1989
Page 2 of 2
III
A strange change came over the Eldrich household during the next few weeks. Whenever the Thought Police plugged in they didn’t hear any conversation, neither did they see anything out of the ordinary, except that the house had suddenly become neater and more like a home. Anita and Rich’s co-workers also began to notice a change around the two. During the Two-Minute Hate neither seemed to be really caught up in the frenzy. Rich became a more thoughtful person, trying to help those he saw, whereas before he minded his own business to the point of ignoring even his wife’s problems. Anita’s once harsh attitude had softened and if you spoke with either for even a short period of time you could see a fire in their eyes and sense a gentle power about all their actions. But aside from this their discussion topics worried the other Party members. They didn’t talk about the Party’s greatness anymore, just about the beauty of life and most of all about “God.” They never discussed it overtly, no, they were too cautious for that, and yet it was something about the way they mentioned “Him” that instantly made their comrades suspicious of their motives and mental stability.
Every night they would pray together and study before going to bed, and during this time they were often reminded that persecution was soon to come. Rich prayed for strength to stand against any tortures devised by their Lord’s enemies. Also as time passed Rich and Anita slowly became aware of a growing love for the other. It grew daily as did their devotion to their new God and it also marked their actions and words. There still were fights now and then, but the split never lasted long, it always healed quickly as the one at fault made amends.
“Eldrich!” Rich leaned back in his seat to see a tall, thin man dressed in black overalls coming towards him.
“Ah, Kirkland,” Rich said with a warm smile. “How are you doing?” The man in black just grimaced at him and motioned Rich to follow him. Rich quickly rose and followed Kirkland out of his department of the Ministry of Truth. A few minutes and several flights of stairs later he was standing in Kirkland’s office. The Inner Party man sat down behind his expansive desk and looked at Rick for a long moment and then began to speak in an icy tone of voice.
“I have been hearing some rather disturbing things about you, Eldrich,” he said. “I wanted to check into them and put a stop to them before anything else happened.” He studied Rich for a long moment. “I hear you haven’t been really contributing to the general good of the Party. I even have observed you during the Two-Minute Hate. You don’t act on it, you just act as if it is good exercise and at the end you just sit calmly. How can you do that? It is impossible to break the hold of the Party over the individual!”
“Is that so?” Rich said with a half-smile. “I believe that many people have broken that hold at one time or another, some just from their own strength and others through a Power greater than their own. The power of hate, however is another matter,” Rich continued. “Man can’t break that through his own power, because of his faulty nature that often feeds on hate to keep going.”
“Shaddap!” Kirkland suddenly yelled. “You don’t understand why you’re here. You aren’t here so we can psychoanalyze your ability to withstand hate. You are here so I can help you get back on track.” Kirkland calmed a bit. “Eldrich you have gotten into something that is destroying your career and effectiveness with the Party. We are worried about you and want to help you come back to where you really belong.”
Yeah, right! Rich suddenly found himself thinking. It was him that got that promotion I deserved! He almost answered harshly to this man’s accusation, but something inside him whispered, What would Jesus do in this situation?
“My dear friend,” Rich said with a warm smile, “I already have found the place where I belong and I am in it. Now, with your permission, I would like to return to my work.” Kirkland’s pale face reddened for a moment but the dark man calmed himself.
“All right, Eldrich,” he said carefully, “you can return to your job, but let me warn you, Big Brother is watching you!” Rich just smiled and left the office.
“I think we’re about to get it, Anita,” Rich said that evening as they were preparing for bed.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“Kirkland called me into his office and warned me to return to the ‘right’ way.”
Anita laughed, her once plain face sparkling with joy and warmth. “But you have found the right way, luv, why go back?”
“There you have a point,” he said, putting his arms around her. “After I have found God would I ever not want to know him?” She just smiled and kissed him.
Crash! The door suddenly folded in on itself to reveal one of the black Party guards, his foot raised in a kick. “Get back and put your hands on your head!” he yelled. The couple complied instantly. Black-clad soldiers poured into the room, surrounding the two. The one that had kicked in the door raised his rifle butt and swung it towards Anita.
“No!” Rich threw himself in front of his wife, catching the vicious blow on his shoulder. Pain shot through it, making him stagger, but he stood tall in front of her.
