After introducing Luke to the group, Mary looks around the booth from face to face. Matthew and John are the most comfortable. It’s not the first or even the fiftieth time they’ve hung out at Pop’s Pool Hall. Plus, they’re insiders. As disciples, they’ve got street cred. Mark is taking notes or maybe just scribbling to keep his hands busy. Luke looks like he pulled a double shift at the ER, but Mary knows he’ll be fine. She’s seen the depth of his passion and endurance while caring for lepers together.
“Gentlemen, I’m going to get right to the point. You don’t all know each other, but Pops and I brought you here because together, you can do something amazing.”
She’s got their full attention. She takes a sip of her gin and tonic, then continues. “You just need a kickass woman like me to state the obvious.”
There are shrugs and nods of agreement. They sense she’s not wrong.
“So here goes,” she continues. “Matthew and John, the last thing Jesus commanded was for us to show the whole world who he is, right? That’s gonna look different for all of his followers, but I heard you two talking about a book. Which is a good idea. In fact, I had the same idea myself.”
Matthew and John fist bump as Matthew mutters, “I bet we had the idea first, but okay.”
“But what if, instead of a good idea, there was a great idea?”
Dubious nods. Mark pipes up. “Which is?”
“Four books.”
She says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it is. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are too stunned to react.
“There will be one for the Jews,” she says, nodding at Matthew, “and one for the Greeks. That’ll be you, Luke. John, you’ll write the exact book you need to write, and it’ll be different from the others. Finally, there will be a book by one of Jesus’s hard-core disciples … Peter.”
Mark understands before the others: that’ll be his book. He confirms with Mary, asking, “Peter doesn’t have the patience or the inclination to write a book, correct?”
“Exactly,” Mary answers, “and that’s where you’ll come in, Mark. Since you’re a collaborative writer, you’ll take what Peter says and put it to parchment. And trust me: Peter will have a lot to say.”
Pops is dropping off a round of drinks and hears this last part. “Wait,” he asks, nodding toward Mark, “he’s a ghostwriter?”
Mark looks offended and says, “No, a collaborative writer! Do I look like a ghost?”
“Can we get back to the point?” Mary demands. Then she continues her pitch, saying, “Now before you start asking questions, hear me out. Luke, you’re a research guy. You want to get the facts straight, but you also have a heart for the suffering. I mean, that’s why you’re a doctor! You might tell some of the same stories, but they’ll have a distinct human element.”
“And Matthew, don’t laugh, but you’ll do an amazing job writing a book for our fellow Jews. Sure, you were a tax collector, but you get our system, and I know you love the idea that Jesus is the King of the Jews. You might also tell some of the same stories, but you’ll be able to communicate well to the Jewish audience.”
“John, you know Jesus better than anyone. You were like a little brother to him. You were there for all the great moments, and your love never wavered. He confided in you and told you stories few people have heard. You’re also … ”
“A space cadet?” Matthew suggests.
“A smart-ass hipster?” Pops chips in.
“Unique,” Mary clarifies, “but the whole world will need your book.”
While Pop’s Pool Hall buzzes around them, their booth is quiet. It’s a lot to absorb.
The silence is broken by Pops. “Look, guys, Mary’s got a helluva good idea. Before he left, Jesus told all of us to be his witnesses, right? So write four books with his story, and then we’ll get them out to the ends of the earth, wherever that is!”
Until tomorrow, when the booth gets into a full-blown argument.
Image by Gemini.