A/N: This is just to prove a point. Churches are so judgmental of others it is ridiculous! This is to show people, Christians, how words can hurt worst than anything else.
P.S. I am Christian.
Dlisclaimer: I don't own anything. The song is Casting Crowns' and the characters are Legend of Zelda's.
.s.s.s.S.S.S.s.s.s.
If We Are The Body
He couldn't believe it. He was going to be late again. He sighed as he got in his car, setting his bible down in the passenger seat beside him. He started the deep purple car and drove as fast as he could without going over the speed limit to church.
Once at the church, he hastily unbuckled and got out, nearly forgetting his bible and journal. After grabbing said items, he slammed the car door shut and all but ran to the church doors.
It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know
He enter the church slowly. He crossed the atrium and paused right outside the sanctuary door. With hesitation, he opened the heavy door and slowly walked through.
Heads turn to him. He held his head down. He didn't meet any of their judgmental eyes. He swallow thickly and took an empty seat on one of the ends of the rows. He sat near the back.
He fumbled with his bible for a minute, trying to open it up to the correct page when he heard voices behind him, whispering.
"Vio's late again. Figures…"
"… see? He came in late, yet again, Saria…"
"What a loser." then quiet hateful laughter.
"… Vio… a joke…"
Vio couldn't stand it.
But if we are the body
Why aren't his arms reaching?
Why aren't his hands healing?
Why aren't his words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Vio gathered his things quickly and swallowed thickly. He stood and ran out of the sanctuary. He couldn't take their harsh cruel words any longer. For the worst whisper of them all rang out loud and haunting in his mind.
"That no-good fag doesn't deserve to be here."
A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
He was tired and worn from the long drive it had been. He sighed as he pulled into the church parking lot. Running a hand through his jet-black hair, he parked and got out of his car. He needed prayer. But he didn't want to pray alone this time.
He slowly started toward the building, who's lights were on. He entered said building and glanced around. He doesn't usually come to church. In fact, it's a last resort, but… he didn't know where else to go.
He found the room the light was coming from and pushed the door open slowly. He didn't know what to expect.
The room was full of teens. Teens of all sorts. There were some Gorons, Zoras, Kokiri, Gerudos, Sheikah, and even some Hylians, like himself.
He slipped off his jacket and hung it on one of the empty coat racks. He slowly entered.
The weight of the judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road
"Hello, there! Are you new here? All teens are welcomed." a man with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes approached him.
"Um… what is this?" he asked, glancing around. The man, whom looked like he was in his late twenty's, said "This is the Senior High Youth Group. I'm the Youth Minister, Raven. It's nice to meet you."
"Shadow." he said with a nod.
"Well, Shadow, come on in. Have fun." Raven smiled before walking away, leaving Shadow on his own.
Shadow looked around and noticed no one looking at him. But he could feel them sneaking glances. He could feel the judgment rolling off of them in waves. He felt their heavy glances. He felt their disapproval. He felt their judgment. He felt it hard.
Suddenly, he felt as though he would be better to pray alone… at home…
But if we are the body
Why aren't his arms reaching?
Why aren't his hands healing?
Why aren't his words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Shadow walked into the room a bit more, and something caught his eye. A kid, well… teen, being beaten up. Shadow glanced towards the Youth Minister, but he was too busy talking and laughing with the freshmen.
Feeling anger rise in him, Shadow stormed over to the group of bullies. He could hear some of their comments and their nasty laughter.
"That'll show you, slut." the leader kicked the poor teen in the ribcage again. The helpless teen whimpered, not wanting to draw attention, knowing he deserves this punishment.
"What are you doing?" Shadow growled to the group. They turned to look at him, momentarily stopping their assault on poor, poor Vio.
"What does it look like I'm doin', hm? I'm teaching this fag a lesson."
Shadow's fist clenched. "You have no right to be calling him that! Even if he is gay!" He fist flew and slammed straight into the leader's nose.
He fell to the ground and howled in pain, drawing attention from a lot of people. Shadow knelt on one knee by the beaten teen. "Here." he gently helped him to stand, hearing a small whimper of pain come from him.
He held the boy to his chest, protecting him form the others. Vio didn't complain. He just hid his head in his savior's chest.
Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And if we are the body of Christ…
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Shadow stated firmly, anger still clear in his red eyes and on his pale face. Vio squeezed his eyes shut tightly, fighting off tears.
"You call yourselves a church! But you're not. You're no real church." Shadow said coldly, his cruel words cutting deep. No one spoke. They remained silent, listening to his harsh words.
"A church does not push fellow Christians away. A church does not shun the people in need. A church does not push those who need help away. A real church does not judge…" Shadow looked down at the poor teen in his arms.
"A real church would accept the sinners and try to help them get over their sins, not punish or shun them for it…" he spoke softly as Vio opened his tear-filled eyes and met the eyes of his savior.
Shadow offered a small smile before turning back to the youth group he was speaking to. "I came here because I needed prayer. But you all pushed me away. I'll go to a different church, or better yet, no church at all. Then, I can't be judged." Shadow glared at everyone. Not just a glare, but a death glare. A look that could kill.
