³⁵ Jesus wept. (KJV)

³⁵ Jesus wept as he looked at the photos. He brushed them affectionately, as if his they were still there. He sighed, bawled a little more, and reached for the bottle. He took a swig of Jameson and made a face of disgust for a brief moment. The kickback was harsh, as the whiskey was now warm from being drunk all day. He slur-mumbled something and trailed off.

Jesus looked again at the photo: him, his recently divorced ex-wife, and his two kids at Disney World. His alcoholism had driven them away. From the beginning. He had neglected them, abused them, and they couldn’t take it any longer. All he did was turn water into wine, drinking all day, all night. He had lost his job just a few months earlier. They grew tired, and his now ex-wife escaped with the kids. Full custody. Jesus stood no chance. He even showed up to the custody hearing as his usual self, drunk. He couldn’t help him. He was diseased. And Jesus wept.

Then Jesus stood up suddenly and violent. “AHH FUCK HER!” Jesus yelled. He threw the photo frame across the room and then the bottle. The photo fell with a thud, and the bottle shattered into a hundred shards over the picture – as a literary metaphor for Jesus’ now shattered life. (BBI)