Читать книгу The Slaughter of God - Jeff Hood - Страница 5

In the midst of great evil, God is never lost. I have long wondered how Jonestown fits into the continual presence of God. In the 1970s, Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple founded a settlement in the jungles of Guyana. After a few years of communal living, Jones led his followers to commit a mass suicide/murder that left over 900 people dead. The last words the community ever heard were recorded. Jones’ words are beyond disturbing. Evil resonates with every syllable. Even in the midst of the terror, I refused to believe that God was absent. Knowing that God is found in times of death, I’ve decided to seek the divine in the last words Jonestown ever heard. In these words of death, may there be something for us. This is not about Jim Jones. This is a search for God.

I was 12.

Everyone was asleep. The darkness ushered in all sorts of fears. Every so often, I heard something. Maybe I didn’t? Was it the end or just the beginning? I wondered what was behind that old wooden wall. The documentary filled my eyes. I couldn’t turn away. The people sang and danced with no idea of what was coming. Did I see something in the window? Was someone whispering? The shots rang out. Body after body collapsed. Blood poured onto the runway. Could I watch the rest? I was starting to think that I’d already watched more than I could handle.

Despite my fears, I simply couldn’t turn away. I could feel the weight increasing on my chest. Then, Jim Jones started to speak. Extolling the virtues of suicide, Jones convinced the community to die. I could hear the cries. I could see the vat. I could feel body after body collapsing. I’ve experienced it over and over. The documentary ended with images of bodies strewn throughout Jonestown. Death reigned. Something tapped against the window. I jumped. It was only a bug. For weeks, I tried to think about something else. I couldn’t. I was stuck. In the almost 20 years since, I’ve never been able to leave. Jonestown is a part of me and I’m a part of Jonestown.

As death approached, God was there. I’m convinced of it. How could God not have been? People were dying. People were in pain. People were scared. These are the spaces where God lives. No matter how deadly, God was there. No matter how painful, God was there. No matter how scary, God was there. In fact, the God that was in Jonestown is more God than God. In this book, I have set out to know the Jonestown God. In my journey, the immortal prophets of Jonestown have guided me. Step by step, they walked me through the redemption process. When we arrived at the settlement, the bodies gave me salvation. I touched them and they touched me. I am forever changed. The Jonestown God is still speaking. Open your heart and you will hear them too.

In Jonestown, no public meeting went unrecorded. So, when the community gathered to die . . . the recorder was there. The last tape was it’s finest. In the midst of the chaos, the recorder didn’t flinch. No word was missed. The “Death Tape” was the result. This work is based on the FBI’s transcription, Q042. Join me, as I search for God in the words of the recorder.

Jeff Hood

May 9, 2017