On Every Side Part 9

Frank chuckled. "If you call a thousand people gathered on the courthouse lawn a group."

Joshua gulped." A thousand people?" Lord, I'm not up to this. I need Bob...

Be strong and courageous...I will go before you.

The silent words rea.s.sured him, easing the kinks in Joshua's belly.

"At least that many. People are outraged over this. Lot of nerve that HOUR group has, messing with our statue. That's the message the people want to convey and I'm betting they actually get heard today" Frank offered a few more words of encourage-ment then wrapped up the conversation. "Gotta run if I want a good seat. See you there."

Joshua rubbed the back of his neck and leaned forward in his chair. "See ya."

If Bob were there they'd have had an early morning prayer time, bowed their heads together, and taken the issue straight to the throne room of G.o.d. Since that wasn't possible, Joshua was left with only one option: pray alone. The image of Bob's daugh-ter came to mind, and suddenly he knew he would not be praying alone that morning. Wherever she was, Bob's daughter would be lifting her voice as well, asking G.o.d, even begging Him, to have mercy on the people of Bethany Pennsylvania.

Even if case precedent and HOUR and everything else were against them.

Joshua folded his hands, stared for a moment at the photo of Bob Moses on the office wall, closed his eyes, and hung his head. "Okay G.o.d, here it is: You know the situation..."

Faith pulled into a nearly full lot across the street from the court-house, parked her car, and instructed herself to calm down. Her heart pounded as though it were trying to break free from her body and start a life of its own.

"G.o.d help us," she whispered as she climbed out of her car and locked the door. She'd gotten up earlier than usual that morning and prayed for nearly an hour, but still peace eluded her. In the weeks since speaking to Jordan, since hearing the determination in his voice, Faith's confidence that the city would win the case had eroded like beach property in winter. Now that the morning of the hearing had arrived she was more nervous than ever.

She wasn't covering the story for the station, but she'd be rec-ognized all the same. Days earlier she'd been warned to stay out of the camera's view-keep her distance if she wanted to keep her job.

"You're recognized everywhere you go," d.i.c.k Baker told her. "No anchor of mine will be taking sides on a political issue like this one."

His words echoed in Faith's mind as she made her way past a peaceful demonstration on the front lawn, nodding at several people who waved in her direction. She entered the courtroom and found a seat near the back. The courthouse was located just outside Bethany in a newly renovated area designated for state government buildings. Judge Randall Webster would preside, and Faith was not at all comforted by the fact. Prior to taking the position as a jurist for the state of Pennsylvania, Judge Webster had been a defense attorney who earned a reputation for getting his clients the lightest possible sentences. He was a liberal man who'd made it abundantly clear he saw no place in society for religious icons, the Ten Commandments, or any mention of G.o.d whatsoever. Faith felt certain that if it had been up to Judge Webster, the dollar bill would say, "In us we trust." And that phi-losophy pervaded everything he said from the bench.

Faith spotted her father's partner across the courtroom and their eyes met. She smiled and discreetly pointed upward, mouthing the word, "Believe." Joshua nodded, his eyes filled with warmth even though uncertainty controlled his face. He returned his attention to his notes, and Faith s.h.i.+fted her gaze to the other side of the room.

Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted Jordan Riley He moved easily from one end of the table to the other, his chis-eled face masked in concentration, shoulders filling out his dark designer suit. She berated herself for being attracted to him. G.o.d, help me remember he's on the wrong side.

He moved toward what looked to be a team of attorneys, and they surrounded him the way athletes do in the final moments before a game. Clearly Jordan was in control of the meeting. He spoke commands to several of the men, and one at a time they peeled away and took their seats, either at the plaintiff's table or in the first row behind it.

She looked at him, hoping he would meet her gaze, but he was too caught up in his preparation. G.o.d's on our side, Jordan... besides, nothing will bring back your mother.

Faith saw that every seat in the courtroom was taken, but still people continued to stream in, lining two and three deep along the walls. Finally, security guards blocked the entrance and began turning people away.

Judge Webster entered the room and a hush fell over the crowd. He studied the ma.s.s of people, looked from perfectly dressed Jordan to the older Joshua and gently rapped his gavel. "Order...court is in session." His voice was deep and gravelly and carried with it an authority that sent a s.h.i.+ver down Faith's spine.

Please, G.o.d, be with us...

"This court will now hear the matter of Humanity Organized and United for Responsibility versus the city of Bethany, Pennsylvania."

