Something important deserves mention, and I almost missed it. In chapter 25 of The Bridge from OneDayBow, Natas has just delivered his “truth is relative to you” speech. He’s done his best to discredit the King’s Book, making it sound like a myth, and portraying anyone who’d believe it as less than intelligent. He is clearly tolerant of just about anything, that is, anything but the Book of the King.

But notice, after he’s done talking he doesn’t have the crowd fawning over him in undying adoration. Hardly! He’s said his spiel, and Tim quickly jumps in to be the voice of Truth. Before Tim could finish his sentence, the tempters showed up and diverted attention away from Tim, announcing, “The contest starts at four!”  Natas and his minions will use whatever it takes to turn people’s attention to anything but the Truth.

As we talked about before, bobbles represent seeking satisfaction, success, and security, in anything but the things that will last. On my desk I have a clipping of something I cut from the book before it went to print. It’s a good reminder for me, so you might find it useful too:

Why put such great importance on something that can break?

Why give your life and energy for things that hands make?

The craving and collecting cannot be satisfied;

The Bobble Game has not been won by anyone who tried.

I read something recently in a book by Stephen Brown, “Heirs With The Prince,” that reminded me of the bobble game. He is telling of an event that took place during the Civil War. Rather than paraphrase, here is what he wrote:

“… I was reminded of the time when Jefferson Davis fled from Richmond with three wagons loaded with Confederate money. Davis and the money were captured by Union soldiers, and the Confederate bills were piled up, bale upon bale, in the camp of the Union soldiers. It was cold and windy, and the soldiers were bored and hungry. They decided to play poker with the Confederate money, and they played for a hundred thousand dollars a game. But do you know something? The next morning the soldiers were just as hungry and tired and cold as they had been the night before. That is the way it is with the world – one great hustle for worthless tender.”

Even winning a high stakes poker game couldn’t deliver them from the disappointment of the coming day. Likewise, bobbles can’t change your present or your future. And they certainly won’t save your soul.

The people who Tim tried to talk to that day were caught up in the distraction, desires, and deception of life. And when the tempters showed up, off they went.

Natas was clearly not disappointed. Deception and distractions are some of his most useful tools. Maybe he wants to be the one in charge, but that will never happen. For now, he’s happy to see people doing anything but considering the King.

HereAndNow, and here and now, are very much the same. And Natas, spelled backward or forward, is anything but your friend!