Excerpt: But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. … Mark the perfect man and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
“Psalm 37. It is quite clear; God will bless those who live with Him and punish those that forsake His ways. The earth was created so that we should rule, not by the brute force which today prevails but with peace and righteousness. But today the ways of the wicked are prevalent, and it is difficult to live without temptation. No longer are the wicked blood drinking savages or slave owners and heretics, but the common people of this earth. Your neighbor may seem a decent man, but do not forget that when he peers each night upon naked women, he sins. And when he cheats upon his wife, he sins. When he looks upon your wife, he sins. When he looks upon a movie star with greater appreciation than he ever has for God, he sins. When he locks his father in a retirement home and abandons him, he sins. Truly, he should be pitied. He has never been told these things are wrong.
“Imagine if I was to tell you that all you have ever done in your life has been in pursuit of something wrong and sinful. If you have lived only for yourself, than in all probability, it is true. If you have never once thought of how your actions affect the man next to you, then you have lived your life wrong. If you have never given ear to wisdom passed to you from more experienced men, you have been in error. If you have never given thanks to your Creator, you have not lived. Life is more than this human form, God has promised it, but unless you live His way, you will never experience that which is to come. The wicked man will never experience heaven. The soul which condemns his brother and mocks the Lord shall never learn the true meaning of existence. I wish it were not so, I wish every man to live was guaranteed a place in the afterlife, but through the Lord’s own words, it shall not be so.”
Malick stared at the crowd before him. He remembered the first time he spoke to them, when he was just eleven. In the eleven years since, they had grown with him as the world of God opened before his eyes. But every week, as the numbers grew, he questioned the worth of his actions. He now spoke weekly to over five thousand people, but he had lost the relationship he desired from his pupils. He enjoyed more sitting with individuals and answering their questions. He could preach, but to him it seemed pointless. Of those before him, perhaps half actually paid attention, and of those, but a few needed the sermon he had given. And it always seemed he was telling his flock they were doing wrong. He loved them and desired to save their souls. These sermons did not seem to be the way.
He stepped down from the pulpit and shook hands with his congregation as it filed out. All the same faces passed, each returning to their normal lives to commit sin and forget their Lord. So many believed their souls would be saved simply by listening to him a few hours a week. Nothing he said sunk in, except occasionally when someone would come to him with tears in their eyes and thank him for saving their soul. Occasionally his words made a difference, but the rest of the time they seemed futile.