Steadfast and Mission Viejo
(A modern-day story of Jacob and Esau)
By Paula Steinhauer

Part 1

Jacob and Esau were brothers.
Jacob was crafty, Esau was dumb.
Just for immediate gain,
Just for a saucer of Jacob’s stew
Esau was willing to sell.
To sell his birthright – the Covenant Promise
The Covenant Promise true.
All of God’s blessings and oodles of wealth
Just for a saucer of stew!
That’s what he was willing,
Willing to do.
 

Now why do I tell you this story?
Just listen and you will see.

Steadfast and Mission Viejo were talking ‘bout property.
Steadfast was crafty.
Was Mission Viejo dumb?
How could it be? Could it be?

Mission Viejo was given a birthright
A planned community.
Everyone held the promise
The California Promise true:
Here was a neighborhood. There a park.
Here was a hospital. There a mall.
Here was a ball park. There a lake.
Here was a church. There a school.

Then just for immediate gain
Just for commercial and residential stew
Mission was thinking ‘bout selling.
‘bout selling out!
‘bout selling the California Promise true.

To sell planned commercial property
With all of its blessings
With its oodles of wealth
That would pay on for years and years.

To sell it all for immediate gain
Like selling a goose for an egg
Like selling a school for a desk
Like selling a car for a ride.

Part 2

Then just to cement the deal
Just to be sure it came true
Jacob planned to disguise himself
To fool his father and his rule.
Since Esau his brother was hairy
Jacob did something quite scary.
He put on a mantle of fur and dressed himself up in disguise.
Jacob, you see, thought himself so wise.

With some fur on his arm
He was his brother – no harm.
His father – so blind and so easily fooled.

We know the end of this part of the story
It could have been gory:
When Esau realized what had been done,
Jacob went on the run.
He had the money and ran like a bunny.
He’d saved his neck so what the heck!
The family a disaster?
Well, flabbergaster!

And now I’m sure you can see the point of this story:
Steadfast thinks everything will be hunky-dory.
The deal will be done and Steadfast’s riches won.
Steadfast decided to disguise itself
All in order to gain more wealth.
It put on the mantle of a Target store
To get its proverbial foot in the door.
Deceive old Mission Viejo?
No problem, no harm.
Soothing words would bring no alarm.

And Mission would think it was getting a deal
When the whole thing was really a steal
Of the California Promise
The California Promise true
… and oodles and oodles of wealth that would pay on for years and years!