"And I'm sure…" he looked down at the teen in his arms. Vio seemed to understand and said quietly "Vio… M-My name's Vio…"
Shadow gave a small smile and looked back at the church. "I'm sure Vio here just wanted to here and learn about God's Word. But all you guys fucking care about is your precious groups and cliques of people. You're despicable. Disgusting. And we are leaving."
As gasps resounded at his cussing in church, Shadow slowly began to walk, allowing Vio time to get his brain working and to walk as well.
They left the unwelcoming church. He brought Vio to his car and opened the passenger door for him. He gently pushed Vio in. Shadow got in the driver's seat.
"Thank you…" Vio whispered as he wiped his teary eyes. Shadow looked at him with soft compassionate eyes. "No problem…"
They buckled up, and Shadow began to drive. "Where should I take you?" he asked softly, afraid to raise his voice to the beaten abused Vio.
"N-no w-where… I have nowhere…" Vio said, looking at his hands and biting hard on his trembling lip.
"You can stay with me." Shadow said softly.
"R-Really? Even though I-I'm… I-I-I'm…"
Shadow looked at him as they reached a red light. "Yes. Even though you're gay."
Vio looked into the older teen's eyes and swallowed back his tears, though his eyes glistened with them. "There's no reason to be ashamed. Don't feel like God hates you because you are gay. He still loves you."
Vio shook his head violently. "N-No! He can't! G-G-God doesn't love sinners…" he looked down sadly.
But if we are the body
Why aren't his arms reaching?
Why aren't his hands healing?
Why aren't his words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Shadow's eyes saddened at this. "Vio…"
The teen did nothing. "Vio, look at him…" he said gently but firmly. Vio slowly looked up, his body trembling and his eyes full of new found tears. Goodness… this boy has been broken…
"God loves sinners. All of them for we are all sinners."
Vio tried to protest. "But-"
Shadow placed a finger gently against his lips. "No buts. It says in Romans 3:23 that 'All have sinned.', Vio. All have sinned."
Sniffling, Vio chewed on his bottom lip. He wasn't convinced though he knew that was true.
"By the way, Vio." Shadow started as the light turned green, and he turned to face the road again.
Vio looked at him. "I'm gay too."
But if we are the body
Why aren't his arms reaching?
Why aren't his hands healing?
Why aren't his words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way, Jesus is the way
Four Years Later
"Please… please don't go!" Vio tried his hardest not to cry as his boyfriend for three years was saying those cursed words. Green sighed "I'm sorry, Vio, but… I don't love you…"
Vio's tears fell freely. "B-But Green!"
"I'm sorry. But I'm in love with Zelda. Now… I have to go." Green said, his eyes sad, as he put his hat one and picked up his things. He left through Vio's front door of his apartment.
Vio fell to his knees. He couldn't take the pain. This always happened. They always left Vio, telling him 'It's not you… It's me.'. He has heard it all. They always don't want him.
This time… this time… Vio stood up and, through blurry vision, found his way to the kitchen. He found the counter, by walking into it might I add, and fumbled for the drawer handle. He manage to get a grip on it and pulled it open roughly.
He shoved his hand in and began to dig through the drawer of sharp objects, earning and obtaining miscellaneous cuts and scrapes. He finally found it. The dagger his father gave him to kill himself with. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. He closed the drawer and took the knife into the living room, hoping to stain the rug.
Vio, with shaking hands, held the knife to his throat, ready to drive it through his windpipe. He took a shaky deep breath and closed his eyes. As he slammed it into his throat, he anticipated pain. He got pain, but not the kind he wanted. He opened his eyes to see Shadow holding the knife.
"No!" Vio exclaimed, not caring that his hand was bleeding. Shadow spoke with authority in his voice. "What were you doing, Vio? You can't just kill yourself!"
"Yes, I can!" he screamed back in sorrow, anger, and desperation.
Shadow was not happy. "And why? Why can you just kill yourself off?" he demanded.
"Because!" Vio yelled, but all fight left him. He fell to his knees and spoke in a broken voice "Because… no one loves me…"
"Vio… that's not true…" Shadow's features softened, and he dropped the knife on the ground and gathered the poor twenty-year-old in his arms.
"Yes… it… is…" he spoke through tears. Each word had a sharp emphasis to it. Shadow shushed him. "No… you have Green…"
Vio shook his head as he cried. "No. He just left me. Dumped me for Zelda." Vio laughed humorlessly, slightly hysterically, wiping one of his eyes. "No one will ever love me. No one could ever love me."
Shadow felt anger towards Green now. But he also felt his heartstrings being tugged on. He felt his heartbreaking. "No… No, no, no, no, no… You can be loved. You are loved." he held Vio closer to himself.
"By who?" he asked brokenly, holding off sobs of despair, his lithe body shaking.
"By me. I love you, Vio." Shadow gently lifted Vio's chin so that their eyes locked. Vio was hindered speechless and his breathing was caught in his chest. "Don't give up on life just yet. Stay and live it with me. I'm here. I'll be here. I'll never leave."
Vio's eyes still shined with tears, but a ghost of a smile was on his face. "R-Really? Y-You love m-me?"
Shadow smiled softly and brushed a stand of hair out of Vio's face. "Yes. I love you, Vio." Then, he leaned in slowly and connected their lips in the sweetest most gentle kiss ever know to a Hylian.
When Shadow pulled back, Vio smiled and wiped his eyes, saying "I love you too, Shadow."