Chapter 12
"I don't get something." said Judy as she, Jesus, and Nick were walking along the docks. "You said that are without sin?"
"Correct." the White Lion replied.
"Then why didn't you throw a stone at the Zebra?"
"I choose to forgive, rather than condemn. As I said before, I came into this world not to judge, but to be a savior. Anyone who humbles himself or herself and comes before me for forgiveness, I will not turn them away."
"But why should we come to you for forgiveness?" Nick asked. "Aren't we already forgiven?"
"No." Jesus replied. "If a predator murdered ten prey and got off without any punishment, that wouldn't be fair, would it?"
"Yeah." said Judy. "An unrighteous judge would have allowed that. But a righteous judge would say that punishment is due for a crime."
"Correct." said the White Lion. "Everyone on the earth, including you two, was born with a separation from God. Because of this, the people chose their malicious desires over what was right. And these desires became sin, and my father hates sin. Thus, he will not allow it to come into his kingdom. This results in a never-ending pain. However, my father gave free will, because he wanted you to love him freely, and not be forced to. So, you have the choice to obey and follow what my father commands. But I also tell you this, follow me and I will show you the path to the my father's kingdom."
Judy and Nick marveled at what he said, and they went deep into their own thoughts. The three of them walked along in silence until a buzzing noise came from the black radio on Nick's police belt. He unhooked it and pressed the button on the side.
"This is officer Wilde." He said into the radio. "If this a telemarketer, I don't want what you are selling."
"Not funny, Wilde!" Chief Bogo's voice shouted, causing Nick to snicker a small bit. The Chief's voice came on again and said, "I need you and officer Hopps to get down to the Arpeggio Island. There's a lot of animals here and we need a bit of crowd control."
"Got it boss." Nick replied. "We'll be there in a little bit."
He turned off the radio and turned to Judy. "I trust you heard what he said?" Nick asked.
Judy nodded. "Yeah. We better get over there." She replied before turning to Jesus. "Do you have a boat?"
"I tell you the truth, I do indeed." Jesus replied. "Come with me."
…
Nick and Judy followed the White Lion to where the 12 disciples were getting a large boat ready to go.
"Hey look!" yelled Thaddeus, who saw the White Lion approaching. "Here comes Jesus!"
Jesus smiled as his disciples yelled greetings to him and climbed into the boat. "My disciples," said Jesus. "We have two guests with us. Officers Wilde and Hopps." He motioned towards Judy and Nick.
Peter walked up to the two of them. The gorilla had a threatening look on his face, which gave Nick and Judy an urge to back up. But when they saw Peter break out into a grin, they calmed down. "Welcome aboard!" He said in a friendly tone, kneeling to shake hands with Judy and then Nick.
Peter then turned around. "Alright boys!" he spoke in a commanding tone. "Let's get ready to shove off!"
Judy, Nick, and Jesus took their seats while the disciples were getting the ship underway. Thomas and Bartholomew gave the boat a shove off from the docks, and onward they went, towards the Arpeggio Island.
…
After a while when they got into the voyage to Arpeggio Island, Andrew ordered Judas and Simon to tie down the moorings on the ship, which they were doing.
"Never thought I would be part of a chauffeur service for the police…" Judas muttered as he and Simon tied down the moorings.
Simon, or Simon Zealots as most people called him, was a tiger with orange fur and green eyes. He wore a red bandanna headband, a loose black-colored short sleeve shirt, and a pair of dark green cargo pants with black armor on them, like a soldier.
"Come on, Judas…" Simon said with a friendly tone. "Jesus has respect for the right kind of authority. He's not a rebel like you or I."
"You're not a rebel, Simon." The hyena replied. "You're a Zealot. There's a big difference."
"Oh yeah? What kind of difference?"
"Well, a rebel doesn't follow any laws at all. In fact, he hates the law and breaks it. A Zealot follows the religious laws to the point of dying for them. I don't follow the laws, you do. I don't fight for any laws, but you do. Get what I'm saying?"
Simon thought about this for a few seconds. "Yeah," he replied. "I guess…"
…
Meanwhile, Judy and Nick decided to engage Jesus in the discussion they were having before they left.
"So, like you were saying before you left, about showing us the path?" Judy asked. "What will happen to us if we choose to follow you?"
"Well, a want for righteous living would be one of the things in store." Jesus replied. "You wouldn't worry about how people view you. Also, you won't be afraid of death when it comes."
"Why? What's there to be afraid of when death comes?" Nick asked.
"If you don't believe when death comes, it will be the end of you. You will die a second death, a death that will never end. The pain you feel will be unbearable and it will never stop hurting. You will beg for a second chance, but you won't get it. You will be in pain and agony forever when death comes and you are separated."
Nick and Judy's eyes widened in shock. They both looked at each other for a brief few seconds and then looked back at the White Lion.
"However, there is a way out." said Jesus. "Follow me, and though you may die, you will live. Though your life will end on this earth, you will live forever when you do the will of my father."
Judy and Nick pondered these things within their own hearts and minds, until their thoughts were broken by the yelling of Thaddeus.
"Yo, Jesus!" Thaddeus yelled down from the crow's nest of the ship. "We're approaching the Arpeggio Island, and you won't believe the crowds!"
Jesus, Nick, Judy, Judas, Peter and the rest of the disciples looked at the island. On the island, they saw 5000 animals on the island, waiting for the arrival of the White Lion. The small island looked like it could barely hold all the animals that were there.
"Bogo wasn't kidding!" Judy said in surprise. "There must more animals than the ones that attended the Gazelle concert!"
"How about that?" asked Simon Zealots, looking over all the animals there. "There's your army, Jesus. We can finally take down Pilate with that force of people. We have the power to do it!"
