1773

"My Lord Jesus Christ", says a familiar voice, "Please, with your leave, lord, I would like to intercede for our friend Lawrence here"  And here is Aaron, standing in the doorway, but he doesn't appear to be able to advance any further, as though he is somehow being prevented by this new and very puzzling dimension we have all found ourselves in." "Yes, hello, Aaron.  And welcome.  It is always so good to see you, my beloved." To us, Jesus says, "Aaron is one of my very choice disciples.  He loves me from his heart and has suffered much in my service. I have given him leave to write all of you in this work of literary fiction as a means of instructing him and others about the true nature of life in my love, care and service." "Thank you Jesus", he replies.  "It's just that it so happens, Lord, that I also, due to some rather delicate circumstances, ended up not attending my own brother's wedding, and..." "Say no more, my beloved friend, I know everything and I can tell everything.  And don't imagine here, anyone, that weddings are particularly special to me just because of that incident with that water to wine in Cana of  Galilee.  I was pressganged by my dear micromanaging mother here, and loving nag that she is, wanted to tightly script everything for me, even if it meant getting all the guests scandalously pissed on the extra wine I could generate after they had run out of the plonk that was being served.  It was the culture of our day.  No wedding, or any such celebration, was considered complete unless everyone got so completely sozzled that they couldn't even get out of their chair to take a piss.  But I do not approve of drunkenness, but, well, we all know my lovely mother here..." "You are most gracious my lord, "  says his elderly mother with a slightly twisted little grin and more than a touch of maternal sarcasm... As if he hasn't heard her, Jesus gets to the point, "Your relationship Aaron, with your older brother, is very different from Lawrence's relationship with his younger sister.  In fact, Lawrence is very similar to your brother in his attitudes and mentality, and he caused you a lot of grief and anguish and not a few bruises when you were growing up.  You have never owed him anything.  Plus, while you had every intention of honouring your unworthy sbling with your presence at his wedding, which had nothing at all to do with church or clergy since he was both a nonbeliever and a disciple of the supreme dark lord, I was particularly worried about your being there.  Especially when I had other work for you."