Joshua watched as the judge lifted his chin and stared down the bridge of his nose. "I understand there are-" he made no effort to hide his sarcasm- "a few people interested in the out-come of this case." His voice boomed out from the bench. "Let's make one thing clear up front. No intimidation will take place in my courtroom. People are welcome to have an opinion." He gestured toward the window that overlooked the courthouse greens. "They are even invited to line up twenty deep across the lawn." He paused and glared at Joshua. "But nothing they say or do will influence the rulings I make in my courthouse now or at any other time. Is that clear?"

Joshua felt every eye in the room on him. "Yes, Your Honor, of course not."

The judge glared at Jordan next. "That goes for you, too."

Jordan Riley grinned at the judge as though the man were a favorite uncle. "Absolutely, Your Honor."

Judge Webster sat back in his seat." In that case, let's begin. We'll hear from the plaintiff first." He motioned at the audience. "The rest of you may be seated."

Those who had seats did as the judge directed, and Jordan took the floor. He paced slowly in front of the tables, holding his notes as though if he studied them long enough he might remember what to say. Joshua knew that wasn't the case. He'd done his research on Riley. The man's memory was one of the best in the business. The notes in his hands were merely for appearances, a device intended to give the impression that every-thing he said-from his opening argument to his closing remarks-was strictly from case law and researched material. That way he wouldn't come across as having a personal vendetta against the people of Bethany or their Jesus statue. Rather he was simply a legal servant of society, doing his best to maintain the line between church and state.

Joshua wondered if he was the only one in the room who saw through the ploy "Your Honor, the HOUR organization has filed suit against the people of Bethany for what is clearly a violation of state law. In the center of Bethany is a park-owned and operated by the city And at the center of the park stands a ten-foot-high statue of Jesus Christ." Jordan paused as though he might rest his case on that note alone. "We believe the statue represents a conflict between church and state and is therefore a violation of the Const.i.tution." He stopped pacing and stood with his legs shoulder-width apart, the folder held at his side. "The law is clear that no state govern-ment shall endorse or suggest or force any religion on its con-st.i.tuents. Clearly Jesus Christ is the universal symbol for Christianity. And since the Jesus statue stands on public property, its presence suggests a religion that is not only government-spon-sored and endorsed, but quite possibly mandated."

Jordan shrugged his shoulders and cast an easy smile at Judge Webster. "Very simply, we want the statue removed as soon as possible."

The judge nodded. The lines on his face had eased consider-ably. "Go on, Counsel."

Jordan nodded and resumed his meandering pace across the front of the courtroom, his eyes on his notes once more. Joshua watched him and was caught off guard by something in the young man's eyes. His face was familiar in an eerie sort of way...

"In addition to the law-which is clearly on our side-we believe we have ample precedent to prove our point. With us today we have research from dozens of past cases, both from the state and Supreme Court level. If it pleases Your Honor, I'll give a summary of that research at this time."

Judge Webster gestured toward Jordan in a way that was just short of rude. "Continue."

Across the room Joshua tried to read the feeling coming from the bench. Anyone who knew the judge knew where he likely stood on the issue of church and state. But Joshua knew the man also prided himself on not being biased. Joshua prayed that pride would work in their favor.

Jordan set his things down, on the plaintiff's table and sorted through them for a few seconds before apparently finding what he was looking for. "Here we are..." And with that, Jordan neatly and succinctly cited exactly fourteen sources that were similar in nature, cases where a nativity scene or a Christian fish symbol or a cross was eliminated from the landscape of any place even remotely public. For good measure, he included two examples where private establishments were ordered to remove their Christian symbols as well.

After talking for less than an hour, Jordan set his notes down and looked at the judge. "That's all for now, Your Honor." A warm smile filled his face. "We are not looking to punish or in any way penalize the people of Bethany We merely want the good citizens of this country to feel free to live and work around public areas without being forced to adhere to a specific religion. In essence-" he gestured toward his team of attorneys, and again Joshua had the strange feeling he'd seen the young attorney somewhere before- "we want to preserve the rights of the people to live free from the burden of state-sponsored religion. Now and as long as this great nation might stand. Thank you, Your Honor."

Jordan took his seat, and Joshua gathered his notes. He was certain his opponent had reams more of case precedent to sup-port the idea that religious icons and displays ought not to be left standing on public property That was fine. Joshua had prepared as well. He smiled to himself and felt a peaceful confidence come over him. G.o.d had promised to fight the battle, to go before him. Surely that meant victory, right? He stood up and headed toward the center of the floor, six feet from the judge's chair, praying for the right words.

"Your Honor, I appreciate the comments and concerns pre-sented by the plaintiff. But I disagree that this is a case of the HOUR organization looking out for the rights of the people." He glanced at his notes and allowed a measured pause. The last thing he wanted was to appear rushed and fl.u.s.tered, as though he had to work to defend the city's position.

