The Gilgal Passage

by Bob Brown

  “The other thing is, my dad only hires employees that he knows share his beliefs. He wants customers to know that all of Garrett’s employees have a common bond in Christianity and in their commitment to Christian ideals.”

  “OK, I guess I get it. But he seems to have made an exception in my case.”

  “Not really.” replied Kyle. “He’s a pretty good judge of character. And so am I. I don’t think we’ve seen the final version of Jason Matthews yet.”

  The two were silent for a few minutes, bobbing up and down in the gentle ebb and flow of the tide.

  Then Kyle remembered something else. “Have you ever noticed that the ‘Christian, family-owned’ statement is prominently displayed on the showroom wall at Garrett Motors? It’s also on the Garrett web site, and it appears in all print advertising we do.”

  “Now that you mention it, I guess that’s true,” Jason replied, somewhat embarrassed that he had to be reminded of something so obvious.

  “The bottom line is, we have strong beliefs, and we stand behind them. We want people to know and understand that. Turns out, it’s also good for business. People can be taken advantage of by just about any business these days. At Garrett, they know they will be treated with Christian integrity.”

  Once again the two enjoyed the solitude, their thoughts intermittently interrupted by the occasional screeching of a gull.

  After several minutes, Kyle again broke the silence. “Jason, you’ve heard me talk about being a Christian, right?”

  “Sure. I’ve even seen you pull out a Bible right in the middle of class.”

  “Well, do you know what it means to be a Christian?”

  Before Jason could respond, Kyle continued. “I know you grew up going to church. You’ve told me that much. So I suspect you may have some concept of what Christianity is. But sometimes people confuse church, religion, and Christianity. It’s possible for a person to go to church for an entire lifetime and not be a Christian. It’s possible to practice religion and never find God.

  “Jason, have you ever read the Bible?”

  Now Jason was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. “Well, not really. Just in church.”

  Kyle paused. Then he cautiously continued. “Jason, nothing would make me happier than to share my faith with you. As a Christian, I find my greatest joy in learning more about God and sharing that knowledge with others. In Matthew 7:7 it says:

  ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’

  “It’s all about asking God into your life. Look, I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship, but I want you to do me a favor. Call it payback for getting you a job at Garrett. Find yourself a Bible and read John 3:16. I suspect you’ll remember it from growing up. It’s one of the most-quoted verses in the Bible. It says:

  ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’”

  “So why read it? You just told me what it says,” Jason said sarcastically.

  “Maybe so. But I want you to read it anyway, when you have time to think about it. And if you get inspired, feel free to keep on reading.”

  Jason was feeling a little resentful that Kyle had interrupted their pleasant outing with a Bible study. And as much as he was grateful to Kyle for the job, he didn’t like the feeling that he owed his friend something for it. He was working hard at Garrett and doing a good job. And now he was being asked for payback at a price he wasn’t sure he was willing to pay.

  Still, after a moment of silence, Jason responded, “OK. I’ll do it. It’s only one verse.” Then with an additional touch of sarcasm, he added, “By the way, I thought I already paid you back. Didn’t I pick up the beer tab the day you offered me the job?”

  “Just read the verse. And think about what it says. Trust me. You’re getting off pretty cheap.”

  *****

  An hour later, Jason and Kyle were still in their wetsuits, sitting in an outdoor patio bar along the boardwalk in Pacific Beach, sipping a couple of Pacificos. There was nothing quite as good as cold Mexican beer on a mild summer day.

  The bar was actually a two-story affair, with an upstairs restaurant that featured a band on Friday and Saturday nights. The food was decent, but overpriced, like just about everything else in San Diego. For now, Jason and Kyle were getting by on the free chips and salsa that came with the beers. Free was always good.

  From their seats next to the low concrete wall bordering the boardwalk, Jason and Kyle looked out across the wide expanse of sand to the ocean, where the waves rumbled in the distance. The sun, still several hours from setting, continued its struggle to break through the thick, gray clouds. Surfers and sunbathers shared beach-side showers, washing sand and salt from bodies, bathing suits and neoprene. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and skaters jockeyed for position up and down the concrete path.

  It was classic San Diego.

  The bar was not deserted, but the lack of sun had chased most of the tourists away. And the locals knew better than to come around while the T-shirt shops were still open, attracting the out-of-towners. So Jason and Kyle were enjoying some quiet conversation. For the time being, neither seemed willing to reprise the earlier discussion.

  “So you’ve got one more year at USD. Then what?” Kyle asked casually. He was anxious to let Jason know that he wasn’t going to beat him up with the Bible.

  “Well, I figure after I impress your dad with how smart I am and triple the business at his dealership, maybe he’ll make me a partner. Then in a couple years I’ll retire and surf all day. Or maybe play golf. Or both.”

  “Good luck with that plan,” replied Kyle. “The way things are going, I’ll be lucky to get a job at the dealership. And my dad almost has to hire me. I think it’s in the company operating agreement.”

  They both laughed, and what tension might have existed melted away.

