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"The Vision - [odd, short story]"

So...

I was just sitting around, the sun was shining, sitting at the top of a hill, watching the time go by.

You know how it goes, or perhaps you don't. Perhaps you've never really stopped to really look at the world, and try to understand it.

Now seriously, if you never even try to understand the world, you never will. And it seems to me, that if you can understand the world, then none of it really seems to matter too much.

And as I was just lying there, chewing grass and daisies, when a bright light broke through the clouds, and ping, there stood God.

Well, I didn't even believe God existed. And even if I did, I mean, I wouldn't just expect Him to come down and see me.

"How did you know I was God?" He asked... obviously, He must have some sort of mind reading capability... well, He is the all knowing, and so on.

"Who else comes from the clouds?"

He smiled. "Perhaps I am 'Him'. Perhaps I am."

You've go to wonder. When He said that, was He joking at the fact we all capitalise things every time we refer to Him?

"It's alright, really. I'm not bothered."

And it was odd, because I kinda already knew that. I guess I was just emphasising... him, because well... everyone else did.

And me and God, well we just lay on the grass a bit. I thought a bit... and well, I guess God doesn't really need to think... what would he think about? He has all the answers, he knows all...

And that's what I thought about. As we just sat there, and I chewed on the ends of the daisies and he looked out upon the world... I wondered what he thought about.

Perhaps he was thinking about everything he created... could God feel pride? He knew everything, sure, but could he still feel emotion?

So that's why I asked him the question.

"God... can I ask you a question?"

Well, that wasn't the question, but it was polite to ask first. And I knew he'd just tell me he knew I wanted to ask a question... but once again, it just seemed polite to do so.

"Sure."

It's strange. He knew I wanted to ask him a question... I guess when you're that powerful, you just get used to answering everything anyway.

"Do you ever get lonely?"

And it was strange. Because I didn't expect God to answer immedietely... but... after a few seconds, he asked me a question too.

"Why do you ask?"

And, well, I said this.

"Well... you're the almighty. You're all knowing. You've explored every last detail of humanity, every last emotion. You've seen births and deaths and there isn't a single thing you don't understand. You can imagine everything you want because you've seen it all... but don't you get lonely? We're all your children, so where's your equal? Don't you find there's no-one you can really talk to?"

And God, he didn't say much for a few seconds, then he simply turned, and said...

"Well... when we want an equal, it's so we can advance ourselves. And well, as you said, I -am- the all knowing. I am the almighty. I don't need to advance, therefore, I don't really need someone I can talk to. I have no need for selfishness anymore, and I am simply happy to listen."

"But surely we don't just talk to advance... don't you miss having someone that can make you laugh? Someone that can make you smile?"

"You all make me smile. You all make me laugh."

"But we're not your equal. Is that why we make you laugh, because we're so below you?"

So God said.

"I smile because I get to see all of humanity. I laugh because I can see it. Every last thing that happens, I can see. And sure, I can smile, I can laugh, I can cry, I can try and inspire life back into the world, just to keep it spinning that tiny bit longer."

"You still haven't answered the question."

"I'm not going to either."

Now, this was where I was shaken. Perhaps it was just me, but wasn't that a little immature for the all-knowing?

"You're not going to tell me if you get lonely?"

"No."

"Why not?"

God looked around, leant down, and said to me...

"Because you'd lose hope. No matter what answer I gave you."

And then... I understood.

God smiled, stood up, and within a blink of my eye, he was gone.

And I was still lying there, on the grass, daisies between my fingers, the tips chewed.

And I still didn't believe in God, but he didn't come down to make me believe in him, just myself.

And I'm sure there were a thousand more questions I could have asked him.

But now... now I have hope. Even though I understand there is no God, there is no afterlife... there's just me, and a few billion more people on a rock spinning around a rather hot ball of gas. Because knowing the truth isn't important. It's about having hope that someday, you'll get there.

And we've built stuff, and we've blown it up again, but this is my world, and these are my rules. And I'll sail beyond the sun, and I'll catch every last snowflake on my tongue. And well, there's always hope. Because if I'm lonely, then there must be someone else out there that's lonely too. Because sure, God doesn't exist. But I do. I exist.

And well, that's all the hope I need.

