We began to sense that if we wanted to, we could start to count these responses and evaluate them in some way. In other words, all these souls had learnt to forgive God in various ways. But very possibly one way was better for this than another, infinitely more efficient. Perhaps. I couldn't be sure. And for now I couldn't know.
We wrapped our arms around these souls. We drew them to us.
'I want you to come on a journey with us,' I said to them, having spoken now to each and every one and being completely certain of where we stood. 'I want you to come to Heaven and stand before God. Now it may be brief, and you may see Him for no more than an instant, and possibly He will not allow Himself to be seen by you at all. You may find yourselves returning here, having learnt nothing, but also having suffered nothing. The truth is, I can't guarantee what will happen! No one knows God.'
'We know,' they answered.
'But I invite you to come to God and tell Him what you've told us. And now I'll answer your question: I am his Archangel Lucifer, of the very mold of other Angels of whom you heard when you are alive! And this is the Archangel Azrael, an Advocate for the Dead. Will you come?'
Several were astonished and hesitated. But the majority said in one voice, a mingling of answers that was this answer:
'We will come. One glimpse of God, the chance of it even, is worth anything. If that's not so then I don't remember the smell of the sweet olive tree, or how the fresh grass felt beneath me when I laid on it. I never tasted wine, and I never bedded the ones I loved. We will come.'
Several refused. It took a few moments before we all realized it but several had totally withdrawn. They saw us now for what we were - Angels - and they understood what had been withheld from them, and they had lost their peace and lost their power to forgive in that instant. They stared at us in horror or anger or both. The other souls hastened to change their minds, but they would not be changed. No, they did not want to see this God who had deserted His Creation and left it to rear up gods on altars all over the planet and pray in vain for intervention or final judgment! No, no, no!
'Come,' I said to the others. 'Let's try to enter Heaven. Let's give it all our strength! How many are we? A thousand times ten? A million? What does it matter? God said ten but not ten only. God meant at least ten. Come, let's go!'
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We wrapped our arms around these souls. We drew them to us.
'I want you to come on a journey with us,' I said to them, having spoken now to each and every one and being completely certain of where we stood. 'I want you to come to Heaven and stand before God. Now it may be brief, and you may see Him for no more than an instant, and possibly He will not allow Himself to be seen by you at all. You may find yourselves returning here, having learnt nothing, but also having suffered nothing. The truth is, I can't guarantee what will happen! No one knows God.'
'We know,' they answered.
'But I invite you to come to God and tell Him what you've told us. And now I'll answer your question: I am his Archangel Lucifer, of the very mold of other Angels of whom you heard when you are alive! And this is the Archangel Azrael, an Advocate for the Dead. Will you come?'
Several were astonished and hesitated. But the majority said in one voice, a mingling of answers that was this answer:
'We will come. One glimpse of God, the chance of it even, is worth anything. If that's not so then I don't remember the smell of the sweet olive tree, or how the fresh grass felt beneath me when I laid on it. I never tasted wine, and I never bedded the ones I loved. We will come.'
Several refused. It took a few moments before we all realized it but several had totally withdrawn. They saw us now for what we were - Angels - and they understood what had been withheld from them, and they had lost their peace and lost their power to forgive in that instant. They stared at us in horror or anger or both. The other souls hastened to change their minds, but they would not be changed. No, they did not want to see this God who had deserted His Creation and left it to rear up gods on altars all over the planet and pray in vain for intervention or final judgment! No, no, no!
'Come,' I said to the others. 'Let's try to enter Heaven. Let's give it all our strength! How many are we? A thousand times ten? A million? What does it matter? God said ten but not ten only. God meant at least ten. Come, let's go!'