The Last Discussion:

Sean: It’s kind of bright in here.

God: Yeah, we get that a lot.

Sean: I’m not exactly sure where I am.

God: We get that all the time.

Sean: Could you tell me?

God: Look, I’m not impatient, but I expect a bit more from you.

Sean: Is it Heaven?

God: Not really, this is The Day of Judgment. And you are number eighty-six billion three hundred fifty-seven million, two hundred fourteen thousand, seven hundred forty-two for the day. So let’s get started.

Sean: Are you from Scotland? Accents are my thing.

God: Nae. I have been judging a lot of “Scots” in the last minute, and it carried over. I knew you would enjoy it.

Sean: What? How?

God: Catch up quick here. I know you have a lot of questions, at least save them for something interesting.

God: It looks like you scored a 47. Definitely lower than you could have.

Sean: Is that bad? You actually give us a numerical score? I wasn’t expecting that!

God: Remember, I made you in my Image. Not everyone gets told in numerical terms. Just depends on what they understand the best.

Sean: Oh, I guess that makes sense…

God: Ya, think?

Sean: Uh, not to be impolite, but I never thought you would be sarcastic.

God: Again, I made you in my image. I’m funny too! Check out those Turtles, Sloths, and Flamingos. I mean, who does that?

Sean: Good point.

God: OK, back to the debrief. You made a 47, in contrast, Gandhi was up there in the high 70’s and Adolph Hitler scored a 38.

Sean: Hitler? Did he pass? I mean, how did you judge him?

God: I get this one a lot, but I still love the story. Not to brag, I don’t do that sort of thing. But I know you will love this one.

God: Satan had been pounding away on this guy for years, starting with the deans at that art school rejecting him, and then some really confused fellows influencing him leading up to the war. I mean, Satan went all out to get this guy. He totally had Adolph under his spell. All the way to the last days of the Reich.

Sean: Seems about right.

God: But, little did Lucifer know, in his arrogance, he had overlooked a young telegraph girl from Bavaria that was in the entourage. My Spirit was with her and my favor upon her. Little Deirdre had snuck her Bible into the bunker and prayed quietly to herself each moment she was alone.

God: During the final days in Berlin, Hitler, Goering, and their families were in the bunker. Satan had cast his spell and watched arrogantly while waiting to snatch a few more souls in those dark hours. There was nothing except despair for them.

God: Of course, this is when I do my best work. My Spirit was with young Deirdre. As the despair was reaching a climax and the Russians were overwhelming the last of the Wehrmacht. Deirdre shared her testimony about me to Adolph, Ava Braun, and the rest. By the end of the day, they had all accepted me as their Savior.

Sean: I thought they committed suicide?

God: Hardly, no, they were all praying and offering praise to me when two Russian officers shot them. In the end, I got those two as well. They were quite stirred to see the Germans praying, and began seeking me out later in the Communist USSR.

God: Satan was furious. Although he had managed to stir up such a horrible war with terrible suffering, it netted me so many souls. I know you are into this type of thing, statistically for every one he got, I got 16. Yeah, it was huge.

Sean: Wow, I mean, we really had no idea.

God: No doubt, Satan works hard to cover up that part of the war. There were so many acts of love. So many people learning to share what little they had. It was really amazing. Some of our finest work actually.

Sean: Our?

God: Yeah, of course us/we/I, but I also give credit to the Angels as well, and all of you humans that play your parts.

Sean: Play a part? Is that all it was? Like a play? Was all of life some cosmic joke for your amusement?

God: I detect a bit of anger there. Might want to temper it down a bit, I don’t allow that after today. To your point, I think you could make the argument that it was. As I am all knowing, that would make the story we wrote somewhat of a play. To be sure, you all had a hand at writing it with me and playing your part as you all saw fit.

God: Let’s circle back to you. You managed to score 9 more than Hitler. What went wrong? You had the Bible, The Holy Spirt was with you, your family never abused you. You were in good health.

Sean: Now wait a moment, I had Epilepsy nearly all my life.

God: Seriously? I gave you that as a gift to help keep you humble.

God: I’m looking down the Commandments, and there aren’t many you didn’t break. Although, I suppose you will deny Murder.

Sean: True, I didn’t kill anyone at all.

God: Looks like you somehow didn’t directly Murder anyone. But you did knowingly support a government that did. I think that is called “Conspiracy to Commit”.

God: And we have this 10 year period after high school where you just couldn’t seem to hold onto your faith?

Sean: But they told me in college that you weren’t real.

