The Drums of Change by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online Page B

lakes at the foot of the hills. He put the buffalo on the plains and the bear in the woodlands. He showed the geese how to fly and the loon how to swim.
    “Then He said, ‘I will make man—in my likeness’—and He did. Man, and woman, his helpmate, were the greatest of His creation. Mankind was made good. God loved His creation.
    “But mankind did not stay good. They did wrong. They went against the command of God. They spoiled the good world He had made. God said, ‘Because you have disobeyed my word, you will die.’
    “For many years the world got worse and worse, but God still loved His people. He still longed to have them obey Him. So He had a plan. He gave them laws to follow—laws that would honor Him. Instead of facing death for their wrongs, He let them offer an animal to die in their place. But they could not keep the laws. They kept making bad choices and doing wrong. Their hearts were selfish—wishing to have their brothers’ land and horses, cheating and killing one another. But God had another part to His plan. This part showed God’s great love. Doing wrong still meant death. But God loved His people. He did not wish for them to die. So He sent His Son—His only Son. ‘My Son will die in their place,’ said God. ‘He will pay the penalty of death for them.’
    “And He did. His Son Jesus died for wicked mankind. He paid the death penalty. He wants to give His people new hearts—to love Him and to love each other. We must be sorry for our evil hearts and ask Him for a new one. This Book—the Bible—tells us how we are to live. I have come here to tell you of its message. It has been given for all people. The white, the Blackfoot, the Cree, the Stoney, the Sarcee. All people. All people were made by the one true God. All people have done wrong. But Jesus, the Son of the only true God, has died for all people of the earth. God wants them to be brothers.”
    Running Fawn was sure that the white man had more words to speak, but the chief now stood shakily to his feet. The young man lowered his upraised hand that held the Black Book. Courteously he stepped back into the shadows.
    “We will hear more on another night,” announced the chief, his tone giving hint of what he thought about these strange new ideas.
    Running Fawn was disappointed. The story had been interesting. She had never heard a tale around the fire that had so gripped her attention. She wished they could hear it all. She wanted to know more about this great God of whom the young white man spoke.
    But Chief Calls Through The Night was already wrapping his blankets closely around his frail shoulders and moving off toward his own tent where the fire would take the chill from his elderly bones.

    Night after night they gathered around the campfire and heard more stories from the Black Book. Still the chief was held back, not pushing his people for a decision. Some were ready to accept the words. Others had grave doubts. “That is the white man’s god,” they argued. “We have Mother Earth and the Sun God. They have always cared for our people.”
    Running Fawn was torn between a desire to accept the words as truth and a fear that they might be wrong. What if she accepted them and the Sun God became angry? She shivered at the very thought.

    For days a cloud of acrid smoke hung over the sheltered valley. The villagers did not need to be told the meaning. Somewhere there was a fire.
    Scouts were sent out. Each time they returned with the same report. There seemed to be no fire near enough to them to threaten the camp.
    But the dark, murky cloud persisted in drifting into the camp on every wind that blew their way.
    At last one brave brought back a different story. It was the plain. The whole plain had been swept by fierce monster fires. Tribes had needed to flee to the north or to the mountains. Panicked into trying to outrun the flame, the buffalo had stampeded south. It was the most widespread destruction of the prairies by fire