During this new phase of the journey I was sitting
back in the track car – alone. What had
happened to Sherril? I had been told
earlier when I asked about how she was doing, that I didn’t want to know,
implying that she was having a hard time and being tortured. But this time someone said, “Oh, she’s miles
ahead of you!” I took that to mean she was
finishing well (implying that I was not), but then I also remembered again that nothing heard in this
place can be trusted and often meant the opposite.
Over the next several hours – although time was difficult
to estimate with no day-night cycle or any sleep there – I would be facing a
series of tests that were a reminder of the supposed purpose behind all that I
was enduring. The authorities wanted to insure
that I was dead, according to their definition, and therefore eligible for entry. Their criteria for confirming my condition seemed
to be mostly related to the eyes, both the physical eyes and also the inner
eyes with which I was observing my current surroundings. In the case of the physical eyes I simply
must not ever open them.
The tests for the inner eyes were much more complex. Perhaps this was unique to the engineers’ and
architects’ pathway. For one, an active pattern
or scene would be shown to me for a few seconds – maybe two players on a tennis
court, or series of telephone poles and lines.
My eye movements would be tracked during this time and analyzed to see
how far they deviated from looking straight ahead and also if they showed
evidence of focusing on the objects in the scene. It was an extremely difficult test for me
because my tendency was to look at the patterns and follow their lines. This was one of those times when I could look on as an observer and see what the technicians were
doing.
I thought for certain that I would be disqualified
because my eyes seemed to be tracking the objects too precisely. They also applied three different templates
over the pattern of my eye movements to measure how far they were deviating. Each one had a name, but I remember that the
one that I seemed to have the best chance of complying with was called the “Tall
Warrior.” In spite of my own assessment of what seemed obvious,
the technicians could not agree on my condition and did more tests with the
same inconclusive outcome.
The second eye test, was opposite in nature and
would require me to focus on a symbol as it appeared to float left and right in
a random fashion. At first, this was not
so difficult, but as the tests were repeated over a much longer period than the
first series of tests, they became much more challenging. This test also had
a spiritual dimension in that the symbol actually represented Jesus and I would be
distracted by other counterfeit symbols representing Satan. Now, I knew why the coauthor of the book we
had read had pasted the paper strips on our visors at the beginning of our journey.
On them was printed the very symbol that we needed to focus on to pass this
test. This was going to be a huge help
to keep my eyes on the right one.
…and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for
the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Heb. 12: 1b-2 (NASB)
(to be continued...)
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