The End and the Beginning: from Darkness to Light: From Darkness to Light

By James Edward L' Smith

The End and The Beginning: From Darkness to Light is a dramatic portrayal of the Son of God, the Pioneer of our faith: JESUS as depicted in the four gospels. This is His story: a story that reaffirms our belief and faith in Him as our Savior. He Was a Galilean Jew and well-acquainted with Jewish law. His birth, ministry, death and resurrection serve as a basis of Gods continuing proclamation of joy and sadness, despair and hope, isolation and crowds and apparent defeat but in the end VICTORY! It is a story that never leaves us: a story that our parents, the sons and daughters of slaves, born of religious convictions and faith, shared with us during the days of our early youth amidst sweat, tears and a weary life. They referred to Him, both in song and thought as their Sweet Little Jesus Boy. This was the only thing that they truly could claim as their own. A CHILD A SON IS GIVEN UNTO YOU AS GOD HAD PROMISED!

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469190709

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Copyright © 2012 by James Edward L’ Smith.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012905551

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-9069-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-9068-6

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-9070-9

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Contents

Dedicated To

Acknowledgements

Author’s Note

Preface

Prologue

PART ONE

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

PART TWO

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

PART THREE

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Dedicated To

(With blessings of the Creator and His Word and Providence)

–   My mother Sarah Jones-Smith: unto whom a son is given, born prematurely; hence, she was ALWAYS there diligently in body, spirit and love;

–   My father Gus Smith, however, wandered. Preferred other options; nevertheless, loved;

–   My sisters Irene and Vera, each in her own unique way, for their demonstrated effort and commitment to youth’s Christian enrichment and values;

–   My sister-in-law Rillie for her moral and spiritual support;

–   My sons Wendell, Carlton and Anthony and respective families; and

–   My wife Uare, with promise and hope, made it all happen.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are gratefully and sincerely extended to my daughter-in-laws LaRachelle and Kemala, my granddaughter Andrea and grandsons Major, L.C. and London, in spite of the uniqueness each rendered, nevertheless, each one played a meaningful and crucial role toward the development and ultimate fruition of this book. However, here lies the message: Cast your bread (your uniqueness) upon the waters . . . (Eccl. 11:1) so that it may serve distant lands torn with wars, poverty, starvation and hunger.

Author’s Note

For years, darkness covered the land. The land that God had given to Abraham and his seeds. The land that Moses had described to the ancient Israelites flowing with milk and honey. It was darkness that caused the Israelites to cry out, How long, O Lord?

Within this darkness, a child was given to us and a Son was born unto us. They called Him Jesus. He grew to be His own. He grew to become a Man in His own way.

This story is about that incredible MAN . . . A MAN whose title does not bear the word, Great like all the Greats in history who lived and conquered by the sword; but He too, like them conquered. His conquest, however, was by the Word and instead of leaving waste, destruction and death in His path, left promise, hope and life.

He attained His glory and victory not by destruction, but by His teachings, deeds, labor, works, and services for the cause of humanity. His power did not come by way of the sword, but by way of the power and glory of God. His victory did not come by way of riding a fast or swift horse of red, white, black or pale, but by way of atop of a slow-moving-nonchalant gray ass, or most often by foot. In His hands, He carried no sword, but on His tongue, He carried the Word of God, to the people: poor and rich, the learned and the unlearned, the feeble and the sick, the Jew and Gentile. Most incredible.

It is a story of a unique MAN endowed with both a human and divine nature who at one time dwelt among us in the flesh" and by way of HIS Resurrection, gave rise and promise to a beginning of a new life. That life however, once filled with Darkness, Disbelief, and Despair, to one of Light, Belief, Promise, and Hope.

The story is about the Son of God, who in His words, came as a Light, not to judge the world, but to save the world. It is about a MAN, who, by His divine and human nature, made a DIFFERENCE that is not measurable by any quantitative unit or by any standard and where time and space become meaningless, but by its effect. On the cross, He gave up His spirit and ascended into heaven. This ushered in a beginning of a new life which gave birth and impetus to Christianity. Christianity and its message ushered in a life of Promise and Hope for all humankind.

