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The Cross of Cortes, I

Album: Gold Audio 12: At Home and Abroad

Episode: 171

Lesson/Theme: Greed; God's sovereignty.

Bible Verse: Deuteronomy 6:13-15; Luke 4:8

Characters: Eugene, Whit

Writer: Phil Lollar

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: November 9, 1991

Last Air Date: August 21, 2008

Description:
Whit receives a mysterious package from Mexico. He opens it and discovers it's from Dan Isidro, his missionary friend from Nicaragua. Eugene wonders why Dan is in Mexico. The accompanying letter reveals that he is on furlough there. Since Whit and Eugene have planned a trip to the region, Dan has invited them to spend some time with him and requests that they bring along the enclosed parcel. Whit and Eugene examine the parcel more closely and discover that it's an ancient map. Dan's letter cautions them to not let it out of their possession or sight. Whit and Eugene study the map and recognize certain landmarks and symbols. Among them are the ancient city of Tenochtitln, which is modern-day Mexico City, and two volcanoes called Corozon del Diablo, "Heart of the Devil" which has under them the symbol of a cross! Whit and Eugene head off to Mexico to find Dan. When they arrive there, almost immediately they are met by a policeman named Cordova. He claims Isidro stole the map! Once Cordova leaves, Dan sneaks in through Whit and Eugene's hotel window. Dan tells Whit that Cordova is not a member of the Mexico City police, but of the Nicaraguan police. He has no authority in Mexico and, like Dan, is after the map. The ancient map leads to an important find: the Cross of Cortes! It was worn by Hernan Cortes when he defeated the Aztec nation and conquered Mexico. Legend has it that the cross contains supernatural powers. It makes the wearer invincible. Unfortunately, Dan can't read the map any better than Whit or Eugene can. So he's contacted an interpreter named Mendoza, who meets them at a bullfight the next day. Mendoza is a woman, and she is taken with Eugene, much to his discomfort. But Eugene grows even more uncomfortable when Mendoza tells him what happens at a bullfight. Eugene doesn't want to see the fight and excuses himself to go to the bathroom. But on the way, one of Cordova's men directs Eugene to the bull pens and locks the door behind him! A furious bull chases Eugene out into the ring! Fortunately, with the help of his trusty pocket cassette-recorder, Eugene is victorious over the bull. When Whit and Eugene return to decipher the mysterious map, they learn that a key symbol on the map is missing. They decide they may be able to figure out what it was. They go to an old temple and, with the help of a sundial and a flashlight, they figure it out. But they're just about to go to the Cross of Cortes when friends suddenly turn into enemies and take the map! Whit, Eugene, and Dan Isidro are undaunted (since they cleverly had their own copy of the map). The chase is on to see who'll get to the Cross of Cortes first. Our story is resolved in a dark cave where our characters meet. In the cave, we discover their true reasons for wanting the Cross of Cortes. We won't give away all the surprises, but you can be sure that an important lesson about the dangerous allure of power (even when people have the best of intentions) is clearly learned. The story continues in part II...

Questions:
Why did everyone want the Cross of Cortes? Do things like crosses really have supernatural power? Explain. Why is the cross so important to Christians?