Morph said quickly. "Just...uh...I don't get it, so I make jokes."

"Well, just ask, then," Shine said. "It's fine to make some jokes, but we take that very seriously, and I don't think God would like His Spirit being made fun of. Jesus warned us to treat that with respect. The Spirit is quite sensitive. We're also told not to grieve it. Think of it as the part of God's personality that is most emotional and vibrant and life giving. Some people think that is why women often are so much better with Spiritual things, because it comes more naturally to us. I can't say if that is actually true, but I think we are taught to be less uncomfortable with that side of emotion."

"I thought it was men who were priests and stuff," Morph said.

"Hmm, that's Catholic," Shine said. "The Bible teaches that all of us are priests, a royal priesthood. Or Priestess, if you prefer. And all that means is that we speak to God directly and on other people's behalf. You have to understand that the Bible defines things by function, not pomp and splendor. Being royal means you have responsibility, and we're taught that quite clearly in the New Testament, that we need to learn to be good rulers. Leaders, if you will. And not everyone is suited to that on the front lines, but we all must at some level. A Preacher I like to listen to says, 'If you're not going to shoot, you could at least carry bullets.'" [Kent Hovind.]

"That's advice that actually makes sense," Logan said. "Nothin' worse than a useless coward in battle."

"Yes, and one could also be a medic," Shine said. "Like in Hacksaw Ridge.... Aw, but that hasn't been made yet, has it?"

"Okay, so what is the fire and wind thing?" Morph asked. "I don't get it. Water, fire, wind, they're all different."

"Some cultures answer the need to see nature as symbolic of God by making each deity represent a different thing," Shine explained. "But Christians, as well as other monotheistic religions, believe that, in fact, that minimizes God too much. We think He has personality beyond our personalities, not lesser. And so He uses different things at different times, and only by studying everything can you start to understand how great God is. He's the lion and the lamb, the dove and the serpent, the  morning star and yet he rides on darkness, according to Psalm 18. Of course, darkness and light are the same to God, if we're talking natural darkness and not the spiritual kind. Some have said that God's power is infinitely big and infinitely small, meaning He can make the universe and governs in our affairs, yet he also can give the smallest, slightest nudge to us in our hearts, and we may not even know it was Him at first. And as for when He does either, that is His business and not our own. So, the water is God's depth and overpowering nature, like the grave, and like the depths of His love, water is both life giving and overwhelming if there's too much. So it helps us understand God is so much bigger than we can imagine. I think that's why we baptize in it, because that is our acknowledgement that our life is now in His hands; He is vast and better for it than us."

Morph nodded. "Okay...I kind of get it. That's cool."

Shine nodded. "I do love discussing this sort of thing.... As for fire, God says He is a consuming fire. Fire gives life, but it does it by burning up dead things and ugly things and dirty things. You can set a field on fire, and it will enrich the soil, but it first burns all the excess things. Some seeds don't germinate without fire burning them first. So it's necessary. And some things in our hearts will not come out of them until God's refining fire has burnt up all the excess dead things. I think His Spirit is like fire because when it falls on you, it purifies you from sin, and it purifies your mind and gives you the right desires, the right focus, like fire. But it's fire that does not consume you yourself. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, but the bush was not consumed. And there's burnt offerings in the Bible, but Paul says we are living sacrifices (or was it Peter?), so the comparison is there. We are on fire, but not consumed. There were also three men in the Bible who were thrown into a fiery furnace and came out unscathed, not even the smell. You'll find God repeats a point several times to make sure we get it."

"Interestin' story," Logan admitted. "Ya know yer stuff."

"I've been studying it since I was a kid," Shine said. "I've never gotten tired of it. You never run out.... Oh, and wind? Well, believe it or not, wind actually usually means two things--one, it works miracles. The Bible says a wind blew on the Red Sea, and the waters parted. A regular wind wouldn't do that, of course, so we know it was God's Spirit. There were other times when God sent wind to lift or pass a judgment, depending on the judgment. Then, later, Jesus spoke and said people who are born of the Spirit are like the wind: 'you don't know where it comes from or where it's going, but you hear it blowing'. That is how we are. That is how I explained our job to people also. It captured the idea of both swiftness and only having the present. The wind is gone almost as soon as it arrives."