Jesus looked over at him with a somewhat saddened look as they approached the island. "Simon," Jesus said silently. "Neither you, nor any of the disciples, nor anybody here understands what power is." He turned and then looked out towards the approaching crowds. "If you and all of them knew what I know, you wouldn't want see the truth."
…
When they got onto the land, they were swarmed by the crowds. Different people calling and reaching out their hands to touch and greet the White Lion. The disciples moved through the crowd, moving people out of the way so Jesus could get through.
Judy and Nick saw Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, and a group of police officers from the ZPD watching the crowds. They moved away from the disciples and slipped through the crowds to join them.
"Sup, Chief?" greeted Nick. He looked over at Clawhauser and did a mock salute. "Clawhauser. You're looking well."
"Thank you!" replied Clawhauser; he was a cheetah with a large stomach, dressed in an officer's uniform. "Its funny, but one minute I'm feeling like I'm about to die, and the next minute I'm cured! Isn't that weird? I wonder, how was I cured?"
"He cured you, Clawhauser…" replied Bogo, pointing at the White Lion, who was standing on a rock in the middle of the crowd. "I went to him and ask him to heal you."
"You did that? FOR ME?!" said Clawhauser in his excited voice.
"Okay! Okay! Don't get goofy on me!" Bogo muttered.
Nick and Judy laughed at that, and then went on to greet the other officers that were there.
…
The White Lion looked around the crowd, who had instantly quieted when he climbed onto a large rock. He raised his hands and began speaking.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit," he said. "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Those who heard his words, whether they be poor in spirit, mourning, or meek, were comforted by what he said. When he wasn't preaching, he took time to know the people. He healed the sick, the blind, the mute, the deaf, the lame, and all those who had sickness. He casted out demons from those who were possessed and forgave those who came seeking forgiveness.
Through him and what he did and preached, more and more people began to trust and follow him. They begin to see that he really was the Son of God.
….
Near the end of the day, Jesus still was preaching the word and the people were listening.
"Don't worry about your life. Don't spend time worrying about what you will eat or drink; or about your body." the White Lion spoke. "Is life more important than food, and your body more important than clothes? The birds of the air do not sow or reap food, but still your heavenly Father is able to feed them."
Phillip came near Jesus; He was a wolf with rust colored fur and grey eyes. He wore a sleeveless green shirt, black sweatpants, red fingerless gloves, and black running shoes.
"Speaking of feeding, can I speak to you for a few seconds?" asked Phillip.
Jesus nodded towards the crowd and then went to speak with Phillip in private.
"What is it, Phillip?" asked Jesus.
"Well, the Arpeggio Island is a remote place." Phillip replied. "The afternoon is about to end, and the people are hungry. Maybe we should have them go back home to eat."
"We won't need to." replied the White Lion. "Go out into the crowd and check if any of them have food they're willing to donate."
Philip gave the White Lion a strange look, but he obeyed. He, James, Andrew, Simon, and Thomas went into the crowd to see if any of them had food. Finally, Andrew came back with a young rabbit by his side. The young rabbit was carrying a basket that had 5 loaves and 2 fish in it. They stopped in front of the rock that Jesus was standing on.
"This boy has 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish." said Andrew.
Jesus got off the rock and kneeled to speak with the young rabbit.
"Are you willing to give up what you have?" the White Lion asked in a kind way.
"Yes sir…" replied the young rabbit with a shy smile. He gave the basket with the 5 loaves and 2 fish to the White Lion.
"Thank you, son." said the White Lion. He patted the young rabbit gently on the head to show his thanks. The rabbit then followed Andrew, who returned him to his parents.
The White Lion knelt, placed the basket on the ground, pulled on the hood of his jacket, and looked up to the heavens. In silent words, he prayed and blessed the food. He lifted one of the loaves into the air and broke it in 2 pieces. Then he pulled down the hood of his jacket and stood up.
"Come forth and eat." The White Lion announced.
His disciples came forth with baskets to collect the bread and fish. He placed a piece of bread and a fish into Phillip's basket. To Phillip's shock, the bread and fish multiplied in the blink of an eye. He looked back at the White Lion in amazement and humbleness, and then went off to give it out to the people.
The rest of the disciples did as Phillip did; they came forth with baskets, Jesus put a piece of bread and a fish into their basket, it multiplied before their eyes, and then they went out to give it to the people.
"If he can make bread and fish multiply, I bet he can make the number of followers multiply." Judas muttered to himself with a sly look on his face, as he was handing out the fish and bread. "He's gonna have a whole army if things keep going like this."
…
When the crowds were satisfied and they began going home, the disciples gathered the leftovers.
"12 baskets worth of leftovers!" said John as he and James carried a large basket containing the leftover bread and fish. "I think Jesus might be the originator of the all-you-can-eat buffet!"
James laughed at that and the two otters placed the last basket onto the ship. They began to board it, followed by the rest of the disciples. Judy and Nick, after saying goodbye to Chief Bogo and Clawhauser, joined the disciples on the boat. Jesus was last to board, but he didn't go on.
"You guys go back to the city." said the White Lion. "I'm gonna stay on the island to pray for a little bit."
"Yes Master." replied Peter. He turned to the other disciples and began ordering to get the ship moving. Bartholomew and Thomas pushed the ship off from the docks and they began sailing. Judy and Nick watched as the White Lion started to descend up the hill of the now empty island.
…
The boat containing the disciples and two police officers sailed onward for a while until they saw storm clouds approaching. The big, dark grey clouds lumbered slowly towards them, blotting out the sun from their view.
"Here comes a storm!" Peter yelled, pulling a lining to make it ready.
"Pray we don't sink!" Simon yelled back.
And with that, the disciples entered the maelstrom, ready for one of the wildest rides of their lives.
