What is the End
Kopper and Middy traveled to the Easter celebration starting two weeks before it was to begin. They had gathered with Mrs. Flaminkoh and Barkeep to discuss departure times a month after they had been chosen. It was a quick meeting where they all agreed that the allowance of extra time in case something didn’t go quite right was the best policy. Middy’s real name was Midnight since she was dark skinned and had been born at midnight. Barkeep and his wife had thought it was going to be a boy and were so tired after the birth that they couldn’t think of anything better. So, to the village it was Light and Midnight who traveled to the Easter celebration and much was made of this interesting convergence of names. The story was that this was ordained by Jesus himself since Easter was about both the darkness of the crucifixion and the light of the resurrection.
They made a good traveling pair that managed to keep each other out of trouble and out of attention’s path. So they easily made the trip in a week and a half; the excitement growing as they got closer and they walked faster for it. It wasn’t all bad to arrive early; they found a room to rent for the week at a somewhat reasonable price that wasn’t too far from the actual activities, thought they still would have to get up at midnight in order to make it to the dawn services, assuming they skipped the evening services.
Kopper, Mrs. Flaminkoh and Barkeep all told Middy a small amount of the information about the plan and so she had a general idea about something was going on, but it was best that she didn’t know what. Barkeep had given Kopper back the reading tablet that was actually Mrs. Flaminkoh’s with a small box attached to the side with a slide out antenna, it was good for only two broadcasts, then the battery would be used up and some of the old stuff Barkeep had dug up for it might let loose its magic smoke. Mrs. Flaminkoh gave Kopper a gift a week before the departure. A sheaf of high quality paper and new ink. It was all well and good to broadcast the message electronically, Mrs. Flaminkoh claimed, but there was something enduring, final, and poignant about writing things down on paper.
Nobody but Kopper knew the full extent of the plan, what she would be broadcasting and when. Well actually, the only one who really knew what was going to be broadcast and what the effect would be was in fact God. Kopper became well aware of that fact as she copied her 95 points to the precious paper using the best handwriting she could muster. She paused before writing each point to pray about it and waiting several minutes to hear any answer. There were a few points that received some last minute modifications in this manner.
As predicted, the beauty was magnificent. Kopper and Middy had managed to get near the edge of their section so they didn’t have to look through the masses of muddy people to see the processions and other such things. They had decided to attend the previous evenings services and thus had slept in the enclosure on the blankets they had thought to bring with them. The dawn was a doubling beauty that spread its tendrils trough the wispy clouds. Kopper closed her eyes and absorbed the light which she remembered from so long ago when she had been so close to its origin. The prayer and light gave her the strength she needed to make it through the rest of the day.
By the time the last service of the morning was taking place the area for the commoners was bursting with people. When calls for kneeling came there was a jumble of people heaped on top of one another as they tried to sink to the ground when there was barely room for them to stand like trees. After this there was a noonday break for lunch, at least there was lunch for those who were officials of the church, the commoners had to feel about themselves to see if the had managed to not have their bread stolen that they had tucked in their clothing for their lunch. It was during this time that Kopper slipped away from the enclosure. The guards were relaxing, knowing that those who could punish them were off eating lunch and the guards figured they could round up any stragglers before the afternoon events started.
Kopper made it back in time for her absence to not be noticed by anyone but Middy who had somehow managed to save Kopper a spot. A bell tolled and the afternoon had begun. The grand procession left the buildings where they had eaten and paraded to the church, whose doors were open during services but closed currently. The guards had not been so careful as they should have been and thus missed the large sheaf of papers that had been nailed to the front doors which were very large.
The Pope was not so dull as his guards and immediately saw the white rectangles fluttering and messing up the aesthetics of his church doors. He roared at the guards to take it down and then open the doors for him. At the instant of the roar everyone’s reading pads made the most curious beeps and they were told they had received a transmission. Hoping and guessing, correctly, that it had something to do with the anger of the Pope they read what they found on the screens and were amazed.