She shrugged. "And so are our lives. The psalms says our days are like a vapor of the wind...and the Spirit of God visits like that too. Miracles usually don't take very long. I think it's because we can't handle more than that. A hurricane would destroy us, wouldn't it? The wind is dangerous too, and the Spirit can be...but it also is what drives sailboats, and it can power mills, and it moves air around and brings in new weather...and maybe that's why Christians also say that the Spirit is like rain, implying that it changes the atmosphere around us.... All our symbolism is usually very literal though, not like ceremonies that are just remembering things. We don't just remember things...we see them happen again. That is what we believe. Because things are always new."

She stopped. "Too much?"

"That was a lot to take in," Morph said. "But I think I'm starting to get it."

Logan looked like he wished he had a cigar to chew on.

"I'll let you think about i.," Shine looked amused at their struggle to understand...not amused in a cruel way, but like people who have already completed one level of something will look benevolently on the new scrubs who they see slogging through it.

She moved back to the pond and started singing another song, which some of the kids joined her in because it was so cool.

[And this has to be one of the best worship songs ever composed in the 90s or early 2000s]

https://youtu.be/qBivT3FIgbI

[More Love, More Power-- Jeff Deyo.]

(And I will worship You with all of my heart, and I will worship You with all of my Mind, and I will worship You with all of my strength. You are My Lord.)

More Love! More Power! More of You in my Life! (x3)

(chorus)

More Faith! More Passion! More of You in my life! (x2)

* * *

After the baptizing was over, it was lunch time.

The others around the house thought everyone looked a little buzzed from all the excitement.

"So are you done for the day with whatever this is?" Scott asked.

"Nope." Shine was still drying off, and her hair had gotten soaked with the kids splashing her earlier, so it was drying in messy waves. "Actually we have one more big thing to do. We're meeting up with some of the church members in the city for a prayer walk. That's where you walk around a neighborhood or two and just pray for the city and the people you see. It's a lot of fun."

"That doesn't sound fun to me," Scott said. "Won't people say you're disturbing the peace?"

"Nah, we won't be doing that," Wally said. "It's just a cool way to get to do something with other people, not just yourself. I mean, you can do it alone, but it's awesome when that many people believe in the same thing, don't you think?"

"I don't know about dat," Gambit said. "Plenty of people believe in suppressin' mutants also--do same thing."

Storm gave him a warning glare.

But Shine shook her head at her. "Ah, never mind, Remy," she said. "I'm sure by now it's clear what the difference is."

Gambit didn't like her brushing him off.

"Maybe you see angels flying around while you do it," he said snidely.

"I don't think Warren is coming," Wally said, quick as a whip.

"What?" Warren looked up from where he'd been brooding and not listening to any of this.

"Want to join us?" Wally said.

"People might think he was a real angel," Shine said. "I don't know whether that would be good or bad."

"Oh, no way," Warren said. "That would be...humiliating."

They all stared at him.

Shine then shrugged it off.

"Jewels, why do so may of them not like this?" Ryan asked her in a low voice.

"I don't really know," she said. "I guess it's just different than what they're used to. Maybe they think it doesn't work. But...I dunno, I think it gives people hope. And it makes them think they need to help others. It can't be all bad to do stuff like this if that happens."

While everyone was getting ready to go to the city, Xavier said to Shine,

"I know this is important to you, but I wouldn't be too surprised if not all of your younger initiates stay with this.... I've seen it before. They are imitating you out of respect--and curiosity--but it doesn't mean they understand it."

Shine laughed at this.

"I know that, Charles," she said. "But, of all people, you ought to know that everyone starts by copying what they do not understand until they understand it. We learn to speak, walk, and read by doing that. And it's no different with our faith. Some people may give up on it, it's true, but anyone who doesn't will start the same way anyway. I have never gotten those stories about people who are just born special, in other faiths. I think that's a sure sign it can't be real--that's not how people work. Don't you think so? Did you use your powers perfectly when you were a kid?"

"Far from it," Xavier admitted. "Perhaps you are right.... It's just...we all have phases of wondering about life and the world and if there is a God...but most of us grow out of it."