God: Nice excuse, but you found out later that was not true. Why did it take you so long? You consistently knew the right thing to do, but did the wrong thing anyway.

Sean: I did get better? Right?

God: And a good thing too! You were skating along in the low twenties. Buddhism? Really? I mean, I take a lot of those folks, but why try to switch on me when you had been exposed to the Truth of the Resurrection?

Sean: I was just feeling confused. What I was being told didn’t match what was in your book.

God: And you thought that what was being offered by Satan made more sense? Really?

Sean: Yeah. At the time it did. But since then, I have learned a lot. Does that count?

God: Of course! That is what got you out of the low 20s!

Sean: But…

God: Let’s move on.

God: Where do you feel you are at now?

Sean: Where? Physically?

God: No silly. Where spiritually? Are you ready to continue your journey?

Sean: What? I thought this was the end?

God: Judgment Day is just the beginning.

God: Welcome home.

Sean: We’re done then? On to Heaven?

God: Not quite. Still more debriefing.

Sean: Oh. Well you said this was Judgment day, so there must have been the final battle. I assume we won.

God: “We” is a pretty big word to be throwing about. Of course I won, the battle had been won at the Cross.

Sean: But then why didn’t Earth End then? Why thousands more years? Why more battles over and over?

God: Time isn’t linear.

Sean: What?

God: Everything happened/happens.

Sean: Wait, so you won against Satan on the cross, but then time continued on…?

God: Only from your perspective. When I died on the Cross, I won the battle against Satan for all time … throughout time. Let that sink in a moment…

God: I won the battle throughout time.

God: Whenever a human came to accept me as their Savior, that battle was taking place on the cross – right then. It is easier to understand it from your point of view than say from a Greek slave in BC 200. But it was won for them too.

Sean: Talk about “Through a glass darkly”

God: You are making progress.

Sean: So what was that big battle where I died?

God: That was the final defeat of Satan upon Earth.

Sean: Right, so our forces overwhelmed the enemy and destroyed them. I remember being there at the start of the battles.

God: Oh, you were. Unfortunately, you were fighting on the other side. Very regretful.

Sean: But… wait… I thought… Jesus…

God: Yes, I know, Satan is very convincing and the ultimate deceiver. I know, I made him.

Sean: So that whole time I thought I was following Jesus into battle, it was Satan?

God: Most certainly. And you lost 10 points for that. Very disappointing that you fell for his lies in the last days. Everything he said contradicted my Word.

God: Tell me where you went wrong.

Sean: Well, he was glowing with light and claimed to be “The Holy One”. It was very convincing.

God: And Jesus was not convincing?

Sean: Yeah, but … Lucifer had all those Angels with him. It just seemed so “right”. He was saying that everyone was welcome. Saying that nothing was wrong. That everything was going to be just fine.

Sean: I mean, the other guy… You - Jesus… he had angels too, but his camp was demanding obedience, and had rules. I don’t know. It just seemed so contrary to what I believe.

God: So, you felt that your personal beliefs were more important than what I was asking of you? How did you come by these beliefs?

Sean: Well, I read the Bible, but I also used my own rational and things I read from modern science. Isn’t that OK.

God: Not really.

Sean: I don’t understand.

God: I know. That is why you fail.

Sean: Wait, are you quoting Master Yoda.

God: What do you think inspired George to write that stuff? Master Yoda quotes me.

Sean: I feel like you are disappointed. I am sorry.

God: I know you are. I am disappointed. You were less tricked by Satan than you were simply too proud of your own abilities to reason. You thought you were better than me.

God: Humility is not your strong suit. You will need to work on that.

Sean: How? I am dead. Right?

God: Do you feel dead? Your life has only begun.

Sean: What was that?!

God: Oh, the Angel? They get around, don’t they?

Sean: I didn’t imagine that they could move so fast.

God: Yeah, they have lots to do, so I made them to move quickly and not loiter around.

Sean: I’m jealous… I mean, they are really really fast. Have I seen them before?

God: You sure have. Don’t you remember the one that moved your car out of the way of that incoming truck? Or the one that kept you from riding your bike into the train? Or the many times they kept you from falling too hard on your head?

Sean: No… I don’t. Can I thank them?

God: Of course, but later.

Sean: Why did they save me if I ended up fighting for the Enemy?

God: My ways are certainly mysterious to you. They kept you safe so that you could be in the final battle… and would fail.

Sean: This just doesn’t make sense.

God: Consider Peter. I even told him ahead of time that he would deny me three times on the night of my crucifixion. Failure does not mean the end for us. It is another part of your journey.