Due to men like Paul and the apostles and some Christian writers such as Eusebuis of Caesare, Augustine, bishop of Hippo, an ancient Numidian city in Algeria. Tertullian of Carthage, Cyprian, an African bishop, martyr and one of the Fathers of the Church, and Ambrose, bishop of Milan, greatly influenced the growth and spread of Christianity far beyond its borders. In addition, there was St. Jerome, thoroughly trained in both the east and the west in classical Latin Literature and Rhetoric, produced a revised version of the Bible in Latin called the Vulgate. The Vulgate had become the Bible used by the Catholic Church. However, it was Paul who made Christianity the world religion. And it was he who gave Christianity its structure, meaning, purpose and vitality. The Christian writers, however, were absorbed by problems and challenges of all kinds and expressed themselves with vision and enthusiasm.

Because of these prolific writers, Christianity grew swiftly. However, it must be noted again, it was Paul who created for the religion of Jesus the form and strength that enabled it to conquer the world.

In this chapter in history, there was a man name Julius Caesar who said, I came, I saw, I conquered. But he did so by the sword and in its path, he left waste, destruction and death. On the other hand, there was another MAN, who also said in effect, I came, I saw, I conquered. That MAN, however, was Jesus, but He conquered by the Word. And in His path, He left promise, hope, and a new life. What a difference?

Before an exit is made here of Christian writers, credit must be extended to (John) Mark, the author of the second Gospel of the New Testament, who carried the teachings of Christ into Egypt and was ordained the first bishop of Alexandria, and from this site, Christianity spread south and west across Africa. Of the four little books called the Gospels, the second is the briefest and simplest. It may be held that the main source from which Mark drew his material was the common stock of apostolic reminiscence and preaching, which must at first have been an oral gospel.

In this narrative, the social climate at the time reflects the mood, beliefs, ideologies, religious thinking and practices, is revisited and explored within a Judeo Christian context and framework.

With reference to its title, The End and the Beginning: Darkness to Light, the end depicts agony, pain and suffering and ultimately, death. It depicts Jesus on the cross: the price which He had to pay. The beginning, on the other hand, depicts the rewards of His effort to save the world and the gift He gave it. The price: NO CHARGE. The only thing He requested was that to believe in Him, and to love God with all thy heart, mind and soul and thy neighbor as would himself. I am the Light, He said, and whosoever believeth in me, shall never walk in darkness.

The concept of darkness as used in this narrative conveys three kinds of realities; namely, (a) darkness in general as the night; (b) darkness as the realm of death without hope; and, (c) physical darkness as conceived in dark clouds hovered lowly overhead.

In another dimension, there is another kind of darkness. It is a manifestation of the human mind that one may encounter during his or her lifetime. It is an intangible one that makes cowards of us all and make us turn to others, we know not of.

Out of this kind of darkness, the spirituals and the blues appeared but each generated from its own uniqueness and individuality. Darkness appears in our lives in one form or another. It is conditioned by our perception of ourselves, others and our perception of life. The ultimate answer to it all is faith and trust. Faith in ourselves and in God, this, however includes faith in the Word.

This story touches the time and life of Abraham, the Father of Monotheism and three faiths. It revisits the place of his birth Ur—now only a shadow of its old self and engulfed by military outposts and check points. It was once a thriving urban and commercial center. Now a sign post greets the tourist reading Ur. Often the letters are hardly visible because of the arrival of many black birds during the winter months. They come year after year bringing their droppings with them. Now the once city of Sin has now become an outhouse for birds seeking comfort and relaxation. In spite of this, however, Ur of the Chaldees, the birthplace of Abraham remains in our hearts reminding us that this is the ground on which Abraham once walked.

The story touches on Jewish history and God’s Chosen People and the deeper meaning of the concept of a chosen people in Israel’s religion. From Jewish history, we learn that it presents interplay between the history of one nation and that of many. The story also peeps into the Hebrew tongue to find the uniqueness of the Hebrew verbs, voices and tenses.

The story’s basis is the four Gospels that outline Jesus’ ministry, His death and resurrection and the meaning of His life. It touches upon His defeats, but at the end, His victory and His victory was witnessed in heaven and on earth.

