The Policeman and the Prophet

A few minutes later, Bill returned to his seat. Frank leaned over and began to whisper something but stopped and asked, “Am I talking into your good ear?”

Father Bill just nodded no and smiled. “I’ll tell you later,” he whispered.

After the program was over, the two of them walked slowly back to the bus taking care to move away from the others. “It’s as you thought it was,” said Bill. “It’s pure crap, but they’re smarter than I thought, a whole lot smarter.”

“In what way?”

“When I went up there I was greeted by a “prayer partner” who asked me a few questions. And they are good.”

“What do you mean?”

“My prayer partner, the woman who talked to me, could tell I wasn’t stone deaf. She was sure that when Taylor put his finger in my ear to plug the ‘good’ ear I would be able to hear. He never put any pressure on my ear when he was plugging it. Of course I could hear. But if you’ll notice nothing you could see was ‘cured’. Those people who said they were cured and could now walk, it happened while they were in the audience, out of sight. There’s a bunch of wheelchairs and walkers piled behind the stage. I saw them, even saw old blue. They caught me looking.”

“Caught you?”

“Yea, that’s how I got on stage. I told them I was looking to get healed. I acted stupid and they ate it up. But, like I said, they are smart. While they were talking to me, I saw a woman with a goiter and a man with a terrible face cancer, but you didn’t see them on the stage. All you saw were healings you couldn’t, well, really see. Or at least see anything happen.”

“So, it is a con”

“Sure it is, you knew that, but by god it is a good con.”

“But are they doing anything illegal?”

“If they are, I didn’t see it. All I could see them doing is taking a bunch of ignorant people and convincing them of something or other. All they’re doing is giving these people what they want, that’s all.”

“You don’t feel like taking their money is wrong?” asked Frank.

“Sure, it’s wrong, but those are the type of people destined to have someone take their money.”

“That doesn’t sound too Christian.”

“Maybe not Christian, but realistic.”

Frank gave Bill a confused look.