Chapter 6 (Heaven)

Chapter 6 (Heaven) 

Christian’s name was given him upon his return above due to the part he played in the Crusades or Christian Holy Wars. On earth he had been know as Dietrich. Most did not remember these wars unless they frequented heaven’s history archives. Today many found history boring unfortunately, but it surely was not dull while living it. If the human world was better about studying the past perhaps they would not repeat so many of the same mistakes made over and over again. All the plots to every story written are redundant. Since so much has transpired over thousands of year it is nearly impossible to invent an original storyline. The century and events Dietrich lived through would make an entertaining action-packed, although quite tragic film for cinema goers. 

If someone took the time to study what had happened in his day, they would find that the first of the Crusades began centuries ago in 1095, when armies of Christians from Western Europe responded to Pope Urban II’s plea to go to war against Muslim forces in the Holy Land. It seemed to Christian that the Middle East had rarely been free of wars in the history of the world. After the First Crusade achieved its goal with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, the invading Christians set up several Latin Christian states, even as Muslims in the region vowed to wage holy war (jihad) to regain control over the region. See, stories repeat themselves. Deteriorating relations between the Crusaders and their Christian allies in the Byzantine Empire culminated in the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the Third Crusade. Christian played a part in the Fourth Crusade from 1202 to 1204 as well as in an even more obscure or less remembered crusade in 1212 known as the Children’s Crusade.

Christian often dreamed of being a bridge, or “brücke” in German, builder on earth instead of a soldier, but there were no do-overs or reincarnations he found. The skill of placing particles over a treacherous path to prevent injury and aid others a safe passage on their journey would be an honorable profession with less haunting memories. It also translated to a worthwhile skill in moving others across dimensions to achieve their destination whether physical or emotional. Bridged were beautiful structures. Yes, being a bridge builder would have been wonderful. He supposed he did assist in building a kind bridge between heaven and earth these days, but those bridges had not helped him cross over from all the suffering he had not been able to prevent. 

Christian could recall the events like they happened yesterday. In May of 1212 in the  neighboring country of France where King Philip was holding his court, a shepherd-boy of about twelve years old called Stephen appeared. He brought with him a letter for the King, which he said was given to him by Christ in person. Stephen said Christ had appeared to him as he was tending his sheep and had bidden him go and preach the Crusade. Christian who had returned home by this time from the Fourth Crusade, did not find this boy’s story unbelievable since angels also appeared to shepherd boys during Christ’s own birth. 

King Philip was not impressed by the child however and told him to go home. But Stephen, whose enthusiasm had been fired by his mysterious visitor, saw himself now as an inspired leader who would succeed where his elders had failed. Undismayed by the King's indifference, he began to preach at the very entrance to the abbey of Saint-Denis and to announce that he would lead a band of children to the rescue of Christendom. The seas would dry up before them and they would pass, like Moses through the Red Sea, safe to the Holy Land. He was gifted with an extraordinary eloquence. Older folk were impressed and children came flocking to his call. After his first success he set out to journey across France summoning the children and many of his converts traveled further to work on his behalf. They were all to meet together at Vendôme in about a month's time and start out from there to the East.

Word spread and towards the end of June children massed at Vendôme, not one over twelve years of age. There were certainly several thousand of them, collected from all parts of the country, some of them simple peasants whose parents in many cases willingly let them go on their great mission. But there were also boys of noble birth who slipped away from home to join Stephen. There were also girls amongst them, a few young priests, and a few older pilgrims, some drawn by piety, others perhaps from pity, and others to share in the gifts that were showered upon them all. The bands came crowding into the town until the town could not contain them all and they camped in the fields outside.