"I know of no person who has ever grown out of wondering about God," Shine said. "Just ones who've grown too ashamed to admit to it without prodding. Even famous scientists and skeptics have broken down and admitted to wondering about it themselves. If you truly have ceased to wonder, it is because you worship yourself so completely you no longer care. That's a sad fate...but not sure it's plausible for us."

"I'm not sure casually wondering is the same," Xavier said. "The question no longer bothers me much."

Shine finally turned to give him a very strange look.

"Is that so?" she said oddly. "I wonder, then, why you so often feel the need to caution me about it. Who exactly are you afraid of this becoming real to, Charles? Is it really us?"

Xavier was struck speechless by this question.

"We'll just be going now. You enjoy the quiet, okay?" Shine said, dismissing it.

She walked out the door and called the others.

They clamored out after her.

Much happier, Xavier reflected, than he'd ever seen them on other missions.

It seemed they truly enjoyed doing these things.

He shook his head.

[By the way, I'm by no means stating that everyone who does ministry enjoys it. I have met both kinds of people, but I find it is usually the attitude of the people who start and run the ministry that influences it. If they are doing it for the right reasons, people generally enjoy it, even if it's something like handing out food in 90 degree weather, and yes, I've done that. But it was fun because the people running it really had a passion for it. On the flip side, I've worked for people who clearly just did something out of obligation, and it was horrid. No fun, and usually the most infighting happens in those ministries. Obviously my characters enjoy what they do, so I apply that rule. 

But it makes me wonder--just how much does Xavier actually enjoy what the X-men do? I can't actually recall any time he seemed to really enjoy himself or take a lot of pleasure in it. At most, I see some slight satisfaction when they avert disaster, but I wouldn't call it gladness. If any of you know a counter-example of this in any rendition of him, please let me know. I'd be curious.]

* * *

The prayer walk was fun, actually--getting to go around the city.

Of course, some people yelled insults at them.

But oddly, when they saw the crucifixes and the other clear signs that it was a church procession, no one actually approached and attacked them. And even the insults died away as the church members took absolutely no notice of it, and the mutants, after realizing this, didn't either.

Then some people actually joined them, saying they wished their church did such things.

[This has happened irl to my churches.]

Mike Billings, who had joined this, told them to pray for the people who cursed at them and insulted them.

Then he did so, out loud.

That shut up a few more people who had been about to make fun of them.... What could you really say to that?

After it ended, they all went out for ice cream and to talk about it.

Jubilee was glad that Trinity had been let out of her room to do this, since it was ministry. Her parents were there too.

They were nice to Jubilee. Apparently they now believed that she hadn't caused Trinity's actions...so that was something.

"Actually they like you and Ryan now," Trinity said. "They think you're encouraging me to get out and do more things for God. I guess the whole thing has blown over...and...they said that after this week, I'm not grounded anymore...and I can visit again.... Just I have to tell them, and they want to call your house every time I come over to make sure you know I'm coming, and they want me to call them when I arrive, even if I just leave a message.... So...that's way better than I expected."

"Wow...maybe miracles do happen," Jubilee said.

[Maybe...

Well, that brings us to the end of this.

If you did read this chapter, I hope it was enlightening for you.

You probably have guessed by now that I based pretty much all of this on things I actually do and see and have heard about.

I actually never write anything in the spiritual aspect of this story that I haven't read about, heard about, or experienced for myself. 

Now, of course, many people do not believe it really happens, and I can't prove that all the stories I've heard did happen, but I feel better not just relying on my own understanding of God to write these scenarios.

I also think it makes it more inclusive to include what different people think and see about God.

While I believe Christianity is the correct religion, I won't say people of other faiths never experience God, and sometimes I take inspiration from them in a way.

So I'm not here to discount any one's valid experience of God through another form other than the Church.

But I do think there is a unique flavor to Christianity that you just don't get anywhere else, and I use all the examples I can think of to try to show how it works.

I don't expect everyone to agree or understand why, but I do hope my intention always comes through as to share and not badger people with this glimpse into the faith.

Love you all, and we get back to the drama and plot in the next chapter!]

[FYI, having Christian parents is good in one way, as Trinity showed. I have actually had my parents apologize to me because God told them to, according to them. And this was when they were angry at me and pretty firmly convinced they were right before. So I do believe parenting miracles do happen sometimes.]