Chapter CIV
After the tent was set up and the sheep tethered with the dog to guard them, the priest invited me back to his house where all four of us sat and talked until the sun began to wane and then the priest, whose name was Papa Georgios, excused himself.
"I must go and conduct vespers," he said. "I will return and then we will eat. Martha, you stay here with our guests."
"But I am a Christian," Trudy said, getting to her feet. "I should like to attend vespers, for it is a long time since I entered a Christian church to pray."
To my surprise Papa Georgios did not look pleased and he looked even less pleased when I said, "I am of Islam, but if you will permit me, I would like to come also."
Papa Georgios stood for a moment like one who cannot make up his mind and then he said to me, "In our church there are many icons and other things that might offend a Muslim. I do not wish to . . ."
I waved my hand. "I have been in other churches in al-Quds, in Jerusalem. There is no problem."
"And we will pray to Jesus the Son of God," Papa Georgios said.
Again I waved my hand. "It is no problem," I said.
So, despite the unhappiness in the face of the priest, we all four went to the church and joined the villagers already there. There was much whispering when we came in, but I thought nothing of it, for they cannot have had many strangers in their small village.
Although I did not know or understand any of the chanting or praying, I thought it no harm to stand when they stood and kneel when they knelt, but gradually I became aware of angry mutterings around us and black looks cast towards us and when the service was ended a group of men surrounded me.
"Are you a Christian?" one of them demanded.
"No, I am of Islam," I said.
"Why did you come here?" another one asked, his voice tight with anger. "Have you come to spy on us?"
Before I could reply a third man said, "How dare you come here to mock our religion?" and he raised his hand, either to strike me or to seize me.
He was thrust aside by Papa Georgios, who came and stood in front of me. "Leave him alone," he commanded in a loud voice. "This man is my guest and if anyone lays a hand upon him, openly or in secret, or harms him or his wife or his possessions in any way, I will curse that man and his family and his children's children."
There was much muttering and the men slowly went away, followed by their womenfolk. I thanked Papa Georgios for saving me and apologised for causing offence.
"There is no offence," he said shortly. "I was watching you all through the service and you behaved properly. It was no more displeasing to God than to allow those heretics the Franks or the Greeks to worship in our church - and we have had both from time to time."
Later, after we had eaten, I spoke to the priest.
"Papa," I said, "in the church you spoke of the Franks as heretics and also of the Greeks as heretics. I have met many Nasrani holy men who have explained these matters to me. The Franks are considered heretics by the Greeks because they claim that the Spirit of God comes also from the Son. The Greeks are considered heretics by the Franks because they do not."
Papa Georgios looked startled. "My son," he said, "you know much about these matters."
"There is more, Papa," I said, "for once I met a woman who followed the teachings of a man called Nestrius . . ."
"Do you mean 'Nestorius'?" Papa Georgios interrupted me.
"Aiwa, Nestorius. She explained to me that both Franks and Greeks were heretics because they combined the natures of the Son. Is this what you believe?"
Papa Georgios threw back his head and laughed. "My son, even Nestorius was in error, for he did not consider the matter of the will."
"What is the will, Papa?" I asked.
Papa Georgios leaned forwards. "Why did you marry this Frankish woman?" he asked. "Were there no women among your own people?"
I shrugged. "She is beautiful and somehow we became friends and I chose her above the women of my people."
"You chose her," Papa Georgios echoed. "That is, you decided that she was the woman for you and your choice, your decision, was carried into action."
"Yes, I suppose so," I said, doubtfully.
"This is what we call the will," Papa Georgios explained. "That part of you which chooses one path rather than another. But the will is more than choice; it is also the determination to carry out that which has been chosen. If some had withstood your choice to marry this Frankish woman, would you have given up?"
I shook my head and laughed. "Papa, I waited more than two years for her."
"There you are," Papa Georgios made a gesture with his hand and sat back. "Now the question is, how many wills did the Son have? These heretics say that He had two wills, a Divine will like the will of God and a human will, such as you and I have. We believe that this is impossible, for if that were so then in some things the human will would choose differently to the Divine will and thus Jesus would be in conflict with Himself. Rather we believe that the Son had only one will, a will that was a mixture of Divine and human."
"Wallah!" I exclaimed. "These are difficult matters."
"Not so difficult," Papa Georgios reproved me. "This was decided by a council of the church and proclaimed by an edict from the Basileus in Constantinople, but then the Papa of Rome decided that there must be two wills and everyone followed him into error."
"Everyone?" I asked. "How many hold to the truth about this matter of wills?"
Papa Georgios shook his head sadly. "Before the Franks came, all this part of Syria held to the truth, but when the Franks came our leaders surrendered and accepted the teaching of the Frankish priests. We alone in this village have held to the true doctrine. There may be one or two other places which also hold to the true doctrine, but if there are, I have not heard of them."
"Papa," I said, "if I find them on my travels, I will surely send word to you."
"Do that," Papa Georgios said. "They are called 'monothelite', which in our language means 'one will'. Ask concerning them, of your kindness, but do not let others know of us, for truly we have suffered at the hands of the heretics. Indeed, it is better for us to be ruled by Muslims, for at least they only take our possessions. The heretics often took our lives if they could not do what is worse and take our souls."