He took a steadying breath and continued. "The statue in question was given to the city of Bethany as a gift nearly a hun-dred years ago." Joshua squared up before the bench and met the judge's eyes straight on. "If the city had received a statue of Pocahontas or Christopher Columbus or Martin Luther King Jr., certainly no one would object to having it placed at the center of the city's oldest park. Like Columbus or King, Jesus Christ is a person of great historical significance, both in our United States history as well as the history of the world. Removing the statue of Him now is, in this city's opinion, a violation of the citizens' rights to cherish this gift, to look upon its considerable beauty and expression, to consider the historical significance of the man it represents." He made his way to the defense table and sorted through a series of files. If his opponent could look loaded with precedent, so could he. "I'd like to share some case law supporting that opinion."

The reality was Joshua had been able to find only two cases that even remotely upheld the idea that the Jesus statue should remain standing in Jericho Park, but he played them for all they were worth. One case involved a cross anch.o.r.ed on a hill that was-technically-part of the Texas state, park system. It was also, however, a landmark by which those traveling the interstate could determine how far they'd traveled and how much time remained on their journey. Ultimately it was deemed more of a landmark than a religious icon, and the courts allowed it to stand.

The other case centered on the town of Camp Verde, Arizona, and an annual Christmas parade that culminated in a float depicting a living nativity scene. The parade entry included Mary Joseph, an actual baby playing the part of Jesus, and an a.s.sort-ment of donkeys and sheep being tended along the parade route by Boy Scouts in shepherd garb. Since the parade was sponsored by the city, someone cried foul one year and filed a lawsuit requesting that the religious parade entry be excluded from the procession. After much bantering back and forth, a state court judge ruled that the parade was-in nature-organized around a Christmas theme, and that Christmas was, inherently a celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. Therefore it was within the city's legal bounds to include in its Christmas parade the nativity scene, and the float was allowed to stay, right down to the babe in swaddling clothes.

Joshua did his best to make these cases look similar to the one involving Jericho Park. He played up the fact that govern-ment groups were involved in both cases and remained intentionally vague on his comparisons that a landmark and a Christmas float were almost exactly the same thing as having a Jesus statue in the center of a public park.

But as he spoke, even Joshua could hear the gaping holes in his argument. It was one thing to have a directional landmark or a holiday-themed parade entry Joshua simply had no precedent demonstrating a city's right to maintain a religious presence on public property for no apparent reason. The landmark case was the most similar and the night before he'd decided to hammer on that one more than the other. Now as he neared the end of his remarks, that's exactly what he did.

"Your Honor, the people of Bethany use the Jesus statue as a meeting spot. They talk about it as though it were part of the town's landscape. Generations of Bethany citizens have held annual picnics around the base of the statue and found comfort in the fact that though things change with time, the statue remains. It stands regardless."

He set his notes down and faced the judge again. "It is our opinion that the Jesus statue is as much a landmark as the cross that stood in the publicly owned hills of Texas. We ask that you make a decision allowing it to stand. Thank you, Your Honor."

Joshua caught Faith's weak smile as he sat down. Was his case that lacking? Come on, G.o.d...make it happen. He winked at Faith, turned and took his seat.

The judge looked from Joshua's table to that of the plaintiff and leaned forward. "This court will recess for ten minutes while I consider both arguments. We will meet back here at ten-fifteen at which time I will give my decision."

Frank Furlong and several members of Bethany's city council surrounded Joshua, patting him on the back and a.s.suring him he'd done a fantastic job. But Joshua thought their remarks seemed canned, contrived-as though they were trying to con-vince themselves of something that suddenly seemed almost impossible.

A noise began to build outside, and Joshua turned toward the window. People covered the grounds below, some of them carrying signs that read, Stay out of our park and It's HOUR statue. Many of them marched peacefully, while others formed prayer circles. Joshua watched, and the pressure he felt nearly suffocated him. He shuddered and turned back to the others. "You were right." He looked at Frank. "At least a thousand."

Frank and the others joined Joshua at the window, and the men watched as the group formed a single line and began marching around the lawn, singing what sounded like a hymn. Frank flipped a lock on the window frame and lifted the gla.s.s so they could hear more clearly Immediately their song became audible, the words ringing over the voices in the courtroom, stopping con-versations and gradually causing some people to join in the song.

"Great is Thy faithfulness, oh G.o.d my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compa.s.sions they fail not... as Thou has been Thou forever will be...."