The last couple of paragraphs is inspiring, there's not really much more I can say apart from fantastic.
:-)

Very nice Grix, very nice.
:-)

So...

I was just sitting around, the sun was shining, sitting at the top of a hill, watching the time go by.

You know how it goes, or perhaps you don't. Perhaps you've never really stopped to really look at the world, and try to understand it.

Now seriously, if you never even try to understand the world, you never will. And it seems to me, that if you can understand the world, then none of it really seems to matter too much.

And as I was just lying there, chewing grass and daisies, when a bright light broke through the clouds, and ping, there stood God.

Well, I didn't even believe God existed. And even if I did, I mean, I wouldn't just expect Him to come down and see me.

"How did you know I was God?" He asked... obviously, He must have some sort of mind reading capability... well, He is the all knowing, and so on.

"Who else comes from the clouds?"

He smiled. "Perhaps I am 'Him'. Perhaps I am."

You've go to wonder. When He said that, was He joking at the fact we all capitalise things every time we refer to Him?

"It's alright, really. I'm not bothered."

And it was odd, because I kinda already knew that. I guess I was just emphasising... him, because well... everyone else did.

And me and God, well we just lay on the grass a bit. I thought a bit... and well, I guess God doesn't really need to think... what would he think about? He has all the answers, he knows all...

And that's what I thought about. As we just sat there, and I chewed on the ends of the daisies and he looked out upon the world... I wondered what he thought about.

Perhaps he was thinking about everything he created... could God feel pride? He knew everything, sure, but could he still feel emotion?

So that's why I asked him the question.

"God... can I ask you a question?"

Well, that wasn't the question, but it was polite to ask first. And I knew he'd just tell me he knew I wanted to ask a question... but once again, it just seemed polite to do so.

"Sure."

It's strange. He knew I wanted to ask him a question... I guess when you're that powerful, you just get used to answering everything anyway.

"Do you ever get lonely?"

And it was strange. Because I didn't expect God to answer immedietely... but... after a few seconds, he asked me a question too.

"Why do you ask?"

And, well, I said this.

"Well... you're the almighty. You're all knowing. You've explored every last detail of humanity, every last emotion. You've seen births and deaths and there isn't a single thing you don't understand. You can imagine everything you want because you've seen it all... but don't you get lonely? We're all your children, so where's your equal? Don't you find there's no-one you can really talk to?"

And God, he didn't say much for a few seconds, then he simply turned, and said...

"Well... when we want an equal, it's so we can advance ourselves. And well, as you said, I -am- the all knowing. I am the almighty. I don't need to advance, therefore, I don't really need someone I can talk to. I have no need for selfishness anymore, and I am simply happy to listen."

"But surely we don't just talk to advance... don't you miss having someone that can make you laugh? Someone that can make you smile?"

"You all make me smile. You all make me laugh."

"But we're not your equal. Is that why we make you laugh, because we're so below you?"

So God said.

"I smile because I get to see all of humanity. I laugh because I can see it. Every last thing that happens, I can see. And sure, I can smile, I can laugh, I can cry, I can try and inspire life back into the world, just to keep it spinning that tiny bit longer."

"You still haven't answered the question."

"I'm not going to either."

Now, this was where I was shaken. Perhaps it was just me, but wasn't that a little immature for the all-knowing?

"You're not going to tell me if you get lonely?"

"No."

"Why not?"

God looked around, leant down, and said to me...

"Because you'd lose hope. No matter what answer I gave you."

And then... I understood.

God smiled, stood up, and within a blink of my eye, he was gone.

And I was still lying there, on the grass, daisies between my fingers, the tips chewed.

And I still didn't believe in God, but he didn't come down to make me believe in him, just myself.

And I'm sure there were a thousand more questions I could have asked him.

But now... now I have hope. Even though I understand there is no God, there is no afterlife... there's just me, and a few billion more people on a rock spinning around a rather hot ball of gas. Because knowing the truth isn't important. It's about having hope that someday, you'll get there.

And we've built stuff, and we've blown it up again, but this is my world, and these are my rules. And I'll sail beyond the sun, and I'll catch every last snowflake on my tongue. And well, there's always hope. Because if I'm lonely, then there must be someone else out there that's lonely too. Because sure, God doesn't exist. But I do. I exist.

And well, that's all the hope I need.