Sean: I never thought of it that way.

God: Now that you know that you failed completely and fell for the lies of Satan, how will that change you going forward?

Sean: I just saw another one! A little guy, just cruised past like a drone on a mission!

God: We do have one hundred billion souls to judge today. So it is kind of busy. If you could stay on track, it would help.

Sean: What? In one day? Surely you jest!

God: Of course I jest. I created time for Humans. It doesn’t exist outside of the realm of Earth.

Sean: Then what was the big deal about days and nights in Genesis? Why bother with it?

God: Without the urgency of a limited lifespan, Humans don’t tend to use their creative ability wisely.

Sean: Time is there to give us an urgency to our lives?

God: Absolutely. You have your 120 years – well, most of you have much fewer than that due to your poor choices – or the influence of Satan. So much corruption of the earth occurred by the Final Battle, that none of you were likely to reach that 120 year mark.

Sean: Wait, back up again. There is no time here?

God: Correct.

Sean: But time does exist on Earth.

God: Correct. Still does, or did.

Sean: Then how can you observe what is happening on Earth if there is no time flowing… is it like a video?

God: Nice observation. Exactly like that. We can re-wind, fast forward, and alter as we wish.

Sean: Even the Angels?

God: No, they can’t. They just go where I tell them. But they can go back and forth between Heaven and Earth. So, kind of like going between a realm of time and a place with no time. I don’t blame you for being confused a bit.

Sean: That explains a lot. The whole video analogy. You know what is going to happen on Earth, because you can “Watch the video” and you can change it or predict it because you are outside of the video.

God: You are getting there.

Sean: So, right now your angels are doing stuff on earth, yet you are also doing the final Day of Judgment. I’m still real confused here.

God: Well, more like practice right now. There is an “End” at which there is no longer the old earth, and there is the new Earth and new Heaven.

Sean: That New Earth and New Heaven thing sounds so weird. I mean… how could you fit everyone that ever lived on a planet? Wouldn’t it have to be super huge? How could you make it big enough?

God: For starters, not everyone that ever lived will be there.

God: Secondly, Earth and Heaven aren’t planets, so I can make them as big as I want. Didn’t you read the Book of Job? Or book of Enoch?

Sean: Er… yeah… I guess you have a point there.

God: Thanks, I really needed your approval.

Sean: There you go again!

God: So, “after” Day of Judgment is over and the whole lot of you answer for your actions, then I will build the New Heaven and New Earth.

God: Let’s talk about that dog of yours.

Sean: Otto? Sure, why? Wait? Do dogs go to Heaven?

God: Of course! I have three of them myself!

Sean: What! Like “Heaven Dogs”?

God: You had a lot of love for that dog. Why didn’t you show as much love for people as you did your dog?

Sean: Well, for one thing, that dog was awfully sweet. A lot sweeter that most people are!

God: So your love was only reciprocal?

Sean: Well, now that you put it that way! Look, I didn’t mean to love only those who loved me, but it isn’t easy to be loving to everyone.

God: It isn’t? Unconditional love isn’t easy? How many times did you try it? Did you try it at all?

Sean: I…

God: Yeah, you got a few points knocked off for that as well.

Sean: This really is tough.

God: It didn’t have to be.

Sean: Whoa! Is that Freddy Mercury I just saw strolling by?

God: Sure is! He gave his life over to me near the end.

Sean: I thought that Homosexuality was a sin.

God: It sure is, but so is gossiping. I think you know this already. Why are you surprised?

Sean: I guess I didn’t expect him to be here due to his long term homosexual relationships.

God: Homosexuality really is just another thing.

Sean: I don’t understand. You said not to do it.

God: It is just like anything else. I specifically tell all the humans a whole big list of things not to do, and this is just one of them.

God: It is about humans bending their will to mine.

God: I ask you to submit your desires to mine. Whether it be your desire to have sex or be gluttonous, or to gossip, or to hate, or to desire money. I ask you to submit to me.

Sean: So, homosexuality it isn’t really something special, it is just another test for us.

God: Yeah… kind of. As much as anything in your life is a “test”.

God: I don’t just make these rules up randomly. They are for your own good. They keep you focused on me instead of apart from me.

Sean: But you just said it wasn’t special.

God: As in no sin is above any other. I don’t really judge a guy who is sleeping with his friend Dave any different from a lady who is constantly gossiping about her friend Susan.

God: Look, Satan is tempts everyone with their own weakness. But it is always the same temptation: “You can disobey God.”

Sean: I guess you are right. I have heard that lie so many times…

Sean: There is always some reason behind it. But the same basic lie.