When the blessing of friendly priests were given, and when the last sorrowing parents were pushed aside, the expedition started out southward. Nearly all of them went on foot. But Stephen, as the leader, insisted on riding in an ornately decorated cart with a canopy to shade him from the sun. At his side rode boys of noble birth, each rich enough to possess a horse. No one resented the inspired prophet traveling in comfort. On the contrary, he was treated as a saint and locks of his hair and pieces of his garments were collected as precious relics. They took the road past Tours and Lyons heading for Marseilles. It was a painful journey. The summer was unusually hot. They depended on charity for their food and the drought left little to spare in the country and water was scarce. Many of the children died by the wayside. Others dropped out and tried to wander home. But at last the little Crusade reached Marseilles. Looking back Christian could see more clearly the follies of the events that transpired, but at the time it seemed inspired. 

The citizens of Marseilles greeted the children kindly. Many found houses in which to lodge. Others encamped in the streets. Next morning the whole expedition rushed down to the harbor to see the sea divide before them. When the miracle did not take place there was bitter disappointment. Chris knew if God had wanted the sea to open for them, it would have, but for some reason the journey was not to end like Moses’ had.

Some of the children turned against Stephen crying that he had betrayed them and began to retrace their steps home. But most of them stayed on by the sea-side expecting each morning that God would relent. After a few days two merchants of Marseilles, called Hugh the Iron and William the Pig, offered to put ships at their disposal and to carry them free of charge for the glory of God to Palestine. Stephen eagerly accepted the kindly offer. 

Seven vessels were hired by the merchants, and the children were taken aboard and set out to sea. A few days out they ran into bad weather and two of the ships were wrecked on the island of San Pietro off the south-west corner of Sardinia and all the passengers were drowned. The five ships that survived the storm found themselves soon afterwards surrounded by a Saracen squadron from Africa and the passengers learned that they had been brought there by arrangement to be sold into captivity. They were all taken to the Algerian coast. Many of them were bought on their arrival and spent the rest of their lives in captivity there. 

The American slaves purchased from Africa in the 1700 and 1800’s were far from the first or only slaves in the history of the world. Man’s inhumanity against man is one of those continuing sagas.  The rest of the remaining youth were shipped on to Egypt where French slaves fetched a better price. When they arrived at Alexandria many were bought by the governor to work on his estates. With about seven hundred of them still living, a small company was taken to the slave-markets of Baghdad and there eighteen of them were martyred for refusing to accept Islam.

That was only the first half of the Children’s Crusade.

Stephen’s campaign was not the group that Christian was a part of, but his was probably inspired by them. Instead of learning from the tragic tale, his group nearly replicated it. Tales of Stephen's preaching reached Christian’s home in the Rhineland. The children of Germany were not to be outdone. A few weeks after Stephen started on his mission, a boy called Nicholas, Christian’s nephew from their German village, began to preach the same message before the shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne. Like Stephen, he declared that children could do better than grown men and that the sea would open to give them a path. But while the French children were to conquer the Holy Land by force, the Germans were to achieve their aim by the conversion of the infidel. 

Nicholas, like Peter and Paul of New Testament glory, had a natural eloquence and was able to find disciples to carry his preaching further up and down Germany. Within a few weeks an army of children gathered at Cologne ready to start out for Italy and the sea. The Germans were on an average slightly older than the French and there were more girls in their company. There was also a larger contingent of boys of the nobility along with a number of vagabonds and prostitutes. Christian born to earth in Germany and always a champion of the underdog, could not in good conscience allow this young kinsman to go without his expertise and assistance. Chris offered up the experience he gained from an earlier campaign during the Fourth Crusade near Jerusalem. Leaving behind his capable wife Abelard and their young son Gunther with her family, he joined the ranks of Nicholas's ragtag religious army. 

The German expedition split into two parties. The first numbering approximately twenty thousand was led by Nicholas himself. Christian aligned himself with this group to be as near the young man as possible. It set out up the Rhine to Basle and through western Switzerland past Geneva to cross the Alps by Mont Cenis pass. It was a rigorous journey for the children and their losses were heavy. Unfortunately Christian could do nearly nothing to prevent the senseless deaths. Less than a third of the company that left Cologne appeared before the walls of Genoa and requested a night's shelter within. The Genoese authorities were ready at first to welcome the pilgrims, but on second thought they suspected a German plot. Even with all of Nicholas’s persuasion skills, they were allowed to stay for only one night. Any who wished to settle permanently in Genoa were invited to do so. 

