By Emily Chance
I spent four years of high school in a small town surrounded by, as much as I love them, Christian hillbillies. However, it never ceases to amaze me how someone can just drop their best friend in a heartbeat and call themselves “Christians.” My best friend, let’s call her Sam, was dropped by our other friend, who we shall call Mara. No reason, no explanation, just dropped her and stopped talking to us. Sam and Mara were friends for a long twelve and a half years, since kindergarten. Mara was raised in a good, Christian family with good morals and had the motto of not judging anyone because it “wasn’t her job.” Mara’s father is the pastor of the church in town and is a respectable man.
Because of Mara’s family being Christians, they always let the seniors in school borrow their church to hold meetings to figure out Project Graduation funds and activities. Senior meetings were held once a month. This month happened to be held one week after Mara dropped Sam and me. Sam was unable to make this meeting and our best guy friend was having truck problems and canceled last minute.
When I made the short walk from the church parking lot into the basement of the church, where the meetings were held, I was greeted by the cold glares and hateful stares of Mara and her mother. I also noticed Mara glaring at me, then smiling condescendingly and looking down at her phone, no doubt texting her friend about me.
Mara used to be the only one I talked to when I went to those meetings, and now she didn’t care about me at all. I sat close to a couple of girls I occasionally say hello to at school. I was unsure of myself and I was near tears when Mara’s dad, the pastor of the church, smiled a genuine smile at me and asked if I was alright. I just smiled back and said “hi.”
His kind reaction to me was met with cold glares and hateful words by his wife and daughter. It’s kind of funny to realize that the first human being I met that I would genuinely consider as “good” without any motive or judgement whatsoever is the father of my greatest enemy. Everyone in the town considers themselves “Christian,” but with Christians like that, it’s no wonder why so many people in this world are atheists.
Many people would not be at all surprised to hear that a pastor of a church was kind, but in a small town, things get around, rumors begin, and hatred spreads like wildfire. In a small town, everyone has a past and everyone has a motive or a mean streak, except for that man.
With friends like Mara, who needs enemies? Especially if they consider themselves good, Christian people then turn around and stab someone they knew and loved for over twelve years. With role models like Mara’s father, who needs the negativity of the Maras in the world? The differences between these two Christians will never cease to amaze me, and I’ve seen a lot in the short time I’ve been alive.
Edited by London Koffler