Sean: Whoa! What is that?

God: Oh, a viewing portal. If you want to view what is happening on Earth, you can go over there and take a look.

God: Just walk over and look at whatever-whenever-wherever you want. Sometimes it can give you clarification to some of the questions you may have about your life. Or clarification about life itself.

Sean: But I fought in the final battle of good against evil. You said it is all over.

God: Nice one. Again, it was all over when I died on the Cross. I sacrificed myself for your sins. You are welcome. We can talk about that in a little while.

Sean: So I can look at any time throughout history.

God: Sure. Look away. I do.

Sean: Through the portal?

God: What? No, of course not. I just do.

Sean: Is it like a recording?

God: No, it is actually happening as you look.

Sean: Wait, how can it be happening, but Judgement Day has occurred?

God: Again, this Time thing is only for Humans.

God: I saw the whole thing as soon as I created the world, yet could watch it unfold.

Sean: Then why didn’t you stop the suffering of humanity?

God: Stop it? I made it.

Sean: What? Why would you make suffering?

God: It is my gift to you.

Sean: This is crazy? It hurts it is not fun. Are you evil?

God: No.

God: Look, I did it too. It was pretty bad, and I made sure I got the worst of the worst. Don’t you remember the “Passion of the Christ”? It was like that, except much worse. Watch it in the portal. You will be shocked. No human on earth has suffered more pain. I made sure of it.

Sean: So… you could have changed all the pain the world, but didn’t?

God: Absolutely.

Sean: Why… Why… I.. I am so hurt and confused. I thought you were a “loving” God.

God: Pain is the price you pay for “Love”.

Sean: So in order for humans to be able to love, we have to be in pain.

God: Pretty much, you have to make the decision to “Love”.

Sean: But what about the pain?

God: That is just a by-product of living in sin.

Sean: This just makes no sense.

God: I started out making the Angels. To be clear, there is no start or end or time at all for me, but there is for my creatures. Anyway, the Angels had to be in existence “Before” humans or Adam existed.

God: Although they are impressive creatures, they do have their limits. They are unable to “create”. In that sense, they are very “jealous” of you.

Sean: Create? They can’t imagine anything?

God: No, the way I designed them, their minds cannot come up with anything new… at all. It made some of them bitter. Well, you know the story. Satan and others rebelled and fell from Heaven.

Sean: Well, why didn’t you stop it!?

God: It was part of the plan from the “Beginning”. Humanity had to be tempted to disobey in order to be able to obey. So Satan and the other Rebellious Angels would play that part, as the tempters. Humanity would constantly struggle against them and their kin.

God: Without darkness, you cannot have light.

Sean: Wait… What? But I thought you died to save all humanity?

God: I did. All they have to do is accept my sacrifice. My death erases your sin. It allows you to be with me.

Sean: Are there some that get all the way to Judgement day and go through this conversation and see your glory and still reject you?

God: Absolutely. About 2%. I am pretty persuasive, but I designed you to have a choice.

God: Of course, you cannot see my glory without accepting me first, that is why you aren’t seeing me yet.

Sean: Uh… there aren’t that many Christians. I thought you had to be a Christian.

God: You do. I reach out to everyone eventually. Either through dreams, a vision, a missionary, an experience through nature, or after their human body dies. Don’t worry. Everyone gets their shot.

Sean: Then why do you tell us to go out and tell the world about you.

God: Again… that is my gift to you. Sharing the good news is a wonderful experience. Don’t you agree?

Sean: You have a point. Of course…

Sean: So about this rebellious Angel..

God: Lucifer, the Light Bringer. One of my most wonderful creations, for certain. An amazing Angel with true power. And he had to be, in order for him to challenge me.

God: Lucifer became jealous the moment he learned that I had created humans with the ability to create. You see, Angels can’t envision anything beyond what I have given them.

Sean: They can’t make art?

God: Not one bit. Not one painting, not one bit of music, not one play, nor invention, not a single new idea at all.

Sean: Yep, I would be a bit jealous as well. Although flying around does seem pretty cool.

God: To be sure, they are amazing servants, but Humans have always been my favorite. Such desperate struggling creatures just trying to do their best. I do love the world.

Sean: It is gone now through.

God: Again, imagine the world as a book. It has an ending, but doesn’t go away. You get to read it over and over again. And if you wrote/write it, you can alter it whenever you want.

God: Back to the Angels. Satan rebelled, just as I had planned/foreseen. My loyal Angels tossed him from Heaven and he descended to Earth, where he proceeded to carry out the temptation of Eve and Adam and the rest of humanity.