Now, with this in mind, we turn the story to you keeping in mind that He was the stone that the builders rejected. He is the person, not born by the will of man’s flesh, but of the will of God. This is the MAN who Isaiah said, A child is given unto us; a Son is born unto us. That child, my dear Christian friends, was no other than our Sweet Little Jesus Boy.

The End and the Beginning: From Darkness to Light is a dramatic portrayal of the Pioneer of our faith: JESUS CHRIST. This is His story viewed from the middle and by product of the clergy’s ministry and teaching over the years. It filters out the historical, political, social and cultural climate and element embedded in their biblical content although all closely fused, aligned and entwined in their Scriptural orientation and context.

Darkness saturated with dissatisfaction and discontent permeated the thin layers of the religious and social climate of Moses’ Promised Land. Time waited. The people grew restless. An ill wind blew silently over the countryside bringing forth a winter of despair not knowing that the Messiah (Jesus) was on His way as prophesied. Darkness was under His feet. The winds swirled and howled ferociously over His head. A speck of light shone in the darkness and clouds. It was Jesus, the Gift, the Son of God, the Almighty! This is His story brought to us by the four Gospels.

Preface

This is a story that begins with Jesus (The Word) in the beginning and ends with Him in the end where He rests now with His Father. For He had said, I am the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. It is written that "He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:2). He was the Word and the Word became flesh. (John 1:14). KJV. He was the true light and it was John who witnessed the light. John bore witness to Him.

Isaiah, the son of Amoz had written For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. (Isaiah 9:6). This was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Such assertion is written with such certainty that it transcends the limitations of time. It stands as if it had already taken place. Only with the uniqueness of the Hebrew verbs, voices and tenses that this can be done in which we have only the perfect and imperfect tense. In the Hebrew tongue, there is no past, present or future.

Nevertheless, let us not pursue this matter and return to the Scriptures as written whether it is couched in the perfect or the imperfect, the active or passive voice, or the stative or active verb. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. (Ps. 100:4). KJV In everything give thanks . . . (1 Thess. 5:18) KJV

When Paul was in prison in Rome he sent a letter to Christians at Philippi. In it he wrote, That as the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10) NIV

Jesus had said, I am the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. (Rev. 22:12). KJV I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the light. I am the true vine. I am what I AM: the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. I AM THE SON OF GOD!"

With this in mind, let us give thanks: For what thanks can we render to God . . . (1 Thess. 3:9) Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. (2 Cor. 9:15) That gift was a child, a son. Unto us a child is given, a Son is born unto us. What a gift. The gift that grew up and became His own. Jesus: a Gift to mankind!

With this in mind, my Christian friends in every land, I solemnly bid you farewell, and God Bless. And in the language of Paul, May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Phil. 4:23) NIV

James Edward Louverture Smith               Marlin, Texas (USA)

December 2011

Prologue

THE END AND THE BEGINNING: DARKNESS TO LIGHT is a timely book. It spans from the beginnings to the year 2011. Its period is lengthy, covering hundreds of years; yet, it is a concise and brief narrative. It is written with conviction and creditability. Its intended audience is the general public whose interest lies in Christianity and Christian worship. It is a unique manuscript focusing on Bible Studies and Bible History, blending faith formation and life. It adds a refreshing voice to the subject of biblical Christian history and the gruesome-brutal last hours of Jesus as He moved from the realm of Darkness to one of Light as it manifested the meaning and value of Christianity and its roots. Jesus had said, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, follow Me and believe in Me. Thereby, and overcome darkness.

The book observes Palm Sunday and its cherished event: the march from the Mount of Olives on the way from Bethany into Jerusalem and in memory of Jesus’ journey on Easter Sunday beginning at 9 O’clock in the morning along Via Dolorosa, the narrow street in the Old City where Jesus carried His cross to Calvary. Each year, hundreds of tourists walk the street, trying to recapture and retrace the steps that Jesus made . . . their faces wrought with emotions and feelings.

In the book, the end depicts the price that Jesus paid; whereas, the beginning depicts the rewards in the form of promise, life, and hope as a result of Christianity. It is a story about a MAN that one time dwelt among us in the flesh whose name is Jesus. But it is only a nano-snapshot of His tenure in the world He came to save. He was crucified died on the cross at Calvary, sometimes referred to as Place of a Skull, or in Hebrew, Golgotha.

