A conversation

"How can you think there's any hope for them at all?"
The disdain and sheer unbelief in that one question was almost palatable.
"Quite easily. I have been watching them for some time now, we both have."
"Well, yeah. I'm just wondering if we've been watching the same channel."
"Channel?"
"Never mind, reference to modern times, would take to long to explain."
"Ah, one of those invention things then?"
"Yeah, let's leave it at that. Anyway, we have been watching them since they first came about and still you have hope for them, why?"
"Why would I not?" One could be excused for mistaking the innocence in the counter question for naivety.
"Wow, where to begin? Let's start with war, genocide and, oh yeah, they bloody crucified your son!"
"Ah yes, but they did not know what they were doing." The answer sounded almost smug.
"Oh come on! Not that old line again. I wasn't convinced when he was broiling in the sun on that Golgothian hill pleading with you, and I'm still not."
"Yes, he did have a flair for the dramatic, back then."
"To put it mildly. What was that whole drink of my blood, eat of my body thing about?"
"I believe he was trying to make a point about learning through his example."
"Pffft, Too bad they completely missed that one!"
"You can hardly blame them for that. They do tend to be...a bit oblivious to the things right in front of them."
"If by that you mean they wouldn't recognize salvation if it walked up and kicked them in the nuts, then yes." There was no mistaken the smugness in this reply.
"I would not have put it quite that crudely...."
"No, you wouldn't. But that's what you have me for,right?"
"How do you mean?"
"Oh, you know, I just explain the same things but from the other side, twisted into something crude."
"Is that how you think I see you?" The hurt clearly evident in the question.
"No, no. I was just kidding....."
"Because really, if that's the way.."
"Forget about it, ok?" The interjection seemed a bit sharper than necessary, causing the following silence to seem loaded.

"Look, sorry I snapped at you like that. I just know you're going to get all mushy and I hate that kind of stuff, alright?"
"I am sorry if a Father telling a son how he feels seems mushy."
"It's more than that, you know that."
"Well, maybe I do not know what you are talking about."
"What? Aren't you supposed to be omniscient?" Sarcasm dripping from every word. "What was it you used to say all the freakin' time? I'm the alpha and the omega?"
"That is basically correct, yes. But.."
"I am the one above all?"
"Maybe sometimes I do not want to know everything, have you ever thought of that? It just seems disrespectful to invade the thoughts of some one you care about."
The earlier silence had returned, this time carrying a hint of awkwardness.

"Oh."
"Yes, well."
"I didn't realize you...."
"Why can we not just talk about it? We have not talked, really talked, since the fall."
"That's because of the whole above and below thing."
"I explained why it needed to be this way, you know full well why you are so important to the design."
"I know, I know. It's just not easy you know, constantly being surrounded by the worst they can come up with."
"Ah, this explains your cynical outlook about their chances."
"How can you not be cynical? After all the creative ways they find to inflict pain on each other? After all the reasons they find to justify exploiting others? And even in your name! How can you still have hope for them?"
A quiet, knowing smile spread light across the room.
"Because I look at the little things too. The random acts of kindness, the small miracles, the comfort they share, these are the things that give me hope."

Reviews

[Spoon]

A few small spelling and grammar errors, but otherwise very intruiging. I am not religious in the slightest but I have often pounder about the relationship between God and the devil, heaven and hell. This is very well thought out display of their opinions about humanity and each other.

Clever writing.

[A.D. Wilson]

Absolutely fascinating! I'm not sure if anyone has ever written from this unique "father-son" perspective. Wonderful!