Sean: To be clear, you wanted him to torment Humans?

God: Torment is a pretty harsh word. But yes. He and the rest are what give you the choice to obey me or to reject me. To Love me or to Hate me.

God: Without my disobedient servant, Lucifer, this wonderful play could not exist. Rain cannot exist without a storm. Warmth does not exist without a fire.

Sean: Just to be clear… you created evil… on purpose.

God: Uh… I create everything… on purpose. How could I have performed the ultimate sacrifice without evil in the world?

God: What type of world would need it?

Sean: In the Book of John, it says God is Love.

God: For sure. A good passage.

Sean: It increasingly looks to me like you aren’t. You are uncaring sometimes.

God: Yeah, that passage wasn’t meant to put me into a cage and make me a “Care Bear”.

God: Just because I have the capacity to be fully and completely loving in a way that you can’t, doesn’t mean that it is the only aspect I have.

God: People sometimes read that passage and then mistakenly believe that I am ONLY just a loving and hugging accepting little teddy bear.

God: They can’t conceive that I could have other aspects as well.

Sean: I am still surprised about the sarcasm. I mean. Who saw that coming?

God: You certainly should have. There are plenty of passages in my book where I express a whole range of emotions that weren’t commonly associated with me by the time you were walking about.

God: I mean, read the book of Job. I gave him quite the scolding. Or see what I did to Aaron’s sons when they got a little careless.

God: I certainly can’t be put in a box by humans, although the vast majority of you do in your own mind.

Sean: What was that? It flickered by!

God: A Little One.

Sean: Uh… OK.

God: Those young souls that were never tempted by sin before they passed. The unborn, the very young. They all come straight here, but because they never truly identified with a body, they typically manifest to you as a wispy light.

Sean: Are they happy?

God: Of course, they have never known temptation.

Sean: Are the Little Ones like the Angels?

God: No. Not at all. They are so precious to me because they are humans, yet innocent.

Sean: Like the Angels?

God: My Loyal Angels are not innocent or perverse. They are my servants. They have two choices – to Obey or to Disobey.

Sean: That sounds like us. We can obey your word or disobey.

God: It is a little more serious for them. They are eternal creatures with no chance of redemption or forgiveness.

Sean: Why would you not forgive them for disobeying you?

God: Because they are not separated from me like human. Their choice is too simple… too straight forward.

God: If you told your son not to take money from your wallet, and he grabbed your wallet from your hand right in front of you and took the money even though he didn’t need it, it would be very hard for you to forgive.

God: The angels are magnificent, yet servant creatures… this is why Lucifer was so jealous of you all. He felt that I had made a grave error when creating you, and vowed to correct it.

Sean: Why didn’t you just destroy him then?

God: As you should know by now, I am not a god of destruction. Even the smallest creature is precious to me.

Sean: Bugs?

God: You are getting off track. I’ll tell you about bugs later.

God: I don’t destroy my creatures, I will punish them, I forgive them when they ask, but do not destroy.

Sean: But, Hell, isn’t that worse than destruction?

God: I think so. But it is the cost of being able to choose.

God: I gave Choice to the Angels as well.

Sean: And they betrayed you!

God: As I had known and planned from the beginning.

Sean: Ok, so something I never understood, how come the Fallen Angels did not die in the Great Flood?

God: A great flood is not nearly enough to destroy an Angel.

Sean: And then how did the world get repopulated? And how were there enough plants and animals on the Ark?

God: I helped them out after the Flood. It really isn’t that hard for me.

Sean: But it didn’t say that in the Bible.

God: But it didn’t “not say it” either.

Sean: Don’t you get bored of this same conversation? Explaining all this to billions of souls?

God: No so much. I don’t get bored at all. This is why I made you!

God: Honestly, I really like to talk. Especially with my creatures.

God: Didn’t you like to talk with your pets? Even though they couldn’t really understand what you were saying entirely? Kind of the same thing.

God: Besides, a lot of you just want to talk about how beautiful the flowers were… which doesn’t bore me either. Did you notice the flowers? I mean, Orchids? Wow. Kind of a big deal.

Sean: Right! My wife grew many of them in our home. Uh, of course you know that.

God: But there are far fewer philosophers than there are flower lovers, so I have the time.

Sean: Well that does bring up genetics. Why were the Fallen Angels able to mate with the Human Women?

God: They have similar genetics to you. Kind of like horses and donkeys, they can mate and make a mule.

Sean: But, Giants? Nephilim? That was just crazy?

