Lev reached into a cooler on the seat between them and removed two ice-cold bottles of water before handing one to Leo. “I mean, don’t the people in your country realize that they have a say in the way their country is evolving? They dutifully pay their taxes and allow the powerful in Congress and Wall Street dictate what they eat, think, and watch on TV. Take for instance the Ten Commandments.”
“What do you mean?”
“God’s commandments are the very basis for most of the laws in the civilized world, yet a small number of people who deny His existence have sued to have them removed from your courthouses … and they’ve won.”
“I guess sometimes democracy can be plagued with unintended consequences,” Leo said. “You know, I grew up in a tough rural section of Pennsylvania. My people worked in the mines. We were surrounded by an Amish community and church-going Christian neighbors who were mostly farmers. Almost everyone in our community worked hard and helped others in need. We even grew most of our food in our own gardens. Most still do. But step out of that little enclave of safety we called our home town and it was like going to another planet.”
“Exactly, Father. And if things don’t start to change soon, there’ll be no turning back. Once the moral fabric of a society begins to tear, it’s almost impossible to return to the way things were.”
“What do you suggest, Lev? I mean, the problems aren’t just in America. The whole world seems to be heading toward moral bankruptcy. I’m just a simple priest, but even I can see that it’s going to take something more than just sermons and speeches to bring people to action. Of course, that raises another question. Just what kind of action do we take? I agree that some groups seem to be going to extremes to erase God from our everyday life, but we have to be cautious that we don’t move toward a theocracy like those that exist in a few Middle Eastern countries. I’ll take a few less public monuments to Christianity any day over a repressive government that dictates my moral agenda.”
“It’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it, Father? Democracy, theocracy, communism, anarchy. Which way do we turn in a world that’s so confused? I’m just saying that I hope it’s not too late and that the world ends up on the right path, because some of our own young people are beginning to doubt the meaning of faith and the part it plays in their future. That’s why I feel the Bible code is so important. If we can prove that God exists and is talking to us again, it will change not only how everyone on earth will begin to look at how they’re leading their lives, but how they view their leaders and their neighbors around the world.”
The morning sun was rising over a cloudless sky when they turned left onto a long paved driveway lined with olive trees and drove under an arched stone gate topped with a brown wooden cross next to a blue Star of David.
Lev’s ancient Land Rover rolled to a stop in front of an enormous Mediterranean-style villa set back from the beach behind a series of sand dunes. A rolling green lawn surrounded the villa’s brilliant white stucco exterior, and flowers were everywhere.
Around the back, a sparkling blue swimming pool bordered by tall palm trees separated the house from the sand dunes and the sea. Red-tiled roofs of several dozen smaller houses dotted the landscape, along with vineyards, orchards, and rows of planted fields.
People of various ages could be seen walking about the property, the most noticeable being the young men and women of the villa’s security force dressed in olive-colored shirts and matching shorts with automatic weapons slung over their shoulders.
Within minutes of their arrival, the car was surrounded by a group of young people who greeted Lev with laughter and hugs. It was becoming evident to Leo that this man was loved by almost everyone who came into contact with him.
John was just waking up in the backseat. He lifted himself upright and rubbed his eyes, blinking in the sunlight at his surroundings. A smiling group approached the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the doors. They giggled and motioned for Leo and John to follow. “Come with us. We’ll show you to your rooms.”
Walking toward the villa, Lev stopped and looked back at Leo. “Why don’t you two go enjoy a few beers on the beach, Father? We’ll find some swimming trunks for you both. I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
With that, Lev turned and walked into the villa, leaving a bewildered Leo and John at the mercy of their giggling captors.
Chapter 14
The shallow turquoise water of the Mediterranean Sea stretched before Leo and John as they reclined on weathered beach chairs beneath a ragged blue umbrella stuck in the sand. Bathed in the warmth of the moist sea air, Leo squinted in the reflected sunlight and retrieved a cold Israeli beer from the cooler beside him.
“This reminds me of those TV ads for Mexican beer,” John said. “You know, the one’s where two people are staring at the ocean in silence with two bottles of beer on a table between them.”
“Except one of them is a girl in a white bikini, and I don’t see anyone who looks like that around.”
“No kidding. That brings up a little problem I’ve been wrestling with lately, Father.”
Leo lifted his sunglasses up on his head and looked over at his young friend. “What problem would that be, John?”
“Well, for one, why does the Church continue to insist that priests remain celibate? It’s just not natural. I mean, don’t you think there would be fewer problems with priests and the way people are starting to view them if they were allowed to marry or have girlfriends?”
“I guess that depends on who you’re talking to,” Leo said. “If you’re talking to those in authority at the Vatican, then the answer would be no. If you’re a young man looking at the priesthood, then I think the answer might be different.”
John picked up a small sea shell from beside his chair and threw it toward the water. “I guess I’m just hoping that someday, the leaders in the Catholic Church will come to their senses and do away with that bizarre and archaic requirement. Priests should be allowed to have women in their lives. How have you managed to cope with it all these years, Father?”
Leo replaced the sunglasses over his eyes and gazed out at the water. “I haven’t always been a saint.”
“You, Leo?”
“That’s what confession and absolution are all about, my son. I’ve had two serious relationships in the past.”
“With women?” John’s eyes were getting wider by the second.
“No, I’m gay. Want some suntan lotion on your back?” Leo was trying hard to keep a straight face.
Like a freshly caught fish that had just landed on the deck of a boat, John’s eyes were bulging and his mouth moved without speaking.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Leo burst out laughing so hard he came close to spewing beer through his nose. “Of course with women. I was talking about the years before I became a priest, when I was in college. It was more difficult for me when I was your age. I’ve always loved women. Still do. But my ability to put my personal desires in perspective with my role in life has become easier with age. Being a priest is a learning process. You don’t automatically become a pillar of virtue the day you take your vows. God knows that we are imperfect beings, and he makes allowances for us. I’ve never believed that the whole celibacy thing should be a central tenet to the priesthood, but I’ve always kept my vows.”