A Golden Treasury for the Children of God
by Carl Heinrich von Bogatzky
Take therefore the talent from him: and give it unto him that hath ten talents, for unto him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
- Matthew 25:28-29
He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much, and he that is unjust in the least is also unjust in much.
- Luke 16:10
God requires nothing but faithfulness; with this thou needest not to fear any thing, nor to say, if only such and such a thing was not in the way. Rather confidently believe that all is thine, and will work together for thy good. Nay, what seems to be most dangerous may perhaps prove most advantageous; so that if it were wanting, it would be the same as if the clock was without its weights. By fidelity our gifts and graces will be increased and that which is bad, turned into good; which made a certain faithful servant of the Lord in his last moments call upon all the children of God, “to be only faithful, since God is certainly faithful on his part." Whoever therefore, desires to be rich in grace, let him mind these words of a dying experienced Christian, nay, of Christ himself. Whatever the Lord gives us to know, we must be careful to bring it directly into practice, by watching, prayer, and wrestling, if we will be called faithful, and arrive to a state of true life and power. Thus for one drachm of fidelity we shall certainly be rewarded, even in this life, but much more in heaven, with many talents, and also receive that which has been buried by a slothful servant.
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soooo.... happy star wars day, everyone 😏 you know i had to do it.
of scoundrels and nice men
Charles doesn't have time for this. He doesn't have time for Pierre's stupid fucking banged-up ship to be – to be stupid and banged-up, and not working when he really really needs it to work. He needs to get to Cloud City, and he needs to get there now.
Instead, he's stuck in some dingy back corridor in the Tauri, soldering some godforsaken component back on to the wall because this goddamn ship just can't hold itself together for more than five minutes. Much like its owner, Charles thinks darkly, returning to his task with renewed force.
As though thinking of the devil summoned him, Charles hears the telltale thud of footsteps making their way down his dingy little corridor. Well, Pierre can walk wherever he likes. Charles isn't going to stop working on his behalf, because someone needs to make themselves useful around here.
He keeps working even when he feels Pierre come up behind him, chest pressed all the way up against Charles' as he leans around him to see what he's doing. He's insufferable, and Charles hates that his heartbeat quickens from his proximity, pulse suddenly thrumming loud in his ears.
"Do you need a hand?" Pierre asks, and Charles can hear the smirk in his voice as he adds, "princess?"
Charles' shoulders jerk in annoyance, involuntary, and he almost drops the tool he's working with. He catches it, but manages to hit his hand against the side of the ship in the process. "Stop calling me that," Charles snaps, hanging the tool over a protruding part of wall and discreetly tucking his one hand into the other to try and ease the throbbing.
Pierre steps away from him, and sure enough, he's smirking. "Sure, Charlito," he says, and that's a nickname that Charles likes, usually, but like this, it makes him want to grab Pierre by the shoulders and shake him. If his hand didn't feel like a living bruise, he might actually have done it.
And that's… Charles hates how easily Pierre gets under his skin. He's a Prince of Alderaan, and the youngest person ever to have a seat in the Imperial Senate – he should not be letting Pierre slip under his guard this easily. He shouldn't.
And yet, Pierre pushes past all of Charles' walls of carefully constructed diplomatic training like they aren't even there.
"You make it so hard sometimes," Charles says curtly instead of voicing any of that.
"I know, I know," Pierre replies, easy and lazy and cocky and everything Charles should hate more than anything. That doesn't stop his breath from catching when Pierre pushes into his space, again, blue eyes devastatingly earnest as he reaches for Charles' hand.
"Admit it," he says, and his eyes are so blue, his grip shockingly gentle when he untangles Charles' hands from each other, taking the hurt one between his own fingers.
"You don't think I'm that bad. Not really," Pierre continues, and then he starts rubbing gentle, soothing little circles against the back of Charles' throbbing hand, and that's…
Charles didn't think Pierre had even noticed. He thought Pierre would just keep being an annoyance and a menace, as usual, trying to get a rise out of Charles because he knows he's the only one who can get under Charles' skin like this.
He certainly didn't think Pierre would do something like this. Something which implies that he might… care. About someone that's not himself.
"Maybe," Charles allows, when the silence has stretched for just a moment too long, but Pierre's gentle grip of his hand still hasn't faltered. "When you're not acting like a scoundrel," he adds, because he will can't give Pierre a win that easily, after all.
"Scoundrel?" Pierre echoes, arching both eyebrows. Charles knows that he's taller – he is – but somehow, Pierre still manages to smirk down at him. "You know, I like the sound of that."
"Of course you do," Charles mutters, trying to turn away and pull out of his grasp.
But Pierre doesn't let him go. He tightens his hold on Charles' hand, using it to tug him closer, hard enough that Charles all but stumbles into Pierre's chest.
Pierre's other arm is at his waist immediately, catching him and stopping him from hitting the wall, but also keeping Charles' body flush against his.
"You like me because I'm a scoundrel," Pierre says, and he's leaning forward, dipping his face ever closer to Charles'. Charles knows that he should move, probably, or at least shake his head, but the best he can do is part his lips in belated indignation as Pierre just keeps leaning closer.
"I happen to like nice men," Charles says valiantly, and Pierre's lips curve up like he was waiting for that, somehow.
"I'm a nice man," he whispers, and his face is so close now that his nose brushes against Charles' own, his breath warm on Charles' lips.
"No you're not, you're –"
Charles isn't even really sure why he started that sentence, because he knew from the start that he wasn't going to finish it. Not with Pierre looking at him like that.
He's ready for it, anticipating it when Pierre kisses the end of the sentence off his lips. Charles falls into it immediately, and Pierre's hand tightens on his waist, steadying him and pulling him closer all at once, and it's everything. After months of bickering, and winding each other up at every possible opportunity, and furiously pretending that he doesn't want exactly this, it's everything.
At least, it is until a too-bright android's voice chirps behind them, "Sir, sir! I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling!"
Charles jerks away from Pierre like he's been burned, feeling his cheeks flaming as he takes three or four hasty steps back. It's not enough, because he can still feel every place Pierre's hands touched his body prickling with a phantom heat. He wants to go back, to have Pierre touch him again. He wants to run as far away from here as possible.
Pierre watches him go, an mix of emotions Charles can't even begin to read swirling in his blue eyes.
"Thank you, 63O," Pierre says at last, shoving past the android with a low noise that sounds almost like a growl. "Thank you very much."
"Oh, you're perfectly welcome, sir," GR-63O replies, sounding genuinely delighted, and Charles doesn't know if he should laugh, or throw up his hands in despair, or curse at the android for ruining this for him.
The only thing he does know? Things between him and Pierre are never going to be the same way again.
I love him, he thinks, and if he imagines just hard enough, he can see the smirk on Pierre's face, and hear the way he'd reply, I know.
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~ Scriptures about forgiveness ~
Matthew 6:15
"But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Ephesians 4:32
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Colossians 3:13
"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Daniel 9:9
"To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him."
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Proverbs 10:12
"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."
Micah 7:18
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love."
Mark 11:25
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Luke 17:3-4
"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."
Luke 6:37
"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"
Matthew 6:14
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Isaiah 1:8
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
James 5:16
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
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