RAFFERTY'S MONDAY
LEAPING TO CONCLUSIONS

As Rafferty comes into the church to begin the Sunday Eucharist he notices an unfamiliar back of an unfamiliar head in one of the pews. From the altar, looking into the congregation, he registers the face as unfamiliar too. One he doesn't know at all. A later glance has him thinking, 'He looks very devout!', but soon it's, 'He looks too devout for it to be healthy!'

During the sermon, as Rafferty makes eye contact from time to time with people here & there among the congregation, it's clear that Bill - let's call him that - doesn't make eye contact, isn't even listening, as he's thought at first, maybe praying after a fashion, muttering under his breath, shaking with emotion of some kind in the process. It doesn't look like healthy religion from where Rafferty's looking, even if he can't actually hear Bill. When it comes time, Bill receives Communion, though still praying, muttering, whatever. But when Rafferty looks for him after the service, it's to find he's left straight away, and is nowhere to be seen. Rafferty wonders about Bill most of the rest of the day.

That night, long after the usual time for callers, there comes a knock at the Rectory door. When Rafferty opens it, there is Bill. Without waiting for an invitation, he comes straight inside, and into the Study. A man on a mission. Bill has come to put Rafferty right. Through a strange, mainly one-sided inquisition; it becomes clear that what Bill thinks he's heard at this morning's service has convinced him Rafferty needs help. Bill has been sent to give that help. To restore one fallen from grace, an agent of the devil, by urging him to repent and change his ways! Rafferty knows he has no chance of avoiding being burned at Bill's stake unless he mends his theological understandings! Now!

Bill continues to put Rafferty through this odd, rambling, catechism until Rafferty has had enough! Seen and heard and had enough to recognize Bill doesn't just have strange theological views, but is clearly mentally ill, and that he, Rafferty, needs to take some charge of this situation. Gently but firmly he steers the so far virtually one-sided conversation in which he's been mostly listening, trying to take some bearings, around to a suggestion that Bill may need some help with the way he's seeing things. Eventually he asks Bill if he'd be prepared to come to the local hospital if Rafferty comes with him so that together they can see someone about getting him any help he may need. Nothing doing! Bill gets up to go. Even in his disturbed state of mind he can see he's getting nowhere. Still trying quietly to persuade him that help is at hand, Rafferty stands up too. They are hardly both standing, about a metre apart, when suddenly, without any warning, Bill roars like a lion, and leaps. Throws himself through the air straight at Rafferty.

Rafferty's been in some difficult situations in his time, but nothing like this. In the split second Bill is hurtling through the air, he doesn't even have time to defend himself, though looking back he thinks he may have been mentally crying 'Help!', as good a prayer as any in desperate situations! But he isn't sure. When Bill's split-second projectile-like flight ends, Rafferty is shocked again, this time to realise he's unharmed. There is Bill, standing literally toe touching toe with him, looking him right in the face, breathing shallowly, excitedly. But there is no more roaring. No other movement at all.

In this next split second Rafferty sees Bill has carefully, exactly, calculated his leap needed to bring him toe touching toe and nothing beyond that. And he understands Bill has no intention of harming him. That he is simply demonstrating something. Dramatically! Suddenly, Rafferty has a revelation - nothing less - that what Bill has been doing is re-enacting a popular theme from the Older Testament. One of stories and threats concerning allegedly false prophets being eaten by lions! Except that in his vivid re-enactment, Bill, in the role of lion, has roared, and leapt, but the leap has been choreographed so that Rafferty in his role of false prophet has been confronted, but not hurt. The prey is stunned, warned, but not injured.in any way.

Seconds later, without a word from either of them, Bill removes his face from Rafferty's, turns his back on him, and without another glance strides to the door, lets himself out, and vanishes into the night. Unfreezing gradually, Rafferty is inclined to follow Bill and try again to persuade him to accept help, though he knows that's not at all likely. Should he call the mental health emergency service to alert them in case Bill could actually be a danger to someone else? In the end, apart from a belated Thanks be to God for his safety, Rafferty decides to do nothing. It's all too hard.

Rafferty never sees or hears of Bill again, but for some time lives a mix of gratitude that nothing worse happened, relief that Bill has moved on, and regret that he didn't pursue help for him from health professionals who just may have been able to help.