Part 2: The Conversion of Jerome Powell
Setting (a little later after the first conversation between Zach and Jerome)
The fire flickers, casting long shadows on the stone walls. The air is thick with tension, yet beneath it, there’s a faint stir of something like hope. Jerome’s hands tremble slightly, his mind still trying to grasp the enormity of what Zach has just said.
Jerome: (still holding onto his earlier argument)
"I’ve been trying to fix everything on my own, Zach. I thought I could restore the balance—make things right. I thought I could control the chaos, pay the debt. But nothing’s been right. It’s like I'm trapped, stuck in a cycle that never ends. How can I ever be free?"
Zach: (his gaze unwavering, but gentle)
"You’ve been trying to control what only God can heal. The debt you speak of isn’t just about money or favors. It’s about something deeper, something that goes beyond our own ability to fix it. The real debt is what we owe to the truth of existence itself—the goodness, the order, the love that sustains all things."
Jerome: (his voice tight, full of skepticism)
"But that doesn’t make sense. How can I just let go of it all? Let go of my guilt, my sins, the destruction I’ve caused? How can I just accept that, after everything I’ve done, there’s still peace to be had?"
Zach: (softly, almost as though speaking to himself)
"The peace you long for doesn’t come from controlling things or paying a debt you can never repay. It comes from something much deeper. It comes from recognizing that the reason you’ve felt trapped—why you’ve been burdened with guilt—is because, at some level, you’ve been evading the very truth of who God is and what He’s created. You've been avoiding the goodness of His love and the truth that the whole world is designed to be good, even when it doesn't seem that way."
Jerome: (almost frustrated)
"Evading? What do you mean? I’ve faced up to my actions—my choices. I can’t escape what I've done. I’ve seen the destruction I've caused."
Zach: (leaning forward slightly, his voice calm but steady)
"That’s just it, Uncle. You have been facing your actions—but not the deeper truth. The real struggle is not about what you’ve done, but about the way you’ve avoided the one thing that could bring you healing: God's love. The core of sin, the reason why we feel the weight of guilt, is this fundamental evasion of the love and goodness that created us. Every lie, every theft, every act of cruelty is rooted in the rejection of the truth that all of existence is held together by God’s love."
Jerome: (hesitant, his face clouded with doubt)
"Are you saying that... I’ve rejected God’s love? How could I—how could anyone—do such a thing and not even realize it?"
Zach: (his voice softening, full of understanding)
"We all do it, Uncle. We don’t always know it, but every time we choose our own path over the truth of God’s love—every time we try to control things, to hide from the reality of His goodness—we are evading Him. And that is where true evil comes from: not from some force outside of us, but from our refusal to accept the truth of what God created, the refusal to accept that He is love, and that we are meant to live in that love. We do not make ourselves guilty by our sins—we make ourselves guilty by rejecting God’s truth."
Jerome: (his voice wavering, the weight of this sinking in)
"So all this time... my sins weren’t just about breaking rules? They were a refusal to live in the truth of God’s goodness? How do I... How do I stop evading that? How do I fix it?"
Zach: (his tone firm but compassionate)
"You don’t fix it, Uncle. Because you can’t. You stop evading it by accepting the love God has for you. Christ came to show us that even our deepest rejection—our deepest evasion—can be healed. He is the Logos, the reason that holds all things together, and He took on the full weight of this world’s suffering, including your own guilt, your own sin. When He died on the cross, it wasn’t to punish you—it was to absorb that rejection for you, to show you that God’s love is greater than anything we could ever do to separate ourselves from it."
Jerome: (quietly, with rising emotion)
"But... can it really be that simple? Can it really be true? Can I just... accept it all? I’ve hurt so many people, Zach. How could God forgive me for that?"