“Get out of the way, you %$@#!” the soldier screamed. Rich just shook his head and remained in place, tears running down his checks from the pain in his shoulder. The rifle butt swung again, hitting him in the stomach. He doubled over for just a short moment, and straightened again in the same protective stance in front of her. The soldier raised his rifle butt again, this time to strike him in the face.
“Stop!” came a voice from the doorway. A man dressed in plain blue overalls stepped through the door. Rich knew him. He worked in the cubicle next to Rich’s and was plainly in charge of the operation. “Get them out of here,” he said jerking his head toward the door. A soldier grabbed each of Rich’s arms and almost carried him out of the room. Rich planted his feet down and turned his head toward Anita.
“Be strong in the Faith and in the power of His might!” he called. She just nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks as they dragged him from the apartment.
Rich groaned quietly as they kicked him into the room. He had been beaten severely and now they had tossed him into this room. Rich carefully pushed himself up with his good right arm and after a few minutes he was able to crawl to the small benches that lined the walls of the room. He pulled himself up on it and sat still. After a few minutes his blurry vision began to clear and he noticed that there was a large telescreen set in every wall, staring at him. After staring back at the one across from him for several minutes he looked down at himself. His overalls were torn and bloodied and his right leg hung limply to the floor. He was quite sure that several of his ribs and his shoulder were broken and he wondered if he would ever be able to get better again. But then he began thinking about Anita. He was worried about what had happened to her.
“Oh, God,” he said quietly, “protect her and strengthen her to stand against the torture she will endure.”
“Silence!” the telescreen bawled at him, but Rich didn’t obey. He prayed on for her, for his fellow inmates, for his captors, the Party, Washington D.C., and the rest of the world. As he prayed his pain slowly seemed to lessen, and by the time the door of the room opened again, his leg and arm were completely healed. Only his side seemed a bit tender. The soldiers tossed another figure into the room and slammed the door shut. Rich instantly bolted from his seat and knelt beside the wounded individual. He knew it was a woman from the long hair and the high-pitched moans she gave. He carefully turned her over and looked at her battered face. She seemed almost dead, but of course the guards wouldn’t kill her until after she confessed complete fealty to the system. He carefully wiped the blood from her mouth with his already bloodied handkerchief and waited for her to come around. He stood and sat against the wall again, head bowed and arms crossed, praying silently.
Finally he heard a moan and looked to see that the girl had come around. And a girl she was. He didn’t figure her to be older than 20. He quickly came and knelt beside her.
“37412, Eldrich, R. Get back in your seat!” the telescreen screamed, but Rich didn’t hear. His heart was too full of compassion for the young woman to obey the cruel command. He carefully helped her to her feet and sat her down on the bench. No sooner had he done that than the door crashed open and the soldiers burst in with their short cudgels. They began beating Rich mercilessly, but he didn’t make a noise, he simply endured, praying silently for those who beat him. Finally one of them decided that it was enough and they left the room. Rich pushed himself up off the floor and stood uncertainly, collapsing on the bench right next to the girl, who was staring at him incredulously.
“Who are you,” she finally asked after a while.
“My name’s Rich,” he said with a smile. She noticed his eyes were clouded with pain, and yet he didn’t make a sound.
“What are you in for,” she inquired farther.
“For believing in God.” The answer was simple, but it shocked her.
“For believing in God?”
“That’s right,” Rich said, nodding.
“But that’s silly, there is no God,” she said after a moment.
“My wife told me that, too, but she changed her mind.” He paused for a moment, searching her brown eyes. “And you, what are you in for?”
“Well, I’d rather not talk about that,” she said uncomfortably.
“Okay,” he said and bowed his head again.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“I’m praying,” he said seriously. The girl seemed to think for a moment.
“Well, would you put in a word for me, too?”
“Of course,” Rich answered with a smile. The telescreen then came on yelling at them to shut up. They obliged, and Rich sat quietly for a long time, lips sometimes moving in silent prayer, sometimes still. Then suddenly he quoted a verse he had memorized:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”[8]
“What does that mean?” the girl suddenly asked.