Bearing the physical weight of His cross after dedicating a lengthy but fruitful life to the cause of humanity; yet, He was mocked, beaten, spat upon and crucified. He had taken the longest route to a place called Place of a Skull, a promontory outside of Jerusalem. This is a raised portion of land extending out into a body of water. On the way, He stumbled and felled. But help came, so He was able to move on. This time, however, the weight was shifted as well as the carrier. It became a matter of the physical versus the spiritual weight. The spiritual weight became His own in which He had to bear alone. It consisted of the cumulative weights of the sins of Man over the ages since Adam and Eve. The burden simply became too great and under the severe strain, He buckled and surrendered, not His ghost, but His strength. The hovering Darkness overhead thickened and lowered. The end came and He bowed His head with the weight of the sins heavily manifested on His brow, gave up the ghost. He returned to the House of His Lord and sat at His right hand.

With Jesus’ spirit, it ushered in a new beginning and a new birth, that of Christianity. It took roots and spread, with the help of Paul and the apostles, far beyond its borders. It grew swiftly, and by the sixth century, it was dominant throughout the Mediterranean world and most of Western Europe. It had spread from the Roman Empire to the east, the Byzantine Empire.

With Christianity, came promise, a new life and hope. Also came the assurance that salvation and a future life is possible. The end depicting Jesus’ death gave way to a beginning. That beginning was in the form of a new life. His ascendancy to heaven enhanced and gave impetus to that beginning causing it to bloom and blossom. I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord.

In this story, the essence of the social and historical element, though welded and fused together by time, are laboriously isolated, explored and revisited. Its basis is the Scriptures, for it is written: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

It is a short narrative about a Man name Jesus. It marks the end and death of a lone soul who by the grace and power of the Word of God, and the Word was God, dwelt among us in the flesh, and by way of His resurrection, gave rise to a beginning of a new life: a life once filled with disbelief and despair, to one of belief, promise and hope.

The end is marked by sadness, mockery, brutality, darkness and finally death. The beginning, however, is marked by reverence, promise, hope, light and life which gave birth to Christianity. This MAN whose life and spirit transcend both time and space, gave depth and meaning to humankind’s existence, opened up new horizons, enhanced self-worth and promoted dreams, here beneath the stars.

Its beginning is marked by man’s union with Christianity and is given stability by faith and behalf in the Son of God. This union, however, is meant to lead man to acknowledge that he has sinned against God and is in need of His forgiveness which can lead him in the paths of righteousness.

The movement from darkness to light represents overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21), for He said, I am the way, the truth and the life . . . I am the light . . . and whoever believes and follows Me will never know darkness."

PART ONE

DARKNESS

C-1

The Beginning

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS THE WORD . . .

. . . AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD." IN HIS HANDS HE HELD TWO ITEMS: POWER AND VISION—THE POWER TO CREATE AND ACT AND THE POWER TO VISUALIZE DEPICTING VISION. FROM VISION HE SAW PROMISE AND HOPE . . .

But

Darkness was on the face of the deep

So

C-2

God Spoke

HE SAID,

"LET THERE BE LIGHT!

. . . AND THERE WAS LIGHT!"

 . . . AND THE LIGHTWAS GOOD! THEREAFTER, EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAD MADE WAS GOOD. THE HISTORY OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH UNFOLDED AS IT DEPICTED THE CREATION OF ALL LIVING THINGS. BUT THERE WAS NO MAN TO TILL THE GROUND. A MIST WENT UP AND WATERED THE FACE OF THE EARTH. AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN FROM THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE AND MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING!

GOD CREATED ALL LIVING CREATURES THAT MOVE IN THE WATERS, ON LAND OR IN THE AIR. HE CREATED MAN: MALE AND FEMALE. TO ALL CREATURES HE GAVE HIS BLESSINGS AND TOLD THEM, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY AND FILL THE WATERS OF THE SEAS, OF THE EARTH AND THE AIR. OF MAN, HE CREATED IN HIS OWN IMAGE WITH HIS BLESSINGS. EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD CREATED WAS