Among the Natives

I will have to work hard to keep this journal of my time in this dark, mapless land.

Dr. Throckmorton discovered an entirely unknown species of boa constrictor last week. Unfortunately it discovered him before he discovered it. We will miss him.

Two weeks ago I joined the savages for worship in their house of prayer. It was crowded, but the service was pleasant. The sermon was about before Jesus came into the world, nobody was required to forgive you, and you weren't required to forgive anybody.

In the pre-Jesus days, the entire world operated on 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.' What that gets us eventually is a lot of blind people who can't enjoy corn on the cob.

Corn on the cob is quite delicious, although I don't believe it was a staple of Mediterranen diets back then. Must remember to ask Dr. Throckmorton about that... oh, never mind.

A question has come up among the natives about whether one should forgive those who've not asked for forgiveness. In this land, I'm not regarded as a learned sage, nor even a basil or oregano for that matter.

I'm accepted as a fellow tribe member who crazily went off wandering. To the natives, it would seem all I learned in my journeys is of less value than what I'd have learned by staying around the village. The natives don't ask my counsel; they tell me the code of their tribe.

I understand they feel no need to forgive those who've not repented. But if all dialogue stops there, well? I can't change the laws of this tribe. Yet if we say in our hearts we won't do forgiveness until another has repented, aren't we washing our hands of the matter, as Pilate did?