  “I’m serious,” Kyle continued. “What kind of job do you see yourself doing a couple of years from now? Do you want to stick around San Diego?”

  Jason knew that his time in college was coming to an end. And much as he hated to think about it, he knew that Kyle’s questions were the same questions he should be asking himself. Now that the questions were being asked, he found he didn’t have much in the way of answers. That bothered him. Because he had always worked hard at having all the answers.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure I know. I just assumed I’d figure it out in my senior year, when it mattered most. I guess I’ll attend the campus job fairs, workshops, and seminars. I’ll send out stacks of resumes and line up as many interviews as I can. I guess what I’d like to do is work for an advertising agency. Get into accounts. That’s where the money is.

  “One thing for sure,” he continued, “I plan to work hard at whatever I do. I was brought up with the idea that if you work hard, you succeed. Failure comes to those unwilling to do what it takes. That’s not going to be me. When I was growing up, my folks never had much extra. Which is why I’ve got this huge debt from college. Much as I love my folks, I’d like more from life than what they have.

  “And yea, I really would like to stay in San Diego. I love it here. But there are only a handful of ad agencies in town. If I don’t get lucky, I may have to move to find a decent job. Hopefully, I can at least stay on the West Coast.”

  Deep down, Kyle knew he was fortunate. His future was assured, at least as long as Garrett Motors remained profitable. But for the first time he understood that Jason might end up leaving San Diego. He could lose his best friend.

  “Fortunately, there’s still time to sort things out,” Kyle offered.

  Then after a brief pause, he added, “At the risk of pushing your buttons again, just let me say that I believe God has a plan for our lives, for you and for me. At some point, I expect He’ll reveal that plan. In the meantime, I�
�ll continue to pray for us both.”

  Jason considered his friend’s comment. “Kyle, just so we’re clear. I respect you for being so strong in your Christian faith. And it’s not like I don’t believe. I just don’t know at this point what I believe. So if you want to pray for me, then I’m OK with that. Because until I get things figured out, I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

  “Well, that’s a start,” replied Kyle.

  Chapter 5

  One of the classes Jason signed up for in the first semester of his senior year was called ‘Ethics in Advertising’. After suffering the anguish of Applied Statistics and surviving the tedium of courses like Introduction to Composition and World Politics, Jason figured the Ethics class would be nice change of pace.

  What surprised Jason was that he actually found himself stimulated by the discussions in class. At least on most days. It was on one of those ‘other’ days when, only half-conscious in the late-August heat of the classroom, Jason thought he heard, “So what do you think about that, Jason?”

  It took a minute before it registered. Crap. He hadn’t dreamed it. Professor Boyle had actually called his name.

  “Uh, could you repeat the question, please,” Jason asked, realizing as soon as he opened his mouth that everyone in class now knew what he knew. He hadn’t been paying attention.

  “I was asking whether you agree with the following statement: ‘Ethics in advertising is assured through government regulation and by the legal actions of dissatisfied customers.’”

  Jason quickly regained his composure. He had to admit it was an interesting concept.

  “I think I would have to disagree with the first part of the statement, because I don’t believe that ethics can be controlled by the government.”

  “And on what basis do you make that argument?” asked the professor.

  “First, government regulations are subject to external influences, personal biases, and party politics. This means that regulations are often flawed at the outset and therefore inadequate to provide the guidance or protection intended.

  “Second, I don’t believe the government should even be in the business of regulating advertising. The first amendment to the Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech. This applies to advertising in all media forms, as well as to speech.

  “And third, to the extent that regulations do exist, we are then left with the burden of legal enforcement. This presents a problem. Because, as I said before, regulations are often flawed at the outset. A law that is inherently flawed is ethically unenforceable.

  “As to the second part of the statement,” Jason continued, “I find this even more absurd. We live in a society in which people sue each other for everything -- For bad personal decisions, for failed investments, for un-preventable accidents, to name a few. The point is, in our society there is frequently no correlation between the filing of a claim and the legitimacy of the action.”

  “So who determines what is ethical in advertising?” Professor Boyle prompted. “Is there even a standard for what it means to be ethical?”

  Jason had never thought about this before, but he was surprised at the strength of his conviction when he responded.

  “Ethics should be, and probably is, largely self-regulating. Consumers vote with their wallets. If an advertiser lies in an ad, eventually the lie will be discovered. At the very least, the advertiser will lose business. At the most, he may be sued into bankruptcy. Sure, there is deceptive advertising. And there are advertisers who actively exploit the ‘gray’ areas for the products they represent. But consumers, at least collectively, can’t be fooled forever.

  “In the end, every consumer is really only looking for a couple of things: A good product and a fair price. If advertising takes him there, then he is happy. If advertising takes him anywhere else, then he is unhappy. And an unhappy consumer is a consumer looking to get even.”

  At this point Jason was a little uncomfortable. He had been rattling on for several minutes about ethics. He had Professor Boyle and twenty three others in the classroom looking at him like he had just announced a cure for cancer. And he really had no idea why he thought the way he did.

