THE POOREST OF HARMONIA
After the fall of Apollyon to the planet Earth, mankind had suffered greatly. The struggle between light and darkness was like two elephants fighting in a field, trampling the grass beneath them. The city of Harmonia bore witness to this unseen war, and the people, having turned their backs against God, were now under the shadow of Apollyon.
Centuries had passed since Christian, Christiana, and Steadfast ascended to the Celestial City. Harmonia had grown dark, corrupt, and cruel. Faithfulness was scorned, and truth was despised.
In this city lived a young man named Patience, son of Steadfast. Despite being vibrant and full of life, Patience was poor beyond measure. His wife, Stiffness, shared his devotion to God and supported him through every hardship. Yet, their poverty marked them as objects of ridicule in Harmonia.
As Patience walked through the streets, children ran past him, shouting, "Look! The poorest man walks among us!"
Market women laughed and mocked him. "See this one! Selling empty words and stories about some celestial king? Pathetic!"
One woman even hurled a stone that narrowly missed him. Patience bent to pick it up, not in anger, but in sorrow. He whispered softly, "Lord, strengthen me. Shield my heart from their hatred."
Stiffness waited at home, her hands folded in prayer. "Lord, preserve him. Do not let the scorn of this world harden his spirit."
When Patience returned, his face was lined with fatigue. Stiffness approached him gently. "How was the market today?"
Patience sighed deeply. "The same as always. They mock the product of truth. No one wants it. They do not see its value."
"You must not despair," Stiffness said, placing her hand over his. "God sees. He knows your heart, your labor. That is enough."
"But it feels so heavy," Patience admitted, his voice trembling. "Even the children laugh at me. Even those who claim to worship the heavens, they despise me. My body hungers, and yet, my soul is weighed down with sorrow."
Stiffness knelt beside him. "Then let us pray together. Let us ask for strength, for guidance, for the courage to continue in the path of truth."
And so they prayed long into the night, their voices mingling with the whispers of the wind outside, as if the city itself was listening.
Patience's life was not idle. He labored daily, walking the streets of Harmonia, offering his goods, which were not ordinary commodities but the product of truth. Yet, people turned away. They did not wish to hear his words. They were consumed by lies, greed, and deception.
One day, as he walked past the marketplace, a group of children shouted, "Here comes the fool who talks of a God that will never return!"
Patience lowered his eyes. "Lord, forgive them. They do not know what they do."
A woman, her face twisted in scorn, spat near his feet. "Take your worthless goods and vanish, pauper!"
Patience looked up at her, unflinching. "Madam, I cannot. God has called me to this work. I cannot turn aside for the sake of ease or acceptance."
"Ease? Acceptance? You are nothing!" she spat again before turning away.
That night, Patience sat on the small mat in their home, his stomach empty, his spirit burdened. Stiffness sat beside him, her eyes wet with unshed tears.
"Patience," she whispered, "I know it is hard, but you cannot yield. We must endure. We must trust in Him who sees all."
"I know," he said softly, burying his face in his hands. "But how long can one man bear the scorn of an entire city?"
Stiffness stroked his hair gently. "As long as God wills it. As long as your heart remains faithful, the Lord will not forsake you."
And so, they endured. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. They ate sparingly, often going without to ensure they could survive the week. The people of Harmonia continued to mock them relentlessly. Market women hurled insults; children ran past, pointing and laughing. Yet, through it all, Patience and Stiffness held firm.
"Lord," Patience prayed one quiet morning, "grant me the courage to endure. Let my heart not be hardened by their cruelty. Give me strength to hold the product of truth even when all else fails."
Stiffness joined him. "Yes, Lord, let our hearts remain steadfast. Protect us from the temptations of turning from Your path."
One afternoon, as Patience carried his humble wares through the marketplace, a young boy threw a stone at him, narrowly missing his shoulder. "Go away, pauper!" the child shouted.
Patience crouched to gather the stone. "Forgive him, Lord," he whispered. "He does not know what he does."
A man passing by shook his head and muttered, "You are a fool to persist. No one will buy from you. Turn to lies, cheat like the rest, and you will be rich."
Patience looked at the man, his eyes steady. "I cannot. I will not. I serve the Lord, not men."
The man laughed harshly. "Then you will remain poor forever. You will starve, and no one will remember your name."
Patience held his head high. "Even if I starve, even if they despise me, my soul belongs to the Lord. I fear Him, not man."
As the sun set over the city of Harmonia, Patience returned home. The streets were quiet now, but the echoes of mockery lingered. Stiffness greeted him with a soft smile.
"How fared the market today?" she asked.
Patience shook his head. "As before. They do not see. They do not hear. Yet, I must persist."
"You are not alone," she said, taking his hand. "God walks with you. He strengthens you. And I am here, always by your side."
That night, as they lay on their mat, hunger gnawing at their stomachs, they prayed together. Their voices rose into the darkness, a quiet defiance against a city consumed by scorn and disbelief.
"Lord," Patience whispered, "guide me. Protect me. Give me the courage to endure. Let the people of Harmonia see Your truth through me, if it pleases You."
Stiffness whispered beside him, "Amen. Let us trust, my love. Let us endure."
Outside, the city of Harmonia remained blind, unaware that a faithful servant walked among them. But the winds carried the prayers of Patience and Stiffness upward, and the heavens listened. For even in poverty, even in scorn, their hearts remained steadfast, shining quietly against the darkness that had settled over the city.