I once heard it said that history will repeat itself very quickly before the end of time. I suppose if that is true I could be called a Martin Luther. The end of time may come quickly or slowly, I do not know, but dear people, know your God before your end does. She is kind, loving, gracious, and willing to accept you. You have no need to breath the fire of sulfur, breath deeply the breath of life that she offers so freely. Drink the blood of Jesus and eat his flesh that you may be saved. Ignore those who tell you that they know everything. What is freedom but community and what is love but sacrifice?
They made a good traveling pair that managed to keep each other out of trouble and out of attention’s path. So they easily made the trip in a week and a half; the excitement growing as they got closer and they walked faster for it. It wasn’t all bad to arrive early; they found a room to rent for the week at a somewhat reasonable price that wasn’t too far from the actual activities, thought they still would have to get up at midnight in order to make it to the dawn services, assuming they skipped the evening services.
Kopper, Mrs. Flaminkoh and Barkeep all told Middy a small amount of the information about the plan and so she had a general idea about something was going on, but it was best that she didn’t know what. Barkeep had given Kopper back the reading tablet that was actually Mrs. Flaminkoh’s with a small box attached to the side with a slide out antenna, it was good for only two broadcasts, then the battery would be used up and some of the old stuff Barkeep had dug up for it might let loose its magic smoke. Mrs. Flaminkoh gave Kopper a gift a week before the departure. A sheaf of high quality paper and new ink. It was all well and good to broadcast the message electronically, Mrs. Flaminkoh claimed, but there was something enduring, final, and poignant about writing things down on paper.
Nobody but Kopper knew the full extent of the plan, what she would be broadcasting and when. Well actually, the only one who really knew what was going to be broadcast and what the effect would be was in fact God. Kopper became well aware of that fact as she copied her 95 points to the precious paper using the best handwriting she could muster. She paused before writing each point to pray about it and waiting several minutes to hear any answer. There were a few points that received some last minute modifications in this manner.
As predicted, the beauty was magnificent. Kopper and Middy had managed to get near the edge of their section so they didn’t have to look through the masses of muddy people to see the processions and other such things. They had decided to attend the previous evenings services and thus had slept in the enclosure on the blankets they had thought to bring with them. The dawn was a doubling beauty that spread its tendrils trough the wispy clouds. Kopper closed her eyes and absorbed the light which she remembered from so long ago when she had been so close to its origin. The prayer and light gave her the strength she needed to make it through the rest of the day.
By the time the last service of the morning was taking place the area for the commoners was bursting with people. When calls for kneeling came there was a jumble of people heaped on top of one another as they tried to sink to the ground when there was barely room for them to stand like trees. After this there was a noonday break for lunch, at least there was lunch for those who were officials of the church, the commoners had to feel about themselves to see if the had managed to not have their bread stolen that they had tucked in their clothing for their lunch. It was during this time that Kopper slipped away from the enclosure. The guards were relaxing, knowing that those who could punish them were off eating lunch and the guards figured they could round up any stragglers before the afternoon events started.
Kopper made it back in time for her absence to not be noticed by anyone but Middy who had somehow managed to save Kopper a spot. A bell tolled and the afternoon had begun. The grand procession left the buildings where they had eaten and paraded to the church, whose doors were open during services but closed currently. The guards had not been so careful as they should have been and thus missed the large sheaf of papers that had been nailed to the front doors which were very large.
The Pope was not so dull as his guards and immediately saw the white rectangles fluttering and messing up the aesthetics of his church doors. He roared at the guards to take it down and then open the doors for him. At the instant of the roar everyone’s reading pads made the most curious beeps and they were told they had received a transmission. Hoping and guessing, correctly, that it had something to do with the anger of the Pope they read what they found on the screens and were amazed.
I once heard it said that history will repeat itself very quickly before the end of time. I suppose if that is true I could be called a Martin Luther. The end of time may come quickly or slowly, I do not know, but dear people, know your God before your end does. She is kind, loving, gracious, and willing to accept you. You have no need to breath the fire of sulfur, breath deeply the breath of life that she offers so freely. Drink the blood of Jesus and eat his flesh that you may be saved. Ignore those who tell you that they know everything. What is freedom but community and what is love but sacrifice?
posted by Unknown at 9:24 PM
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