  “So you’re saying that ad agencies should just be ethical because it’s the right thing to do. Because if they aren’t, then eventually the products they advertise will lose favor in the market anyway. Is that what I hear you saying?”

  “Yes, sir. I guess that’s about it.”

  “Fair enough,” mused the professor.

  Eventually Professor Boyle moved on to another question and some other student in the class, and Jason was once again only half listening to the discussion. Because something kept popping into his head, something he hadn’t even considered when offering his argument. But it now seemed to make perfect sense.

  ‘Garrett Motors is a Christian, family-owned business’.

  'Truth in advertising,' thought Jason.

  Chapter 6

  Jason had been working at Garrett Motors doing odd jobs and administrative tasks for nearly five months when Kyle cornered him in the break room one afternoon.

  “So, you ready for a real job?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, my dad asked me this morning if I thought you would make a good salesman. So I lied and told him you would.”

  “Thanks. I think,” replied Jason, knowing that Kyle was just jerking his chain.

  “Turns out one of our top salesmen had to quit this past weekend. His mother is terminal with cancer, so he’s moving his family back up to Washington state to help take care of her.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Jason said. He sincerely meant it.

  “Yea, we’re all sorry to see Matt go. He’s been with Garrett almost seven years. Really a good guy. Nice wife. Got two young boys. Lost his dad about five years ago to a heart attack. He’s an only child, so he feels a responsibility to make his mom as comfortable as possible.”

  “Well, you said your dad was a good judge of character.”

  “You’re right about that. Matt’s definitely one of the good ones. My dad is going to cover the cost of moving the family. He figures it’s the least he can do. There’s a chance that Matt might come back afterwards. You know, after his mother dies. But in the meantime my dad figures he needs a replacement. Otherwise we’ll be short-handed on one of the shifts.”

  “So why me?” Jason was certainly grateful for the opportunity. But all he knew about cars for sale was what he read in the local Auto Trader magazine.

  “I convinced my dad that you knew a lot about cars from having worked on them for a couple years in high school. You’re good with people. And even though you keep resisting me when I try to talk Christianity at you, you’re still a pretty good guy. Besides, my dad likes you.”

  “I appreciate that. Really.”

  Jason knew full well that Garrett Motors could have advertised the sales position and had plenty of experienced people lining up for the opportunity. Garrett was well-respected in the San Diego area. A good salesman could make decent money working at Garrett.

  “So what do I need to do? And when do I start?” Jason was ready to make the most of the opportunity.

  “Well, Matt was working evenings. We were hoping that you could take over his shift, that it could work with your class schedule at USD. In any case, we won’t just throw you out there by yourself. You’ll have a partner in the showroom. We’ll make sure you’re covered.”

  Jason’s mind was working overtime. “So you really think there’s a chance to make some good money at this?”

  “Absolutely,” replied Kyle. “I know you have a lot of college debt. I doubt you’ll be able to pay it all off by working here for the next eight or ten months. But you can certainly make a dent.”

  For some reason, Jason thought about his dad and all the years he worked trying to support his small family. Although he never quite got past
the point of just covering the bills, he never complained. He came home every night just a little older than when he had left in the morning. But he always came home with a smile.

  Jason sensed the tears welling behind his eyes as he thought of his dad, and he bit down on his lip to keep Kyle from knowing. He had been stressing about the big debt he had accumulated. And now for the second time in less than six months, Kyle was coming to the rescue. He had never met anyone so genuine and caring. ‘Best friend’ could not begin to describe how he felt about Kyle.

  All Jason could think to say was “Thank you.” Then he added, “I think I owe you a beer.”

  “Yes, you do,” replied Kyle. “Again.”

  It suddenly flashed back to Jason what Kyle had said months ago, when he had first offered Jason the job: ‘You’re getting off pretty cheap.’ And in the next instant, Jason also knew that Kyle hadn’t been talking about the beer. With a sense of guilt he hadn’t felt in years, Jason also became painfully aware that he had never bothered to look up the Bible verse Kyle had asked him to read.

  *****

  Jason had not held a Bible in his hands since long before high school. Back in his dorm room on campus that night, Jason sat on the edge of his bed and slowly thumbed the pages of the Bible he had borrowed. Finding a Bible had not been hard. Not at USD, where they’re sold in case lots in the bookstore and arranged alphabetically on the shelf between Anthropology and Chemistry.

  When he was younger, Jason’s parents had insisted that he go to the Bible classes held before church each Sunday. There, he took his turn with the others reading passages out loud. He could still remember the vivid stories from the Old Testament, and he was especially fond of the ones in which people got ‘put to the sword’ or where the earth opened up and swallowed people.

  But as Jason got older, he no longer attended the Bible classes. He did go to church -- but just to please his parents. At most, he expected to be entertained by the minister’s message, the contemporary music, and the idle chit-chat around the donut table after the service. He certainly didn’t give any thought to the possibility that God had a plan for his life.