Zach: (eyes locking with his, unwavering)
"That’s the point, Uncle. It’s not about what you’ve done. It’s about what Christ has done for you. Your sins are not the barrier anymore. Christ has already torn that barrier down. He didn’t come to erase the past—He came to show you that no matter how far you’ve gone, no matter how much you’ve rejected God’s love, there is always a way back. The moment you stop evading the truth of God’s love, the moment you accept that you are worthy of forgiveness—not because of anything you’ve done, but because God created you for love—that’s when you are truly free."
Jerome: (his voice breaking, the flood of emotions breaking through)
"But I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve His love. I don’t deserve to be free. I don’t even know how to believe it."
Zach: (with quiet confidence)
"None of us deserve it, Uncle. That’s why it’s called grace. But when you open yourself to it—when you stop turning away from it—you are healed. You are made whole. Christ’s death is not a final judgment—it’s the beginning of your salvation. By accepting Him, by accepting God’s love, your sins are washed away. Your guilt is no longer your identity. You are free. You are loved. You don’t need to control or pay for your past anymore, because Christ already took it for you."
Jerome: (eyes wide, a deep tremor in his voice)
"So... I can be forgiven? Even me? After all I’ve done?"
Zach: (smiling softly, a light in his eyes)
"Yes, Uncle. Even you. And that forgiveness is not just for your past. It is the beginning of eternal life with God. It is the key that opens the door to peace, to freedom, to love. You were never meant to carry that weight. Christ carried it for you. And now He’s calling you to live in the freedom that He’s already given you."
Jerome: (his voice soft, but steady, a deep sincerity beginning to break through)
"I... I don’t know how to say this, but I believe, Zach. I believe what you're saying. That Christ took on the weight of everything—of all our wrongs—so that we could be free. I’ve been evading that truth, fighting it for so long. But I see now that all I’ve been doing is running away from what’s good, from what’s real."
(He pauses, his hand trembling slightly as he reaches for his chest.)
"I’ve fought against the idea of God’s love, tried to control my world, tried to hide my sin. But I see now that I don’t have to carry it anymore. I don’t have to fight it. Christ took it on Himself. He is the Logos, the very reason and truth that holds everything together. And if He can forgive me, after everything I’ve done, then who am I to keep running from Him? I want to live according to His will now. I want to be radically obedient to Him—obedient to truth, to logic, to love. Because that’s what He is."
Zach: (nodding slowly, his voice calm and encouraging)
"That’s it, Uncle. You’ve seen it now. You’ve seen that the path forward isn’t through control, isn’t through fear of others, or avoiding the truth. The path forward is in radical obedience to Christ—the Logos who gives meaning to everything, who is love itself. And that obedience isn’t a burden—it’s freedom. Freedom to live in truth, to live without fear, because the love of God holds everything together."
Jerome, now standing, takes a deep breath. His face tightens as the weight of his position as Chairman of the Federal Reserve presses on him. He begins to walk slowly, almost as if he’s grappling with the enormity of his past decisions.
Jerome: (his voice quieter, more somber)
"I... I still don’t know what to do, Zach. I’ve been Chairman for so long. I've done things—terrible things—to get here. To maintain control. I’ve had to manipulate people, destroy their lives, kill—literally kill—to keep everything running. I’ve sacrificed others to stay in power. And now... Now, I’m supposed to just walk away? Renounce it all? It’s not that simple."
(He stops pacing, facing Zach, his face drawn and full of fear.)
"You don’t understand what’s at stake. If I step down—if I openly confess this new faith—those people will come for me. The very people I’ve destroyed, the ones I’ve kept under my thumb—they’ll tear me apart. I’ve made too many enemies. I’ve committed too many sins. You think they’ll let me walk away from that? You think they’ll forgive me?"
Zach steps toward him, his voice calm and steady, full of the love and wisdom of Christ.
