002.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."- 2 Corinthians 3:17.

It seemed as though her heart was going to burst. She felt freed by those words. She fell to her knees and tears started to pour down her face. She'd tried to keep it together, but the idea of this incomprehensible love melted away her inhibitions. Two planks of wood lain across one another and planted in the ground before her. How could they have any meaning? I mean, it was quite possible that two guys, having just learned how to use a powersaw and a hammer, constructed this pillar of truth, not capturing a minute passing notion of just what these beams symbolized. They might've just wanted a summer job so they could buy an X-box. Or something slightly more illegal.
As she thought about that, she weeped even harder. The magnitude of this instance in time could not possibly be comprehended by man intrigued by it, let alone one who doesn't care at all. Or hear of it at all. But that love was for them! How could they possibly know?
The tears in her eyes created an underwater view as she lifted her head and looked around her. Some of her classmates darted eyes in the face of an awkward situation to which they did not know how to react. They were studying this cathedral for history, not this "Jesus" crap. Others stared at her with a sense of hate. or confusion. One guy. One. She caught his eyes. She saw the pain in them. He wanted to join her, but he was afraid of the silence. Afraid of the stares she was now receiving. Who would wish that upon themselves? Why would you risk that? Hold it in. Hold it all in. Don't let them see you feel. This is NOT a world of humility. No one weeps! You keep it together. With all you have, you keep it together.
She took in a deep breath and looked back at the cross before her. Half-sobbing, she attempted to stand. Her legs felt as though she had just learned to walk. She turned around slowly. Her heart was beating faster than she'd ever felt it. Nothing was this real.
She took a few steps towards him. He shifted glances and sniffed to keep it together.
She said nothing. She simply wrapped her arms around him and whispered: "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Nothing had ever resounded in his mind or his heart so clearly. He froze. People were staring. At HIM.
I don't care. NO! I DON'T care anymore! His mind yelled inside his head. And he wrapped his arms around her.
"I just needed to know I wasn't alone in this." He whispered back.