'What about me? Do I not matter?' She walked up to him, and after a moment's hesitation placed her hand on his arm, 'Don't you and I matter?'

That struck a nerve. He could not look at her. How could he, knowing what he had done to her? He pulled away and walked out of the room while mother and daughter remained engrossed in their own sorrow. Outside a storm had started.

He took no notice of the rain as he walked the drenched street. He was soaking wet. She always knew how to make him feel good.No. He mustn't think about that. He had worked hard to get what he had. Life had not given him many breaks and he wasn't about to give it up that easily. He had to set the example. How could she have behaved like that in his own house? He was a pastor for god sake. Deep in the back of his mind he knew the answer. It is one that he feared to access. He walked slowly turning everything over in his mind. 'The truth will set you free.' It was an inner voice.

'But what is the truth?' he asked.

'You know it.'

'No!' he screamed vehemently

'Yes!' the voice seemed to scream back accusingly.

He did know the truth. He had failed as a father. He had failed as a husband. Most of all he had failed as a human being. Come to think of it, he had failed as a pastor.

'What have you been up to?' The voice asked.

He was silent. How could he answer? Judge not least you be judged. 'What are you hiding?' the voice asked. 'Where are you going? The truth will set you free.'

He looked up and realized which direction he had been going as he walked. 'I have been seeing a sweet sixteen, okay. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I have been having it off with a girl who is my daughter's age. Okay, I have been having it off with a girl who is my daughter's age!'

'Why? Don't you have a loving wife? A beautiful family?'

'I don't know.'

'You do.' The voice was accusative.

Yes I do.

'Say it.' It was an order.

'God no!'

'The truth will set you free.'

'God forgive me! I have not been worthy. I have sinned. I have craved excitement. She was everything my wife was not. I could do to her all the things I couldn't do to my wife.'

'Why couldn't you do those things to your wife?'

'God I 'm a pastor. I 'm not expected to have strong desires. I 'm supposed to be pure.'

'What were you born as, a man or a pastor?'

'A man,' he answered in a barely audible whisper.

'Do you then imagine that because you're a pastor then you are not a man? Do you imagine that I want blind followers? How can you be true to me when you are not true to yourself?

'You recognise that you are created in my image yet you will not be true to that image. How then can you begin to see me for who I really am? I am who I am. Therefore you are who you are. I 'm not looking for religiousness. I 'm looking for the truth that lies inside you.

Have you not learnt anything? You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. What does all that mean? It is not the truth you will read in any scripture of any religion. It is the truth that lies inside you. That is the one you must know. Then and only then will you see who you really are. Then you can begin to see who I am.'

He fell down on his knees and wept.