The Epistles of Didymus

By Duncan Stewart

He had been his friend and later on his tour manager, he had watched as the greatest story that had ever been told unfolded and Didymus had doubted. He doubted the man who came back to life and told him he was his friend, he doubted the man who took over after J's death but most of all, Didymus doubted his reasons why he continued to preach the sermons of a church he no longer believed in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duncan Stewart
• Release date: Sep 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311620194

Duncan Stewart

Duncan Stewart is a thirty something originally from England and now living in New Zealand. Originally he wanted to do English or Theology at university but instead ended up doing Chemistry, with the result being he doesn’t really know a lot about any of them.Duncan lives with his wife, son and a dog, which would give Cerberus a run for his money, in Christchurch and is currently working hard, some of the time.

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THE EPISTLES OF DIDYMUS

BY

DUNCAN STEWART

The Epistles of Didymus

Published by Duncan Stewart at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Duncan Stewart

1st Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 – Concerning the Death and Rebirth of an Old Man

02 – Concerning Previous Correspondence

03 – Concerning My Doubts and a Confession

04 – Concerning the Harrowing of Sheol

05 – Concerning the Death of Mary

06 – Concerning Slavery and My Escape from Bondage

07 – Concerning Gudnaphar

08 – Concerning Mahadeva

09 – Concerning an Old Friend and a New Enemy

10 – Concerning My Final Thoughts

11 - Epitaph

About the Author

Concerning the Death and Rebirth of an Old Man

To Joseph,

Hallelujah,

No doubt you will have the word I write above, this Hallelujah. It seems ever since I left Iscariot it is all I have heard, on every corner street I have walked upon and in every seedy bar I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon, that word has resonated from planet to planet and for my sins I now find myself at the center of where it began, Hallelujah! By my opening you will have guessed I have succeeded, at least in part, in the mission which you gave to me but before I tell you what I know you want to hear forgive me if I start this missive at the beginning.

You will recall all I had to go on were the few letters which my old friend Judas had sent back home to his mother, telling of his and J’s travels and my plan was to follow the space routes he had described on their path to Jor D’an. I admit as I travelled I was astounded by the differing cultures I encountered and the people I met, so like me yet so different but no matter who they were they all were talking about this one man, this prophet, some say a son of god. J. I wonder if he is a son of god does that make you, his father, divine.

So you can imagine my excitement when I finally disembarked from that final intergalactic space cruiser and found myself at last on Jor D’an. Emerging into the baking sun, my first impressions of the planet were that if I were to go in search of a son of any god then Jor D’an would the perfect place to start. On every street, perched outside the bars and cafes, holy men wait to waylay you with their own particular brand of divine rhetoric. Be it a plea for your soul or a condemnation of your sins. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that every religion which has ever been spawned, by our fertile imaginations, has a representative here on Jor D’an. But the one thing they all have in common is that the underlying message of their tenant is a need to obtain your bank account details. Yet above all these back street religions there was there on Jor D’an a greater power, a true power whose doctrine was so much simpler than all the others. I want so I will take. Their name is the Band of the Eagle and it’s my guess they will remain above all others until the fakir outside the bakery learns that to make people listen is so much easier with a knife in your hand.

With this in mind it was with no little trepidation I went in search of the compound of Baptiste where Judas had written he and J had made their home. In the end I needn’t have been afraid, the compound although impressive, was almost deserted as their leader, this John Baptiste, had been arrested by the Band of the Eagle and most of his followers had left to follow none other than your son J across the universe. Disappointed I was all ready to make my excuses and leave when by chance I overheard that one of those you charged me with seeking out was still there on Jor D’an. Your wife, Mary.

I admit I was a shocked and a little hurt that at first I was told that she didn’t wish to speak to me but eventually after a few heated exchanges and just a little bribery I was allowed into the compound and Mary at last deigned to speak to me.

There is no easy way to phrase these next words and believe me when I say I have tried, so instead I will simply come out and write them down, you were right Mary didn’t leave just to be with your son. I don’t know how you knew or what gave you your suspicions but you were right to be afraid for it seems Mary has become the concubine of this leader Baptiste and as it turns out he is the reason why she had not followed her son across the universe. It seems Mary blames J for her lover’s arrest and has vowed never speak to your son until John Baptiste has been freed.

I do not know the ins and out of the argument Mary has with J and it seems no one left at the compound knows the reason for their estrangement but what they are all agreed upon is that Mary is devoted to her lover and will not rest whilst he is imprisoned. You have to believe me when I say I tried to convince her to come home to you but I am afraid nothing I could say, no plea that I could make would change her mind. I do not know what hold this Baptiste has over her but whatever it is, it is stronger than any words I could muster so it is with regret I must inform you I have failed in the first of the requests you gave me.

It was therefore with a feeling of failure I left Jor D’an to chase after my two old childhood friends who I had been told were spreading what was once the word of Baptiste amongst the outer galaxies. Reading the epistles which Judas has sent back home to Iscariot you would be forgiven in thinking that wherever their travelling band visited they were met with worshiping hordes, eager to be assimilated into their collective but the truth I soon discovered, as I chased after them, always seeming to be a planet or solar system behind, was not quite so perfect. On some planets I visited it was true to say J’s ministries had been well received and as I arrived new buildings, I believe they call them churches, were being erected for the populous to continue to gather to listen secondhand to the preaching’s of a boy from Iscariot. On others I was met with indifference and indeed sometimes I found it difficult to find anyone who could verify that the travelling roadshow had visited their planet but on most planets the feelings which J had stirred up and then