After spitting, he touched his (the man’s) tongue with the saliva. – Mark 7:33 (Mark 7:32-35)

One day some folks brought tha Son a man who could not hear. Feller also had trouble speaking. It be hard ter learn how ter speak words if ya kin not hear how they be supposed ter sound. Tha deaf feller’s friends begged tha Son ter do something fer thar mate.

Away from tha crowd, tha Son put his fingers in tha man’s ears. Then he spit some saliva on ter his fingers and touched tha man’s tongue.

When it comes ter reading Skipper’s Code of Conduct, or really any book, it be a good habit ter watch fer patterns and odd stuff. If ya see odd stuff in a story that might be a clue by tha author that ya need ter pay attention, that something mysterious be happening.

Poking a feller in tha ear with yer fingers be odd. Spitting on yer fingers and touching a man’s tongue not be tha sort of thing that happens ever day. So ya might ask yer self if something like this ever happened be fer in Skip’s book.

Once a long time ago tha “finger of God” turned dust in ter gnats (Exodus 8:16–20). In that instance Skipper be proving he has power over creation and can turn dirt in ter a living bug. Another time Skipper wrote parts of his book on stone tablets with his finger (Exodus 31:18). With tha stone tablets Skipper be confirming that he be tha author of his words and that we should hear and pay attention ter what he says.

When tha Son put his fingers in tha deaf man’s ears he be turning dead ears in ter living listening ears. When tha Son put his fingers in tha deaf man’s ears it be as if he whar saying ter tha feller and all around, “Pay attention. Listen. You have ears. Use them. For if you do not, your ears might become as dead as Pharaoh’s and your hearts as hard as his.”

Spitting saliva on a finger and touching a feller’s tongue be a right nasty thing ter do. Only this be tha Son so we ‘ave ter ask, when else ‘ave we seen tha Son or Skipper spit and heal or touch tongue or lips. In tha way he healed tha deaf feller tha Son might be trying ter remind folks that Skipper formed tha first man, Adam, out of dust from the ground (Genesis 2:7). He breathed tha breath of life in ter Adam’s nostrils and tha feller became a living thing.

Some days later tha Son would make mud patties with his saliva and put tha muck over a blind man’s eyes, helping him ter see clearly. In tha old days a seraphim flew ter Isaiah with a burning coal in his hand and touched tha prophet’s unclean lips. In doing so, Isaiah’s guilt be taken away and atonement made fer his sin (Isaiah 6:1-6).

Folks who knew tha stories of Skipper using his finger ter create life and its connection ter dust and breath might ‘ave picked up on who he truly be—not simply a carpenter, or jest a teacher—but Skip himself in tha body of a man.

After tha Son poked tha feller’s ears and touched his tongue he looked up ter heaven and with a deep sigh said ter tha feller, “Be opened! Eph-phatha!”

With his ears opened he began ter hear. With his tongue loosened he spake plainly.

This be how Skipper’s Holy Ghost of Truth heals our stuck ears: he fixes our ears so we kin hear and understand Skip’s Code of Conduct. Then tha Holy Ghost of Truth fixes our tongue so we kin know jest that right thing ter say ter folks when they ask ’bout tha hope we have in tha Son.

If ya ‘ave ears, hear! If ya ‘ave a tongue, speak Skip’s words of truth and love. If both need a wee bit of tweaking, ask tha Son ter poke and prod and touch so as ya kin hear and speak plainly. Why, there be hardly anything better in all tha world than hearing tha voice of Skipper and speaking back ter him thanks and praise fer who he be.