“It means that God will be with you no matter where you are and what trouble you are in, if you choose to believe in him,” Rich answered. The telescreen screamed for silence, but Rich ignored it. “You see, God created this whole world. He created me and you, and those people sitting behind these screens. When He created the first man and woman He made them perfect, but they disobeyed God and so we became what we are: twisted and evil individuals.”
“But the Party is trying to make amends, make us perfect,” the girl countered.
“Actually, my dear friend, the Party just wants more power to feed on. It cares nothing for the perfection of it’s people. All it wants is power and more power. Only God can make you perfect, through the gift of His Son.”
“God had a son? How’d He do that?” she asked.
“Oh, it’s not like you would have a son,” Rich said with a warm smile. “It’s more like, oh, a spiritual kinship. Jesus was God’s Son, and he came to earth to die for our sin.”
“What is sin?” the girl wanted to know.
“Sin is not doing what God want’s you to,” Rich said, his hazel eyes full of sadness. “It hurts God to see us do such things and because of that we can’t go to be with Him when we die.”
“But isn’t death the end of all things?”
“No, death is not the end,” Rich said shaking his head. “Either you accept God and receive true Life and go to live with Him in Heaven, or you stay in Death and are thrown into a Lake of Fire. It is very painful there, you are constantly burning, and there is no way that you can leave. But most of all it is lonely.” He fell silent and the girl fidgeted uncomfortably.
“I will tell you why I’m in here,” she said after a long pause. “It is because I fell in love and followed my heart.” She looked at the floor. “I now am here because of crimethink and there is no way that I can get out except for giving up and becoming a complete Party member. But I don’t want to,” she said, tears sliding down her white cheeks, “I want to be free.”
“With Jesus you can,” Rich said, putting his arm around her.
“Really?” she asked, a small amount of hope creeping into her eyes. Rich nodded and asked if she would pray with him. She nodded and the two knelt under the angry eyes of the telescreen. There in the depths of the Ministry of Love another soul was won back from the darkened path. As they finished praying the door burst open and the guards exploded in, bludgeoning the two prisoners. Rich was then yanked to his feet and dragged from the room, praising God that this girl’s soul had been saved and praying that she would remain strong in her new Faith.
He lay on a strange table on his back with his wrist, ankles, neck, and waist strapped tightly to it. He couldn’t do anything but look at the ceiling, and only from the corners of his eyes could he see two phantoms hovering around the table. One was slightly stooped and dressed in a white lab coat. The other one was tall and thin, dressed in the black of the Inner Party. The man in black stepped up to the table and spoke to Rich.
“Well, Eldrich,” he said, “I warned you to watch yourself and now look at what has happened. You are trussed up here and have to go through this painful ordeal.”
Rich smiled. “Kirkland, you really don’t care what happens to me as long as you can have more power. That’s what this is all about. I have found a power so much greater that it threatens the stranglehold of the Party and it’s doctrine over this world.” The Inner Party member’s face contorted with rage and he suddenly yanked a lever beside the table. Pain shot through Rich. It felt as if someone was ripping out his spine and twisting his arms off. It was so great he couldn’t make a sound. Then it stopped.
“You see, Eldrich, I told you you would go through a lot of pain,” Kirkland said with a cruel smile. “Now let’s start with the basics.” He began pacing back and forth in the room. “First of all you must understand that there is no ‘God.’ It was just a myth thought up by the people previous generations before we enlightened them. This ‘God’ of yours was just as much a fairy tale as Jupiter, Mars, or Venus of the Romans. None of these exist and neither does your ‘God.’“ A moan came from Rich’s lips.
“What did you say?” Kirkland demanded.
“I cannot — I — will — not — recant!” Rich panted. Kirkland spun the dial and yanked the lever again. A second time Rich experienced the pain this time greater.
“I will not recant!” he screamed through the haze of pain. Kirkland shut off the device and signaled his white-coated assistant. The man brought a helmet-like device over and placed it on Rich’s head.
“Close your mouth,” Kirkland ordered calmly. Rich felt a pop in his head as suddenly a big hole opened in his mental fabric. What is going on? God, help me! He tried to remember some of the scripture he had memorized as Kirkland began his monologue about God being a myth again. Just one fragment came to Rich’s mind: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ...”[9] Rich’s lips began to move, repeating the fragment. Slowly the rest of it came back: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”[10] As he prayed this prayer the mental gap closed and not one word Kirkland said had effect on him.
