RUSTLERS 2

                                                  RUSTLERS 2

    The sheriff stopped the car and asked what Waters had missed when they were at the farm. "We didn't see any poultry and the poultry house door was shut. The Shepherds keep 10 or 12 hens and their daughter has a pair of racing pigeons as a project. The hens have the run of the place in the daytime, and are locked up at night for safety. The pigeons are kept in a cage in the poultry house," explained Waters. "Well, we've already missed lunch, and now we'll be late for supper," the sheriff answered, "But we have to go back and take a look." With that, he turned the car around and headed back to the Shepherd place.

    Lights were on in the house, and the sister's car was parked in the driveway. She met them as they got out of the car. "Have you learned something? she asked hopefully. "Not exactly," responded the sheriff. "But we overlooked something. Did you find anything?" "No, we didn't she said. "What did you overlook?" Waters answered, "We didn't see any sign of the poultry!" "My goodness, you're right," she declared. We usually get our eggs from Gloria's hens."

    They were joined by the sister's husband, and all proceed to the poultry house as twilight dimmed the light. The door was shut, but easily opened, again carefully to prevent disrupting fingerprints. The house was empty. There was no sign of any disturbance. There were two eggs in a nest, feed in the feeders, and water in the fountain. The pigeon cage was closed, but empty. It also had feed in the feeder and water in a fountain. "About the only thing we can find around here now is a mouse or sparrow," remarked the sheriff. The couple returned to the house and said they would stay there over night in  case there was a phone call or other contact. Waters and the sheriff again headed for town. The sheriff dropped Waters off, thanking him for his help, and returned to his office. The deputy had returned and left a note that none of the choir members had any information. Two days had now passed, and a missing persons report would be likely tomorrow.

    Waters returned home and filled his wife in on the day's activities, with only a deepening mystery. He and his wife prayed about the  situation. "The whole family is saved," his wife said with assurance. "I know John didn't come to church every week like his wife and daughter, but they had daily bible study unless John had to be away over night on a private timber cruise. Gloria told me how much time John spent studying scripture and other material. He always reminded them of Matt. 7:7 and 8, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

    "You're right," Waters exclaimed. "His good friend, Red Hawk, told me
once that John was heavy into bible study. Red Hawk is a Christian, but he also is very knowledgeable about Indian spiritual things because his father was the tribe's medicine man. Red Hawk is a member of the  tribal council, and is now filling his father's position as medicine man. His father was known as a "healer," and Red Hawk has a reputation as a faith healer, although he does have some background in medicine. He spends a lot of time with John because he accompanies John on some of his timber cruises, especially on tribal land and the government owned forests. I'll have to tell the sheriff tomorrow."

    Gloria's sister filed a missing person's report the next morning, and
Waters was in the sheriff's office bright and early. Sheriff Winters was
happy to finally get a possible clue through Red Hawk, since no other
information had turned up. The deputy was out talking to other cattle
owners in the area to try and get a line on the unknown buyer. Waters
asked if he could accompany the sheriff when he visited Red Hawk, and
Winters said he'd be glad to have somebody with him that could talk 
about spiritual things with a medicine man. The two departed for Red
Hawk's office on the reservation.

    Red Hawk met them at the door of his office, and welcomed them as
he shook hands with them. "I know my friend and his family are missing,"
Red Hawk said. He was tall for an Indian, lean, and hard muscled. You
could see he didn't spend much time sitting behind a desk. "John was a very thoughtful person," the Indian said. "He understood nature like my people, and we often discussed the spiritual world. He respected my people's beliefs, and felt ashamed of the white man's treatment and racism against us. Pastor Waters, he felt the Christian church was shirking its duty to follow Christ's teaching."

    "Well, Red Hawk, I do share his feeling. A pastor is placed in a difficult position, because congregations are often self controlled by a few people with personal agendas. If a pastor takes a stand for Christ's teaching, he may be risking his job. Then he must choose between his job or his conscience. That said, do you think his feeling about the church's failure could have anything to do with their disappearance?"

    Winters, joined the conversation by asking, "Do you think John may 
have an idea of joining or starting a cult? This sometimes happens
when a person gets fed up with the trivia presented by some preachers
to separate people and develop a following." "No, no!" Red Hawk quickly responded. "John was a solid Christian who extended his faith by studying other faiths, including my tribe's traditions. He felt some churches had turned into cults with out realizing it, following a very persuasive circus hawker or denominational regulations and rules to actually keep people out. John said many Christians are unknowingly being led down the same path as some Muslims with radical Sharia laws."

     Now Waters expressed surprise. "I had no idea John felt so strongly that way," he said. "So, you don't believe religion had anything to do with the disappearance?" "I didn't say that exactly," Red Hawk cautioned. " I don't believe there was any cult business in his mind. He was totally committed to Jesus Christ and the natural respect and worship behind our Indian traditions. We had some heavy discussions from scripture, but he never wavered."

    "Like what?" Waters asked, forgetting the mission of the sheriff and himself. "Well, he could start right out with Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." He would ponder that statement, not in disbelief, but to question where was God when he did this? He couldn't be in a place that wasn't created, and we  only have heaven and earth to choose from. He wasn't satisfied with what he considered an incomplete explanation. Do you have an answer for him, Pastor?" 

    Sheriff Winters was listening intently for any clue that could be gleaned from this religious exchange. Waters responded thoughtfully, "The best I can do is suggest the universe that is so vast we don't know much about it. It is a good question, but we have a difficult enough time just trying to follow His teaching. I don't know how much the average Christian can take when they say a 20 minute sermon is boring. Without special programs, it's difficult to even get people in a church." 

    Now Winters joined the discussion to ask Red Hawk a question. "You answered the question about religion not having a possible connection to the disappearance with 'not exactly'. Can you define that a bit for me? Could there be a connection?" Red Hawk thought for a minute or two, and responded, "John was always seeking the answer to Gen. 1:1, and he did a great deal of research on background stuff like angels, giants on the earth and other unexplained things in scripture. Our Indian belief and tradition is much easier to  understand. He felt the Christian faith would have been better off if they had kept the Jewish Law and the good neighbor policy taught by Christ. Then, perhaps Christians could actually be followers of Jesus Christ."

    Winters pressed the question, "So you do think the disappearance may have a religious connection of some sort?" Red Hawk had a thoughtful look when he answered, "Perhaps John finally found some answers to his questions. He often said he asked God questions that sometimes were not answered for months or years. He said seeking was hard work, but anything worthwhile required work. I miss him, but I hope he found some answers." The sheriff and Waters headed back to town.  "I wish I could have joined them for their discussions," Waters said wistfully.

(To be continued)

~ Rev. Walbear