Joshua felt tears stinging at his eyes and he blinked them back. The people were united in this, that much was sure. They didn't know what the outcome would be but they agreed on one thing: G.o.d would be faithful. Suddenly the pressure he'd felt a moment earlier lifted. It wasn't Joshua who would deliver victory to the people, but G.o.d. And whichever way the case went, He was in control. Faithful as He always had been, always would be.

The song grew louder as more voices joined from among those in the audience. "Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness... great is Thy faithfulness... great is Thy-"

"Shut the window!"

Joshua started and turned to find Judge Webster standing near the bench.

"And stop singing! I will not stand for this type of disruption in my courtroom." He sat down and fanned his robe around him in a huff of anger as the voices around him died off one by one.

Joshua hurried back to his seat, certain deep in his gut that he'd lost the case.

Back at the window, Frank hesitated long enough to show his frustration toward the judge. Then in an angry motion Frank slammed the window shut, silencing the voices of the crowd midrefrain. He took his seat with the others from Bethany as Joshua prayed that the people outside-people protesting with praise-would not blame him or the mayor for the decision that was about to be made.

The redness in Judge Webster's cheeks lightened some, and he settled back in his chair. "That's better." He looked at the younger attorney and managed a crooked smile. "I have heard a variety of cases in my courtroom over the years, but I must say I've rarely seen one as clear-cut and simple as this one." His eye-brows lowered as he gazed across the room at Joshua. "I've had time to go over the case precedent cited by both parties and I have but one choice."

He sifted through several sheets of paper. "Our country ought to be grateful for organizations such as HOUR who come along and help us find balance in the public places of our national life." Judge Webster stared at Joshua. "To think that a public park has had a Jesus statue standing at its center for nearly a hundred years is appalling. It suggests that Christianity is the religion of the day and that Jesus Christ is to be wors.h.i.+ped and adored among the people. It is no better than the statues built back in Communist Russia or in Red China today, where public artwork represents a government-mandated mind-set. A mind-set that is inherently dangerous and in direct opposition to the freedoms for which this country stands."

In his peripheral vision, Joshua could see an HOUR attorney lean over and whisper something to Jordan. Both attorneys then looked across the room at Joshua and exchanged a smile.

We've lost... O G.o.d, we've lost You will not have to fight this battle, Joshua. The battle belongs to the Lord...

Okay, G.o.d, but we're running out of time...

Be strong and courageous.

He swallowed hard, keeping his eyes on Judge Webster. Waiting for what he knew was coming.

The judge was going on about the value of separation of church and state. Finally he paused and cleared his throat. "For that reason, it is my decision to side with the plaintiffs in this case and to order the Jesus statue removed at the expense of the city of Bethany" He narrowed his eyes and looked directly at Joshua.

Father, I know You're in control, but I don't understand this...

The judge continued. "You, Mr. Nunn, will instruct the city offi-cials that they have thirty days to remove the statue. A hundred-dollar penalty will be exacted on the city for every day it continues to stand past the deadline." He motioned toward the crowd. "I will expect you to conduct yourself with decorum after court is adjourned. Anyone who protests in an unsuitable manner-" he peered over his wire-framed gla.s.ses- "and that includes singing-will be arrested and held in contempt of court." The judge hesitated only a moment. "Court is adjourned."

Immediately there was a rustling of whispers and people began moving about the courtroom. In the confusion, Joshua looked across the table and saw Jordan Riley staring straight at him, his eyes filled with a strange mixture of victory and sadness.

Joshua's heart skipped a beat as the pieces fell into place. He met Jordan's gaze and held it, studying the eyes of the man who had claimed victory over Joshua, the Jesus statue, and the people of Bethany Suddenly he knew why the young attorney looked so familiar.

His was the face in the dream, the one he'd had the day he was packing Bob Moses' things at the office. When Bob's face had disappeared from the framed photograph hanging on the office wall, it had been replaced by the image of a younger man with angry eyes and a handsome, chiseled face. A face Joshua had never seen.

Until now.

The face of Jordan Riley, chief counsel for the HOUR organi-zation.

Thirteen.