God: Easy there, I’m God.

Sean: I know, sorry, I get carried away a lot… but you know that.

God: I do too… you are made in my image! Remember! Hence the Giants and Nephilim.

God: I wanted something terrible. And this seemed like a pretty dramatic way to do it. Even the legends of these creatures lasted throughout the history of the world.

God: And it sure surprised the Angels. They thought their children would be greater than that of Adam.

God: They were Greater in wrath and terror, but were still unable to create. Which only angered Lucifer more.

Sean: Were you taunting him?

God: Oh, absolutely. Just read about Job. Satan was furious!

Sean: Kind of like a rivalry.

God: More of like a mean neighbor’s cat that you don’t want to kill because it kills the rodents, but at the same time, you don’t really like it.

God: In this case though, Lucifer is one of the most magnificent Angels I ever created. He simply couldn’t bear being a servant.

Sean: They told me Job was just a play. Something made up to talk about your relationship with humanity.

God: Of course it was. And also a true event. Just because someone envisioned something and wrote a play about it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I mean, what do you think gives artists their vision and inspiration?

Sean: Now that Judgement Day is here, are you going to do it again?

God: Again?

Sean: Another Earth, are you going to make another one?

God: Not really like you are thinking… some sort of do-over. I mean, for me, the original Earth never ends or ended.

Sean: Earth isn’t over?

God: It is like a book, you can read it over and over, and although we are going over the whole Judgement Day, it too will be happening forever. And Judgement Day really isn’t a “day” for me. Days don’t exist. When I created Earth, in an instant, all of it happened. The beginning, the Fall of Adam & Eve, the Flood, Christ, the Resurrection, the Apocalypse, and final battle.

Sean: What are the Angels doing then?

God: Going about their tasks – mainly Earth.

Sean: Which is over, but still exists.

God: You may figure this out sometime.

Sean: Will I?

God: No. You can’t. Humans don’t have the capacity to figure it out.

Sean: But the Angels do?

God: Yes. But they can’t create. There is a cost to everything. It isn’t that I couldn’t create creatures like that, but they would be me. How interesting is that?

Sean: Do other people mention how dry your humor is? I mean, you are really sarcastic. I just … I mean, It is so unexpected.

God: Again, you are made in my image. But I also have all the other personalities as well. So you really get the one that is most comfortable on Day of Judgement. It helps to get through the shock.

Sean: Now the book said a new Heaven and new Earth. Yet earlier you said you wouldn’t make another Earth.

God: You are starting to figure things out.

God: I’m not going to do a repeat of the Earth. You know, with an Adam, and Eve, a Satan, and all that. Done it. Doing it.

Sean: Wait, so you aren’t doing a new Heaven and new Earth?

God: It is more like a realm where all the souls that have chosen to accept my sacrifice exist. You would call it “Heaven”.

Sean: All our bodies will be there?

God: Well, not your “meat puppets.” Your souls. You still move around and have a presence. You can see each other. Interact with each other. Visit with your deceased pets.

God: But mostly just spend your “time” worshiping me.

Sean: And room for a hundred billion souls?

God: Yep. More or less. Like I said, kind of a big deal.

God: Let’s get back to the Last Days.

Sean: It did get a little crazy. Just like The Book said. I didn’t really know it was the end, but things were certainly heating up between Good and Evil.

God: So when Lucifer revealed himself, what were you thinking in joining him?

Sean: Well, his message was on point. Love for all. Everyone is forgiven. And my goodness, he was certainly quite the sight. I mean, in contrast, Jesus was demanding repentance. It just didn’t seem as loving. And the media kept saying that he was a false prophet, not the Messiah. They were pretty convincing.

Sean: Wait, why are you asking me questions? Don’t you already know?

God: I sure do. I ask them for your benefit. For you to be able to reflect back on your life and discover the truth for yourself.

Sean: You have a point. The questions help…

Sean: So, why was there so much pain? How you let that happen?

God: Pain? Seriously? What do you know about it? I died on the cross for you. I have felt the pain of my own perfect son dying for your petty sins.

Sean: Are you angry at me?

God: No, merely annoyed... I have had this question a lot today.

Sean: Can I ask again then?

God: Look, you had this “meat-bag” in which to inhabit on earth. Quite the piece of engineering actually. And part of the experience was a feedback from the nerve endings, which you call pain. It is real, and illusory at the same time.

God: Your actual “body” is only loosely connected to it.

Sean: Ah, so that is what this is, my real body. Not my meat-body.

Sean: By the way, when can I see my wife?

