Free The Gospel According to Luke by Emily Maguire Page B

horrible,’ she said. ‘Like some awful puppet show. Aren’t I wonderful to repair the puppet I deliberately broke!’
    â€˜No, Aggie, you mis–’ He grabbed at the hand she withdrew from his knee. He held it tight. ‘Think of old Joe or the girls working Koloona Street, think of the addicted, the mentally ill. Most people believe of them what the disciples believed of the blind man – that people so afflicted must have done something wrong, that they deserve their pain. But you know that isn’t so and so you help them, and when you do – whether it is obvious to you or not – you are revealing God’s love. You are doing Jesus’ work.’
    â€˜Oh, Luke.’ Her hands pulled free of his. ‘You really don’t understand how stupid you sound, do you?’
    He watched her pour and drink more wine. He went to the window and focused on her overgrown garden, lit by spotlights and a nearly full moon.
    â€˜Enough god talk, okay?’ Aggie was at his side.
    â€˜No. Look – the riot of colour that makes up our world. The yellow and crimson, the pinks, the indigo. At least ten different shades of green in this small area alone. When the sun comes up, the sky will be purple, then gold, then a clear pale blue. God could easily have made a grey universe, but He didn’t. And it’s not just the colours. The fragrance of flowers, the scent of freshly mowed grass, of rain, the texture of sand or silk, the warmth of the sun and the cool relief of a summer breeze. All these colours and smells and textures are not necessary for our survival; they’re gifts from a God who loves us.’
    Aggie pressed her forehead to the window. ‘You’re scaring me.’
    â€˜It’s awesome, I know, but you don’t need to be afraid.’
    â€˜That’s not what I meant.’ Her face was hidden in shadow. ‘The world is not devoted to human life, Luke. The colours of nature are diverse because getting or avoiding attention helps plants survive in different areas. Same go for fragrance – it’s an attractant or repellent. And the warm sun causes cancer and summer breezes turn into gales which rip houses apart. None of it is there for our convenience or pleasure. Nature has its own rules and we just have to enjoy what we can and shelter from what harms us.’
    â€˜Ah, but we have the senses to enjoy it, don’t we? Since seeing the blush of a rose isn’t necessary for oursurvival, God could have made us as tigers, able to see only in shades of blue. He gave us the capacity to take pleasure in our surroundings.’
    â€˜You’re killing me here!’ She spun around and took hold of his arms; her grip was inescapable. ‘Our senses have evolved over time to give us the best possible chance of survival. We see colour so we can differentiate between food and poison, our sense of taste confirms whether something’s edible before we swallow it, we have the ability to sniff out food and potential mates, we can hear a predator coming from a distance, and we know from touching if a surface will burn or freeze us, cause us pain or pleasure.’
    Luke stepped back two paces, which was as far as the length of her arms allowed. He had to concentrate. ‘Do you really believe,’ he said, ‘that who you are, what you value, your desires – everything about you – is shaped by physiology which in turn is shaped by evolution? Flowers are not truly beautiful; it’s just that your brain evolved to experience pleasure when a certain pattern of light hits your retina. If you feel love for a person you are merely reacting to your programming, selfishly looking to propagate your genes. Is that your view?’
    â€˜Hmmm,’ Aggie said. She released him, returning to her earlier position on the sofa. She drained her wine and poured herself another glass.
    â€˜Aggie?’ Luke sat across from her, willing