“So,” Kirkland finally asked, “is there a God?”
“Yes, there is, friend,” Rich said, hazel eyes sparkling. “And he loves you deeply.” Kirkland’s mouth dropped open. “Get him out of here,” he screamed. The bonds loosened and several black guards entered the room, quickly dragging Rich out of the interrogation room.
IV
Rich lay in a pool of blood in the center of the detention cell. He had been beaten mercilessly, and even so he had not cried out. This only seemed to anger the guards more so they continued to hit him. They had finally left him, almost dead, suffering for his Faith. Gentle hands reached down and turned him over, carefully pulling him to the side and then washing his face. He opened his hazy eyes to see the girl he had witnessed to. How come they had put him back in with her? Was this some kind of a joke? He gasped as she moved his arm, obviously broken. And she was singing softly. He couldn’t understand the words, but they washed over him like a balm and he drifted off into a deep sleep.
He suddenly felt like he was floating and looked down to see a dark-haired figure bent over an inert, battered body. Then there was a loud rush and he found himself standing on a vast open plain. He could see black sentries standing before him with bloody swords and the visors of their armor down. A great host of shining warriors swept down from the starless sky above him and engaged the dark legion in battle. The battle seemed to last for years, though it might have been only moments. The shining warriors had been vanquished by their evil enemy. He cried out in sadness and pain when he saw that the shining ones had lost. Then a great Voice echoed over the plains.
“Why do you cry, son of man?” it asked.
He looked up and answered, “I cry that the heavenly host has been defeated.” Again the great Voice rumbled from the heavens,
“Who will stand against the forces of evil in this world?” He felt something begin to burn inside him.
“Here am I, Lord, send me!” he said.
“Then go,” echoed the Voice. He walked towards the legions, unarmed, when suddenly another Great Warrior appeared beside him.
“Here, friend,” the Warrior said, “is your armor.” Shining ones surrounded him attaching the blazing armor to his body while the great Warrior watched. Then the shining ones melted away and another warrior appeared in their stead. Long hair flowed from beneath the warrior’s helmet and the build of the armor revealed that this was no man, but a woman. She turned her face towards him, he recognized her and spoke her name. She smiled and drew her sword in a salute. He drew his also and the two marched into battle side by side. The black sentries saw them coming and readied themselves. The sound of the clash of blades echoed across the heavens. He could feel the heat and the danger of the situation. But he fought on and the black sentries fell before his blade. The woman was also fighting, but there were too many.
“Help us, Lord,” he cried. And beside them appeared the Great Warrior. His armor was battered and his sword’s surface was uneven from the many battles he’d fought. The Warrior waded into the fray and the singing blades cut through the dark warriors as around them more and more soldiers of Light appeared. He reconized some of them, but could not speak to them. Then suddenly the legions of deepest darkness fled. He felt tired and happy as he turned to the Great Warrior.
“Kneel, my friend,” the Warrior commanded and he complied. The Warrior’s great sword touched his shoulders lightly. He then stood and looked his commander in the face.
“You have fought and won this battle, friend,” the Warrior said, “but you have another one you must fight. On this battle will depend your life and that of your wife and the lives of many people. Call on me when you need help and I will be there for you.” The Warrior pointed toward a doorway filled with light. “Go now, my friend.” He tuned and stepped through the door.
Rich opened his eyes, his mind still full of the memories from this wondrous dream. He looked up and saw the girl that had been thrust into the cell with him. She looked at him as if she had never seen him before.
“Help me up,” he said. After a moment’s hesitation she did. He stood uncertainly at first, but then felt his strength returning. He then began pacing through the room and with every step he took he felt stronger. Then the door opened and Kirkland stepped in. He stared at Rich incredulously for a long moment, but then recovered himself.
“Room 101,” was all he said. Rich felt a pang of fear pass through him, but remembered the words of his great Lord, straightened his shoulders and followed Kirkland through the door.