God: Depends on your choices, and hers. But family isn’t the same up here.

God: I am certain that I put that in the text… several times.

God: In fact, the guy that asked me the question about the brothers who kept having to marring their brother’s widows made it through a few hours ago. I recommend looking him up. Quite the character.

Sean: Wait, there was an actual guy?

God: Yup. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I get asked.

Sean: Why didn’t Jesus marry?

God: I love you all, but you are my creatures. I love you as my creations. I could never love you in a romantic way. This is all covered pretty well in religious texts. You should have read more.

Sean: Is that why you keep scolding me?

God: Pretty much. You had it easy. Sure, you didn’t have access to the Library of Alexandria, but the Internet was a close second.

God: Seriously, I mean a few thousand books on philosophy & religion, but you insisted on watching re-runs of Family Feud.

Sean: I tried to read often.

God: Surely you jest?

Sean: Well, I mean, when I could.

God: Are you feeling awkward yet?

Sean: Yes, I mean, I could have done better.

God: You had in your hand my word. The words of the most high. The actual words of Me, The LORD, your God, YWHY.

God: And you would rarely read. Even on a good day.

Sean: From this point it does seem stupid.

God: You got that right.

Sean: Which was the version I was supposed to be reading?

God: The one with MY words. It is pretty clear when Satan was having his minions alter the text. And you know that.

Sean: Wait, so I was just supposed to read the Good News?

God: Yes.

Sean: How would I have known the correct interpretation… the correct theology.

God: It’s all in there.

Sean: You are saying the theology didn’t matter.

God: Oh, hardly. It certaintly did.

Sean: But, how are you managing such a high rate of return on souls then?

God: Look, the Theology is like the train tracks. They lead you to me. If you are on the wrong tracks, it is much harder or longer to get to me.

God: For instance, you were even fighting on the wrong side in the final battle. I’m still here wanting you to accept me. You got off track.

Sean: I certainly see that now. But how are people that never knew you to begin with supposed to deal with all this. It doesn’t seem fair.

God: It isn’t fair. There is no fair. Who even wants that? They want better than fair. I certainly went all out for you and everyone else. Far beyond what you have ever done for me. How is that fair?

Sean: I think I see your point.

God: You are a stubborn one.

Sean: Wait, so which one was it?

God: Which theology? Mine. Of course.

Sean: Seriously, which one was I supposed to follow. Methodist? Lutheran? Catholic? Presbyterian? Mennonite?

God: Really? You were supposed to pray and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. It was pretty simple.

Sean: But..

God: Quit interrupting.

God: I spilled my blood on that cross in a final and perfect sacrifice for you. I then proceeded to give you direct access to me through the Holy Spirit. I gave you a book filled with examples on how to live your lives. I followed it up with commentary and clarifications.

God: You didn’t need a name for that theology, you just needed to follow it.

God: Names were just ruses from Satan. For the most part, they weren’t even very effective. Churches would split, but the people would continue to pray to me.

Sean: I still don’t understand.

God: You think?

Sean: No. Seriously. Why all the pain? Why would you let that happen? Murders? Torture? I mean… Child Abuse? A monster couldn’t conceive a more horrible fate than what many people faced on your world. What kind of god are you?

God: A loving one that granted Humanity a precious gift. The gift of choice. The gift of making their own decisions. The gift of love. You can choose to love.

God: Would you have rather I made the world so that all of you were stones or water?

Sean: But as a loving God, how could you have let all that pain happen? Weren’t you frustrated that we all weren’t loving each other?

God: Let it happen? Did Shakespeare get frustrated that Romeo and Juliet kill themselves? No, he wrote that tragedy. I wrote the tragedy that is humanity’s struggle against Satan and their love for Me.

Sean: God, some of that was really awful.

God: You don’t even know the half of it. Although you attempted to shut me out of your life from time to time, I was always there with you. Those that are truly wrapped up in the guiles of Lucifer are in true pain. They shut themselves off and are in constant misery.

Sean: But how could you view that tragedy over and over. And not do anything?

God: Careful there.

God: Again, I came down and made the ultimate sacrifice and gave you access to me via the Holy Spirit. It was the leg-up humanity needed to have against Satan. Look, you are my creatures, yet Satan was really getting the better of you.

God: We just needed to adjust the balance to make it a fair fight. Angels like Satan are something else indeed. A single one can destroy a whole city in a day.

God: I had already promised not to wipe the slate clean with a flood, so starting again was not what I was going to do. It was time for the Messiah.

God: And then for the final conflict for mankind, of course you got to experience that first hand.

