The CheckerBoard
I stood in the middle of a black void. I saw nothing for miles.
This area was nothing. One moment I stood doing my job, checking
out groceries, the next I was here. Where here is I do not know.
Then others individuals started showing up. In the haze, I see
people rubbing their eyes and mumbling. Some of them I understood,
others were speaking many different languages. I could only see the
people who were about a yard away from me, but I sensed there could
be many more. The mumbling turned into a loud roar, and hearing this
my heart started pounding. The noise was like a crowded stadium.
A light from my roght side blinded me. I lifted up my hand to block
it, squinting as I tried to see beyond it. What I saw was bright
piercing light. I felt that light but it was not warm. It was like an
embrace. Then, I experienced my life. I saw pictures, my mom and my
dad. I saw the smiling and the fighting. I saw the time I snuck out
of the house. I saw all of the bad and the good in my life.
This lasted for only a second. When the light left I heard sighs
and screams. I tried to focus on the noise and could not. My eyes felt
as if they had been burned. Then, the pain went away and I could focus.
A light glowed over me and I could see for miles. I looked around and
saw that I was standing near many people. The number was too great for
me to count.
From the direction of the light came a voice, "I am the Lord thy God,
those who believe in me and my son as their savioor step to the black spaces.
Those who do not stand in the white."
I did not understand at first. I believed in God, in my mind he was a loving
individual,one who was like a parent, not one who demanded belief. I felt
fear in my heart. The sky above me illuminated showing mthat I stood in a white
square, next to it was a black one. I could describe it only as a checker board.
People started pushing for the black squares. A man shoved me aside amugly
saying, "This is your time to choose and accept Jesus as your savior." Then,
he snickered, "It's accept him or be burned forever in the lakes of hell."
My mouth gaped open, this could not be. It was not judgement day.
This was not right. I saw many people like myself stand back with questions in
their eyes. I heard other people talking. One said, "See, believing was a win-win
situation. I made a lot of money making other people believe." Hearing this made me sick,
it reminded me of the TV evangelists and the men who sat in big houses because of
belief in the bible. I always believed the bible was a book, a reference, something written
by man to glorify god, but not to be taken literally. Men make mistakes.
There were people of many cultures in the white squares. I saw many quivering in fear,
mumbling that they should have believed the foriegn missionaries who brought the bible to
them. Nobody in the black squares motioned to the people to join them. That would show
the people it was not to late for them to believe. They were too selfish.
I just stood. I did not move towards the black squares. I wanted to stay
with the people in the white who seemed to be the innocents who were about
to be punished. The voice returned, "Those people who have faith will be
taken to paradise."
The black squares opened, swallowing the people on them whole. Flames
Flames rushed up, followed by the smell of seared. Tears formed in my eyes,
weeping for those people who did not understand. The voice returned again,
"Return to the Earth and create a place for true belief. I just destroyed the
wickedness of those who used me for gain."
The black squares reappeared, filled with people who looked familiar, but
different. Their faces showed wide eyed innocence, like children. "Those
people are cleansed to return with you, with their minds open to new ideas,
not closed."
I look around and for a second I understand that God did love everyone, and
does not demand obedience.
The End