Zach: (gently)
"You’re right, Uncle. It won’t be easy. In fact, it might cost you everything. The world doesn’t like radical change. The people who have benefited from your power, the ones you’ve hurt, won’t be happy to see you renounce it. But here’s the thing: The reason you’ve been able to hold on to your position all this time is because you’ve been avoiding the truth. You’ve been avoiding God’s love and His call to justice, mercy, and peace. But now that you’ve found the truth, now that you know who you really are in Christ, your life is no longer your own."
(He pauses for a moment, letting the words sink in.)
"You don’t owe anything to those who want to tear you down, Uncle. What you owe is to Christ. And that debt can only be repaid by living a life of obedience to Him. If it costs you your life, then that is part of the sacrifice—just as it was for Christ. You won’t be alone. You will carry your cross, but you will carry it with the knowledge that everything you suffer now is for the good of those who love God. Even your greatest enemies can be redeemed through your testimony."
Jerome stands in silence for a long while, wrestling with the truth that has come crashing down on him. The weight of his decisions, his sins, is overwhelming—but at the same time, he feels a sense of clarity beginning to emerge, a sense of direction he hasn’t felt in years.
Jerome: (his voice shaky, but more resolute)
"I’m scared, Zach. I don’t know if I’m strong enough for this. I don’t know if I can face those people I’ve wronged, or if I’ll survive what’s coming. But... I don’t think I have a choice anymore. I can’t live this lie. Not anymore."
(He takes a long, deep breath, the first real breath of freedom he’s taken in years.)
"Christ took on everything for me. He bore the weight of all my sins, all my choices. I owe Him everything. And if it costs me my life to share this truth—if it costs me everything to live in His love—then that’s what I’ll do."
(He turns to Zach, a fire in his eyes now—a fire of conviction and newfound purpose.)
"I’ll resign. I’ll tell them all. I’ll confess my faith in Christ, in the Logos, the truth that holds all things together. I’ll take whatever comes. Because I know now that all things work for the good of those who love God."
Zach: (smiling with quiet pride, his voice filled with gentle strength)
"You’re not alone, Uncle. You never were. Christ is with you. And through your suffering, He will show the world that there is a better way—a way of truth, love, and forgiveness. You will testify to that truth, no matter the cost."
Jerome looks out the window, a deep stillness settling over him. He feels a sense of peace, though the weight of his decision is still pressing upon him. For the first time in his life, he sees the path forward clearly. It won’t be easy. He’ll face enemies—real ones, both in the world and within his own heart. But the weight of Christ’s love is greater than any fear he has.
Jerome: (finally, with calm determination)
"I’m ready. I’ll go. I’ll share my faith. I’ll take up my cross. Even if it means suffering, even if it means death. I’ll live for Christ now. For His love. For His truth. And if I’m to die in that testimony, then so be it. I’ll die free."
Read Part 3: The Resignation of Jerome Powell here: https://thinkingwithzach.blogspot.com/2024/12/part-3-resignation-of-jerome-powell.html
Analysis:
In this scene, Jerome experiences a complete transformation—moving from a man who sees his sins as a prison to a man who embraces radical obedience to Christ. His fear of the consequences of confession—both from his enemies and the guilt of his past—almost overwhelms him, but Zach’s steady guidance helps him see that, ultimately, his life is not his own. The only path forward is one of radical obedience to Christ, the Logos, which demands living in truth, love, and forgiveness.
Jerome’s decision to resign and openly confess his faith symbolizes his break with the control and manipulation that defined his past. He has come to understand that his sins were not simply actions that broke laws, but that they were the result of a deeper, existential evasion of God's love and truth. The cost of discipleship is made clear: standing firm in the truth of Christ might bring suffering, even death. But it is precisely this suffering that serves as a testimony to the redemptive power of Christ’s love.
Zach’s guidance mirrors the work of a disciple maker, leading Jerome through his fear and helping him understand that all suffering in Christ is redemptive—not just for the individual, but for the world around them. This is the essence of radical obedience: living and dying for the truth of God’s love, even when it costs everything.
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