Sean: Wow, and it was truly impressive. Looking back, I just don’t know I could have not seen it. The Prince of Lies seems so transparent from this vantage.

God: No doubt. Although he should have been transparent to you the entire time. I mean, I laid it out in the book of Genesis. It wasn’t like you had to look far to find it.

Sean: Come to think of it, it is right there in the Gospels as well.

God: Right. Satan “tempted” me on the mount. Just as he does each of you. I think I did a pretty good job at explaining how he would tempt each of you and how you should respond. Alas, many did not heed my words.

God: He certainly is… from this perspective.

Sean: Let me get this straight. In order to give humanity the ability to be more than rocks, you create an Angel that you know will be jealous and rebel against you, thereby providing the evil from which humans can choose.

God: I think you may get this yet.

God: Of course it is a bit more complex than that.

Sean: Don’t you think you could have made him a little less powerful? It would have made things much easier on us.

God: Thanks for your astute perspective.

God: Let’s say you are a pool player, how much would you enjoy playing pool against a rookie night after night for thousands of years?

Sean: Not much challenge… to be sure.

God: Right. Neither would I consider it much.

God: And I think most humans that were astute enough to recognize the enemy appreciated it as well.

God: You can’t have a drama without a decent enemy.

Sean: Are you saying that Satan was a challenge for you?

God: Not at all. But he was certainly a challenge for each of you. And without my help, an overwhelming challenge.

Sean: Ah… we were built to need you.

God: Now you are getting somewhere.

God: Now you get to choose. For the last time.

Sean: Wait, I can still make a decision?

God: Absolutely. I have judged you sufficient to make your own choice.

Sean: Uh..

God: You know, you say that all the time.

God: The vast majority of souls never knew me on earth. I still give them yet another chance to know me.

Sean: Oh.

Sean: So, like Native Americans, they still get to choose even though they never knew Jesus?

God: Not exactly?

Sean: They never knew Jesus.

God: I make sure everyone has the chance to meet me. Whether it be on this side of the grave or the other. I visit people on their death beds, visions, or send them angels.

Sean: Like you did for Paul?

God: Just like that.

God: Back to the choice, you can continue your quest to find your own pleasures, as you did for so long on Earth, or you can spend eternity worshiping me.

Sean: I knew it! There is no fiery pit of Hell!

God: Who said that?

Sean: They told me it was just a garbage dump outside the gates of Jerusalem.

God: And you believed them? Really? I would spend precious time speaking to you about how you should avoid the life near the garbage dump.

Sean: They were very convincing.

God: Yes, don’t you think you should have expected that? A creature that can convince Adam to directly disobey me.

God: Yes, the Outer Darkness is like that. A horrible place cut off from Heaven. I don’t visit very often. The souls there are in endless constant pain.

Sean: I thought you forgave them all?

God: I most certainly did!

Sean: And yet, at the end, even in the presence of your glory, they still chose themselves over submission to you?

God: That is how I made you, to be able to choose.

God: Look, not everyone wants to be subservient to me. They didn’t on Earth, and they don’t now.

God: Given the choice between worshiping me forever and Hell, they still make that choice.

Sean: Wait, so I can see those angry atheists denying you up here…

God: Actually, I get a pretty good turn around on atheists. Most of them are really theists in denial. I reach them later in life or on their death beds.

Sean: Ah, so Satan just blinds them for a while.

God: Pretty much. They make excellent foils for the righteous.

Sean: Wait… again? This seems like a game to you.

God: Certainly a serious one. With eternal life on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Sean: But aren’t you on our side?

God: I certainly am.

Sean: But not the Atheists?

God: I am on their side too!

Sean: But you said they make “a good foil”. That doesn’t sound very supportive.

God: Look, I am on their side 100%. And I make sure they get plenty of chances to give their lives over to me. But after I have sacrificed My Only Son for them and they still reject me, well, they get appreciated as “Good Foils”.

Sean: But you said you love them.

God: I do, and yet many times today I have judged them unworthy to join me in a New Heaven and New Earth. Look, not everyone gets to play on the varsity team. I think I was pretty clear about that. I mean… it’s even in the red letters.

Sean: But my preacher said…

God: If I didn’t already know what you would say, I would be quite annoyed!

God: Let’s try this again – Not every soul wants to worship me forever. And that is how I made them. But for those that do, I have made the perfect sacrifice in order that they can be righteous in my presence.

God: And now… How do you choose?

Sean: But you already know..

God: Of Course

God: I just like the sound of it. Go ahead, remember child, your sins are forgiven.

Sean: I choose….