Treason and The Traitor - Part I

I set sail from the harbor with gentle winds and confidence as I lovingly looked over every detail of my ship. The vessel appeared to be finely crafted and able to handle the worst that the sea could muster. As I left the safety of that harbor and entered the open ocean, I recognized that I couldn't complete this voyage on my own.

So others joined me on this venture. All different kinds of people. Some taught me things I didn't know, others brought companionship, some that I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. How they got there, I'm not quite sure. As the journey grew longer, some left and others joined, each leaving behind something significant. Through my words, I told them they were equals, but through my actions, I showed them they were pieces on a chessboard to be manipulated.

Then the storms came; storms I should not have been going through. Confident in my ability to captain this vessel, I knew the fault could not be my own. Someone misread signs that the weather gave us. Things began to break. The mast was in danger of collapsing and the bolts holding the rudder in place threatened to rip through the wood. I skillfully righted the ship and saved her from sinking, but the damage was done. I could no longer trust those on board with me.

Following repairs and underway once again, I replaced my crew with others that seemed more capable, but as we weathered yet another storm, I grew skeptical and isolated myself from anyone that might bring harm to my ship. I began to grow insecure in my decision making. Those that I still kept on board questioned me.

I allowed the ship to become one with the sea; letting it be tossed and turned whichever way the wind blew and currents churned. Despite the warnings from my last faithful crew member, I allowed the ship to be swallowed in the hurricane. The rocks were in front of us, but in my pride, I would let no one else take the wheel. In my insecurity, I would not allow my vessel to be controlled by anyone but the sea, who had blinded me from the reality all around, yet I would not turn my eyes from its perceived beauty.

With the rocks just yards ahead, I wondered which one among us had sabotaged my voyage and led me to this place. I stormed through the ship, cutlass in hand, ready to take the life of the man who had betrayed me. Hard as I looked, there was no one left aboard. There, in the very back of the cargo hold, someone had scratched in the wood, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Any hope of a successful voyage had ended because of the treason... and the traitor was me.