Ah yes, as we all know, large OR small, the response speaks volumes. Very well, if we can’t agree on earth of something so inconceivable to even speak of the top verse’s intent, then I’ll allow something for the Lord’s heritage, the Body of Christ (BOC) to experience in the dust of the digital, brought to us by the expertise of AI. I’ll set the fictitious parameters for AI to follow the course of strong appeal amongst the strong and very diverse allegiance I’ll refer to as (SECT) to free the captive BOC. This might be interesting.
. . . .
The air in the dimly lit tent crackled with tension. The BHS’ quiet strength belied a sharp intellect in the reserves of the Spirit who sat opposite of the detainer of the nameless intent. Years had passed since the abduction of BOC’s extended family, years of agonizing uncertainty. Now, the moment of truth had arrived. The release of SECTS had been a victory hard-won, a testament to BHS's cunning power, but this… this was different. This was about the BOC, His Bride’s entire family.
“You’ve proven your point,” BHS began, His voice calm and measured, cutting through the heavy silence. “You’ve demonstrated your power, your reach. The world knows you can take what you want. You’ve established yourselves. But what have you gained?”
He paused, letting the question hang in the air. The detainer, with eyes that seemed to see through bone, remained impassive.
“Fear,” BHS continued, answering his own question. “You’ve gained fear. And fear, while potent, is a finite resource. It diminishes with time. People adapt. They rebuild. They learn to live with the shadow of your power, but they no longer cower in its light.”
He leaned forward, his gaze locking with the detainer’s. “You want more than fear. You crave respect. You crave recognition. You want to be seen as more than just having ruthless allegiance. You want to be… wise.”
A flicker of something – perhaps interest, perhaps amusement – crossed the detainer’s face.
“Wise men,” BHS went on, “understand the long game. They understand that true power lies not in taking, but in giving. You have taken much. Now, I offer you the opportunity to give. To give back what you have taken, not as a sign of weakness, but as a demonstration of your ultimate strength.”
He gestured to the empty space beside him. “The world watches. They see you holding these families captive. They see you demanding… what, exactly? What tangible benefit do you gain from their continued division? Nothing. Their captivity serves no strategic purpose. It brings you no resources, no leverage. It only perpetuates the fear, the hidden resentment. It brands you as… bandits.”
BHS’s words hung heavy in the air. He knew he was walking a tightrope, one wrong step and everything would fall apart.
“But imagine,” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper, “imagine the narrative shift. Imagine the world seeing you, not as takers, but as givers. Imagine the respect you would command, the influence you would wield, if you released these families, not for a ransom, not for a concession, but simply… because it is the right thing to do.”
He met the detainer’s gaze, holding it steady. “You would not lose power. You would gain something far more valuable: legitimacy. You would transform from a feared group into a force to be reckoned with, a force that understands mercy, a force that understands the true meaning of power.”
BHS paused, allowing his words to sink in. He had appealed not to the detainer’s emotions, but to his pragmatism, to his desire for something more than simple fear. He had offered him a chance to rewrite his story, to become something more than a captor, to become… a legend.
The detainer remained silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the BHS. Then, a slow smile spread across his face. “You are strong, BHS,” he said, finally, securing the first step to at last agree. “Strong indeed.”
And with those words, the BHS knew that He had won the first step. Not just the release of BOC’s family, but something more. He had planted a seed of doubt in the detainer’s mind, a seed that would, perhaps, one day grow into something resembling… ‘’wisdom’’.