A story

I don’t know why I noticed it tonight, sitting there on my windowsill. I have no idea what compelled me to take any interest in it; and yet, there I was staring at the unlit candle in my window. It was blue, in the moonlight, with a pattern of squares pressed into it. One might say it was all-together unimpressive. Tonight was a cold night with a clear sky, and it seemed to me that the candle was gazing at the stars with an odd sort of longing. I, in my bed, covered in flannel sheets, could not begin to understand what a candle could possibly long for as it faced a clear night sky; but this did stop me from pondering it. After a bit of thought, it became apparent to me that the stars were ignoring the candle, purposefully paying it no interest, and that the new moon had its back turned from it, denying it even the smallest recognition. Yet the candle stared outward just the same.
It had to have been there before, I thought, but having never had to close my curtains I suppose I had just forgotten about it. I never simply noticed it. But tonight for some reason it stood out in my mind and dominated my consciousness. The candle had never known any fire. It had never felt the silky tongues of a flame. No, it stood tall and straight, clean and pure. But I knew the candle felt no pride in its posture…it had never done anything but stare outward. Why was the candle there in the first place?
“Candle, candle, with no fire you stand silent and steadfast, not a barrier against the darkness, cold, and fear, but a part of it.” The words fell from my lips without reason. But the candle paid them no mind. Instead, it was begging for me an action. And then suddenly I realized why the candle was there. It had been a gift from an old friend…not so old at the time. It was a parting gift from Chris to me, given when I left to start my first job, many years ago. I scarcely remember his face…but I remember his home. He used to light his home with candles in the evening and we would spend the nights laughing among the flickering lights and the smell of melting wax and sandalwood. I remember the candle now and how he gave it to me on my last day back home…to remember the good times. I set it in my window, as people often do, and paid it no more mind.
I don’t know what called my attention to it, but my candle on the windowsill, a gift from a friend as true as I ever had, was begging to be lit. I knew now that as it stared at the stars each night it was longing to show them its own light…even if it meant feeling the heat of a flame, losing its perfect posture, and gradually diminish. Who would have guessed I had been neglecting my candle?
But I did not move from my bed to light the candle. It was a cold night and the matches were in the kitchen. Instead I lay there and wondered; how long had the candle been waiting to be seen? How long had I let my candle simply collect dust? Candles cannot burn without first being given a fire to hold and I had never thought to give it one. It was just sitting there, night after night, waiting for the biggest candle of all to rise and taunt it with what it could never make… As I drifted off to sleep, glad to not have to face the candle anymore, I wondered if it would ever even light at all.
The next morning I shut the curtains.

Lazy, lazy

I'll give you a good update soon, blog. I'm sorry I've been lazy.

And God said...*nothing*!!!

Okay, so college has started and classes are rockin' so far; but enough about my daily life.

Today I was reading through the news and I stumbled upon this article about Pat Robertson and his claims. Apparently this fellow is a prominent religious figure as the broadcaster of the "700 Club". Cool, cool, that's fine. I don't mind that you host a religious program that also gives news...no matter how much spin that can create (heck, I'll admit to reading news from the Vatican press, so fooey on me if I get mad at things like that) but here's what gets me: Mr. Robertson comes out and says that during one of his prayer retreats, God told him personally that their will be a "mass killing" in the USA sometime after September of this year. God didn't say it was nuclear apparently, just that it would be big like that. Mr. Robertson also claimed that the USA's friendship with Israel is feigned and that "God punished then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with a stroke for ceding Israeli- controlled land to the Palestinians". That's some pretty detailed stuff. What kind of maniacal mysticism is this man spouting!?

I have a lot of issues with this piece of news. First of all, let's assume that God is telling Pat Robertson these things. Was it God's intention that Pat Robertson should spread the Good News to everyone he could? I don't know, but if God wanted people to know (other than Pat Robertson) he should just come out and say it. Second of all, what good is it for people to know this? All this can do is create panic and, in case of an actual attack, maybe make for some more believers... Maybe that's the point right there! Who knows. What are my personal thoughts about this? I think it's a load of absolute bull crap. Sorry, if there is a God up there, he doesn't much want to talk to you, Pat, and he sure as heck isn't going to tell you when attacks are happening or if he gave Ariel Sharon a stroke. You know how this guy justifies his ravings? He cites his prediction that Bush would win both of his elections. Hmmm...you know who else predicted that? Republicans, more than half of the media, and 50% of the population. It's called democracy and to predict a result that is not even a 50-50 chance in favor of your guy doesn't make you a prophet, even if you do talk in the name of the Divine. It makes you a member of the conservative media. He also apparently made predictions of some "storms and possibly a tsunami" on the east coast in 2006. It didn't happen like that, but he claims that what rains did happen was enough to confirm his prediction. Whatever...How can anyone who makes unfounded claims be believed...and if he is wrong he just shrugs it off as God's will. You can't put stock in that! Men should stay out of the business of the Divine. It does not suit them.

Of course you can all laugh at me when something terrible does happen...not that you would. You're not rooting for that are you? We shall see. *sigh* This world is a confusing place.