V
The darkened room was situated deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Love. Here Rich was again strapped to a chair, so tightly that he could not move. Kirkland slowly came across the room with a black cage. There was something in it, writhing and squirming. As he came closer Rich could see the blunt head and hear the rattle of a rattlesnake. Kirkland slowly began a narrative, “The North American rattlesnake has one of the most lethal poisons of all snakes. There is no way that a person can live after the bite of such a snake....” He continued a monologue about the snake. Rich slowly began to tense as the cage with the snake slowly came closer, but something inside him kept fear from coming. The words from one of the Psalms came to mind: “The Lord is my shepherd,/I shall not want,...”[11] As he began to pray through that Psalm he began to relax. All that mattered now was seeing his King. Soon it would be over. He closed his eyes as the rattling came closer.
Then suddenly it seemed that Time itself had stood still. Rich opened his eyes to see Kirkland frozen in place in front of him, his mouth frozen open in the middle of a word. His bonds suddenly had loosened and Rich stood up. “Go quickly,” came a small quiet voice from inside him. He ran through the door and ascended the long stairways. At every turn he expected to be challenged, but no sound came. He continued to run up the stairs. As he passed an open hall he suddenly heard someone call his name. He turned to see Anita running towards him. Her face looked puffy from the beatings she had taken, but an inner light radiated from her, giving her a beauty he had never noticed before. A moment later she was in his arms, kissing him.
“I missed you so much,” she said.
“Me, too,” he said, smiling. “But I had this dream and I saw you in it.”
“You did, too?” she asked incredulously. “Was it about a battle and a Great Warrior?” Rich just nodded. “I was there, too, Rich,” she said, putting her head on his shoulder.
“I know,” he said. They held each other for a moment longer. “We’ve got to get out of here,” he then said, and hand-in-hand they ran from the darkened halls of the building out into the sunlit world.
As they walked the streets of Washington, they could see that the people were in the middle of Hate Week. Rich felt something growing inside him, an urge to speak to these people. Some of them recognized him and began chanting his name. More joined in until the whole crowd was calling his name. A large swath opened, letting Rich and Anita walk to the podium. The speaker there stepped aside and let Rich take his place. Anita stood next to Rich, holding his hand. Rich looked over the crowd, as the words began to come to him.
“You are probably expecting me to give you a rousing speech on behalf of the Party,” he began. “Well, I can’t do that anymore. I have found something greater in my life that demands more attention than the Party. Many of you would condemn me for what I am going to tell you, but I must say it anyway. I have come to believe that God is real.” A murmur went through the crowd. “I also know that we are in the middle of Hate Week. I want to tell you about something that will make this a week of love. This God I will tell you about is greater than any Party could ever be. And, unlike Big Brother, He is real. If you don’t believe me, just look at me. I have just come from the Ministry of Love. I had been interned there for believing in God and He rescued me from the hands of the people there.” He paused, another thought coming to his mind.
“You know something, the Ministry of Love should really be called the Pit of Hatred. So also the other ministries must be renamed. The Ministry of Peace should be the Ministry of Death, the Ministry of Plenty should be called the Ministry of Poverty, and the Ministry of Truth is really the Ministry of Lies. The Party claims it controls the past and deifies Big Brother, but I know that it doesn’t. I came to believe in God because of a simple book that I acquired in a small store in the prole district. This book lead me and my wife to the Truth and we have learned what it is to really be in Christ. Let me tell you of what this book says.” He continued to tell the remarkable story of how God became man and died for mankind. The speech finally ended in a call to accept this new Lord as a personal savior. Many thousands knelt at that call as a new revival spread across the city and from that city to the nation and into the world. And through the willingness of one man to follow his true King the stranglehold of the Party was broken and the true Light came to shine on mankind
Author’s Note
This story is based on George Orwell’s epic novel 1984. There was one thing about it that really bothered me and that was the sheer hopelessness of the story. I understand that that is what Orwell intended, but what about Jesus Christ? He has held out hope and love and most importantly salvation for almost 2000 years. If Oceania had really come to pass, there would have been no way that the Party could snuff out the burning flame, and because they couldn’t do that, the regime that thrived towards power would fall apart. This would be my vision for this world of hopelessness: One man would come to know the Truth, be set free by it, and through the martyrdom of one man the nation would be saved. That is what 1989 is about, the story of the one man, Rich Eldrich, who gave up his life to follow his new Lord. Through his faith his wife is saved and through both of their faiths the nation was saved.
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used by Permission of the International Bible Society.
“NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society.
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