The children, expecting the sea to divide before them next morning, were content. But next morning the sea was as impervious to their prayers as it had been to the French at Marseilles. In their disillusion many of the children at once accepted the Genoese offer and became Genoese citizens forgetting their pilgrimage they settled. They bore families of great descendants there. 

But Nicholas, with Christian and the greater number, moved on hoping the sea would open for them elsewhere. A few days later they reached Pisa, the town of Leaning Tower fame today. There two ships bound for Palestine agreed to take several of the children. Many embarked and perhaps reached Palestine. Christian was not really sure what became of them and the historical record did not tell. He was sure someone up here knew if he wanted to find out, but he would rather forget. Nicholas did not leave with this group, but still awaited his miracle and trudged on with his faithful followers to Rome. 

At Rome Pope Innocent received them. He was moved by their piety but embarrassed by their folly. With kindly firmness he told them that they must now go home. When they grew up they should then fulfill their vows and go to fight for the Cross. Christian tried to convince Nicholas that may be the best route at this point, but they young man could not be dissuaded.

Many of the children, especially the girls, could not face again the ardors of the road and stayed behind in Italian towns or villages. Only a few stragglers found their way back next spring to the Rhineland. Nicholas was not amongst them. He would not give up his mission. Angry parents whose children had perished on Nicholas’ quest insisted on the arrest of his father who had encouraged the boy out of what they believed was his own vainglory. Abelard’s brother was taken and hanged before he knew what became of his son. 

The company of German pilgrims was no more successful that the French. They travelled to Italy through central Switzerland over the Saint Gotthard and after great hardships reached the sea at Ancona. When the sea failed to divide for them they moved slowly down the east coast as far as Brindisi. There a few of them found ships sailing to Palestine and were given passages, but the others began to wander slowly back to Germany. Only a tiny number returned at last to their homes. Christian did not make it home. He died of exhaustion and disease still by Nicholas’s side before they reached their promised land. He had given his nephew and the Children’s Crusade his all. 

Despite their miseries, Christian’s German group were perhaps luckier than the French. They at least were not sold into slavery. Although he was not able to help Nicholas accomplish his dreams of converting the Muslims, he felt he kept as many of the children as he could safe along the journey. Never as many as he hoped to, so this assignment with Emma and with any child always allowed him to feel redemption. 

Christian still believed in miracles and was not sure why they had not been granted theirs. He did not regret doing all he could for the Crusade and his nephew’s ill-fated cause. He did regret leaving behind his dear wife and son to the hardships of 13th century life without a husband, father or even their brother and uncle it turned out. It hurt to hear and watch all they had suffered after his departure from earth. Gunther was a little bitter for a few centuries (which was actually less than a day in eternal time) that Christian had chosen to go with his cousin over staying home with him, but they were finally gaining the father-son relationship he had missed out on. Chris was immensely glad his heavenly path was allowed to cross his son’s and wife’s in this realm occasionally. Family made heaven truly paradise. 

Now he must decide who to send down on the Lanrete assignment. He must not loose another child even on this mini-crusade. With the most experience, he was of greater value directing the efforts from this higher advantage and perspective. Maybe a team of two would be best to tend to Emma’s current crisis. The above team looked to him to be inspired and decisive, he must make a decision and press forth immediately.

“Ben and May would you two please go to the portal immediately and do what you can do below to assist our girl. We are all here for back-up if needed”, said the wannabe bridge builder. 

“Of course, we would be honored to make the trip,” both May and Ben replied their words mirroring and overlapping one another.

“And I can join you in a moment’s notice if you need me old man,” adventurous Lewis reminded them as he gave Ben a masculine whack on the back in camaraderie. Ben actually lived on earth later, during a more recent time, than Lewis and they looked about the same age currently, but Ben was an old soul who had existed long before Lewis in the history of eternity. 

“Please, please help her”, Pearl pleaded.

Christian’s words held more weight than a mere request, the couple was on their way with the other three looking after them hopeful for their mission.