Goodbye

Extract 52
I have to go to Elizabeth, there's terrible news. Herod's had John in prison for weeks now – we'd almost got used to it. Herod's wife was behind it of course, she couldn't stand John stirring up the people against her relationship with her husbands' brother. But we thought it was just to teach John a lesson. We thought that after a few weeks he would be released with a warning. We were hoping that he'd feel he'd made his point and settle down a bit. Jesus tried to warn us all, he sent a message to John using the same reading from Isaiah that he preached on in our synagogue. We saw it as an encouragement, I suppose we heard what we wanted. 'The blind will see, the lame walk, joy for those who mourn, garlands of praise, the anointing Spirit of God. But the message wasn't in what he said but in what he missed out. The prisoners being set free.

Yesterday, John was beheaded.

Extract 53
Thirty years ago I made this journey with fear and excitement in my heart. Gabriel had told me that Elizabeth was pregnant – after all those years of waiting, hope and faith had been fulfilled. Then, Elizabeth's condition confirmed my own. Now I have come again and I fear that Elizabeth's loss will all too soon confirm my own.

I have no words that can console, only more tears.