Nearly two weeks had pa.s.sed since the ruling, and Faith knew from Joshua that the Bethany city council had held several emergency meetings in recent days. There wasn't much to discuss. Since the judge had ordered the Jesus statue removed, there was little they could do but decide on a ceremonial way to watch it go. A farewell party perhaps, or a des-ignated day where the town could gather at the park for a picnic and hear a few words from key members in the community. There was talk of selling the statue to J. T Enley a retired stock-broker who had made millions in the market in the late nineties. Or perhaps donating it to a museum in Philadelphia. They also talked about selling the statue in an auction and donating the proceeds to a local charity Still, a deep and angry sadness remained, a sense of astonish-ment that a single attorney could breeze through town, file a lawsuit, and summarily have a town treasure eliminated. The story had made headlines in both local papers and was easily the biggest item in the newscast for three nights after the ruling. Tonight would be more of the same. According to Joshua, reporters had attended the latest council meeting earlier that day Faith finished applying her makeup and pinned her hair up, certain she'd feel the smirks of several station employees tonight as much as she'd felt them for the past fourteen days. She'd made her views public and she'd lost. The statue was coming down, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She slumped back against the wall in the boxy dressing room and stared at herself. Her father would never have let the statue be removed. Not that Joshua hadn't done his best in court; he had. But Bob Moses was a man who refused to let life get the best of him. Faith didn't know how, but her father would have found a way to keep the statue standing.

So what did that say about her?

What good had she ever brought to the world around her? She woke up at her parents' house, washed and cleaned and shopped for her mother, and on occasion spent a day with Rosa Lee. Every night on the air she dressed the same and smiled the same and used the same polished voice to deliver news that people could have gotten from a dozen different sources. Newspapers, other networks, the Internet.

Her job didn't really matter to anyone.

Mike Dillan continued breaking hearts in every town he played, Rosa went without a family, the Jesus statue was ordered down. Through it all, she'd been little more than a meaningless bystander. A weak-willed, pa.s.sive partic.i.p.ant with none of the gumption and determination that had been the benchmark of her father's life.

"Evans, let's go!" The voice on the other side of the door snapped her out of her reverie, demanding her attention for yet another newscast, another series of stories she would read for the cameras. Faith Evans, expert mouthpiece.

Lord, make me a light... help me bring about change.

As if in response, an idea came to mind. A brilliantly simple, amazing idea that took shape in Faith's mind in less time than it took her to grab the door handle and turn it. She hesitated for a moment, staring at the wooden door as a smile filled her face. The idea was so solid, so sound, Faith knew it had to have come from the Lord.

And as she breezed out of the dressing room and headed for her place on the soundstage she knew something else as well. It just might work.

The next morning Sandy Dirk, Rosa Lee's social worker, got a phone call from a man who said he was from WKZN. His con-versation was quick and to the point: "Our Internet site isn't receiving nearly the hits we'd like it to get."

She rolled her eyes, reached for a pencil and began doodling on a notepad. Sandy had seen so many down-and-out kids come through her foster home that she'd lost track of the number. Rosa was destined for the long-term facilities. She was too old to draw the attention of a couple looking for a baby, and though Sandy loved the children in her own way, she no longer got sucked into relations.h.i.+ps with them. Hers was merely a stopping ground, a place for children no one wanted until the state could figure out something else. Often the only thing better was a group home, and Sandy had never known a child yet who hadn't been hard-ened beyond recognition after spending a year in such a place.

There was nothing quite like the pain of watching officials from Social Services-and on some occasions even police offi-cers-show up at the house, take a child and all her belongings, and haul her off to live at a group home for an indeterminate amount of time. Whatever a child's demeanor was when he or she left for group care, inevitably it would be worse six months later. People who knew Sandy understood that her gruff voice and no-nonsense approach was merely a front to prevent chil-dren from getting too comfortable in her care. And to keep her-self from getting too comfortable with them.

Now as the man on the other end spoke, Sandy jotted the words Internet site and coughed into the receiver. "Okay, I heard ya. What's your point?"

The man drew a breath deep enough to hear over the phone lines. "We have advertisers, Mrs. Dirk. People who want to buy s.p.a.ce on our Web site-especially the Wednesday's Child page."

"What's that have to do with me?" Sandy peered out the back window to make sure Rosa Lee was still playing outside with the other children.

"We're taking Rosa's picture off the site. To make room for other kids."

A flicker of understanding pa.s.sed across Sandy's mind. "You mean because she isn't cute enough? What with her missing fin-gers and Asian blood, is that it, Mr. Baker?"

Sandy chuckled twice, though it sounded more like an exag-gerated huff. She'd been against the Wednesday's Child program from the beginning, convinced it would do nothing to increase Rosa Lee's chances for adoption and would most likely wind up hurting her in the process.

"The children who are getting attention from online users are younger than Rosa." The man sounded as though his patience was running low, as though it was demeaning to talk to a woman of Sandy's stature. "The fact is, Mrs. Dirk, no one's even asking about Rosa. She'll be off the Web site as of tomorrow morning. I thought you'd like to know."

Sandy thought for a moment. "Does Faith Evans know about this?"

There was a long pause on the other end. Apparently her question had hit its mark.