I could not see anyone and I had not the faintest idea whence came the voice. Plucking courage I asked, “Who are you?”
“I am God!”
Suddenly an image appeared before me, which was faceless, colourless and there was not sign of a physical shape. I then heard the sound of thunder accompanied by lightning. To my horror I saw the sea rising not far away and heading towards me. Petrified, I looked at the mountain which seemed to be rapidly growing higher towards the sky.
“I see you’re frightened – why?” Don’t you believe in God?”
“Yes, I am frightened,” unashamedly I confessed, “Your sudden appearance had numbed my sense of reasoning”, I explained. As to the second part of his question, I said, “I am an ordinary man and like my ancestors I live by believing in what had been said about you by saints, seers, prophets and so on, so please forgive my ignorance”, I pleaded. Inwardly I said to myself that this is not the position I would have taken had the question come a fellow human being, who are full of tons and tons of false and foolish pride.
“Don’t you worry. Your ignorance is acknowledged.” The God sounded friendly, although his appearance was still invisible.
“I’ve have to talk to you…..! God said.
“Why pick on me? I don’t know whether I believe in you or whether you’re really God!”
“That’s alright!”
“No! No! I haven’t finished! I don’t know whether you exist! Whether to believe you? Any why should I believe you?”
The God laughed and it was nice to hear; although I must repeat, I could not see him. “Let me tell you! I am God! Can you see the mountain growing?”
“Yes, I can see that,” I answered.
“I will stop that!”
Sure enough, the mountain stopped growing.
“What about the sea which is heading towards me?”I asked.
“That too will return to its rightful place…!”
I was pleased to see that too happened.
“It is up to you to believe or not to believe that I am God. Are you an atheist?” asked the God.
“I’m not too sure. There are a lot of people who do not believe in you and they dispute your existence! Some even have said nasty things about you!”
“Have they?”
“Who’re they?” the voice was full of kindness.
“It’s difficult to name but I can mention a few who have been very vocal about you.”
“Gerard de Verval, the Frenchman made sweeping statements!” said I.
“Has he? What did he say?”
“Won’t you be angry to hear such thing?”
“I’m beyond anger. I’m the symbol of love. The human race being my Creation….”
I interrupted Him. “There was a chap, Charles Darwin, who says the human evolution was from primitive species, especially apes. This means that you had no role in human evolution?”
“Fair enough, but who created the primitive species….?” God asked and I thought that it was a fair question and tried to call Darwin to come to my aid, but he could not be reached.
“You don’t have to look for him. Tell me about others.”
“Gerard de Verval is a Frenchman. The French believe that they are the most civilised politicians, cultured people and they have a lot to offer to the world. This Gerard wrote, “God is dead! Heaven is empty….”
“Did he? How close to truth! Go on!”
“There was this American Erich Fromm, you might have heard of him. He said that in the “Nineteenth Century the problem was that God is dead.”
“Really? Did he say who killed God?”
“Oh no…….he seems to be telling or warning us that the human beings are killing themselves because of insane delusions.”
“That’s interesting. What else?”
“Well there was quite a few I can recall. There’s Frederick Nietzche, who thought that you were dead. William Alabager, the Englishman divine and Latin poet wrote “God lost, but found”. With all these compositions one notorious French philosopher dared to say: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
The God laughed, and it was soothing to my ears. “Tell me what you want to know….?”
“God, I’m troubled.”
“Why?”
“There are infinite problems in the world and I can’t fathom why unnecessary killings are going on! Do you know the reason? Can’t you stop these killings?”
“I’m afraid I cannot be responsible for the stupidity of human beings. They are the authors of their own misfortunes. I want to stop them straying away from the correct path but the human beings are bent on destroying themselves. If this is the trend, then I may have to think of a way.”
“What will that be?”
“I’m not too sure. Perhaps I’ll destroy everything and start rebuilding.”
“God! If your demolition work were to begin who would be saved?”
“I don’t think anyone will be saved! From the evidence I have, the place I have created has become rotten and a dangerous place for my creations to live. I’ll have to get rid of this system and think of a new one.”
“God, may I ask you another question?”
“Sure!”
“What’s your religion?” I asked.
“I have no religion. I belong to all living things. I am for all. All are mine. I give the heart of love to everyone. In that heart there is no place for hatred. To me all are equals. That is why I ordained death to all who are born. If I had preference for some I would have given them permanency in this world. That itself should tell you that I have no preference and all are equal in my eyes. In my heart there is no distinction between races, religious clauses or castes. All are the same to me!”
“One more question,” I persisted!
“Go ahead!”
“Your creations build places of worship with best architecture and grandeur and they spend millions to erect statues in gold and what not! You who are above all these temptations, why are these done on the places of worship?”
“It’s ludicrous to suggest that I wanted a place for myself where my people could meet and pray to me. I’m not a politician. It’s they who yearn for such follies. I’m omnipotent. I’m everything, so why should I need a place. You want to keep me shut!”
“I want to be in your heart, and you want to put me away within the four walls. It’s like sending your parents to old folk homes when they actually desire to be with you.”
“God, you’re so strong then why do religions keep on barking up a wrong tree?”
“Listen to me, son. The window to knowledge is open. The path to knowledge is not hindrance. All these I did so that humankind could improve their lot and learn to live happily and make others happy. But, you have all these religions clamouring to label me with their brand of dogmatism. I never identified myself with any dogma – and if you claim I am yours, well what can I say, except all are struggling to reach me. So be it. All roads lead to Rome, they say. All dogmas may have identical aim but I’m not going to waste any sleep over it.”
You claim that you’re the beginning - put it in another way you have no beginning and you have no end,” I said.
“True. Even you have no beginning and no end!” said the God.
“How come?” I shouted.
“You see your father begot you, you grand father begot your father and if you backwards, you will find your beginning started sometime at the beginning of mankind. The seed of the first person planted in the woman of a forgotten era had resulted in your existence. You’re the continuation of the original man and your children are the continuation of the original man. Therefore, there is no beginning and no end. You’re first in the continuation.”
“So what about my birth?”
“Yes! That’s the cycle which keeps on moving and it have been moving for millions of years lest the birth on a particular date and time do not mean that is the beginning, nor was your gestation in your mother’s womb the beginning. Your beginning dates back to millions of years.”
The God laughed again. This time it was really loud.
“As for places of worship, I did not ask for all these. I’m everywhere. I gave you a roof over your head. I’m your roof, so why try to create a roof over a roof. You create idols of gold; look at the homes where there are my children who’re hungry. Go and feed them. That’s the best service you can do!”
I was overjoyed, and started chanting “God! God! God!”
My wife shook me violently and woke me up. “Hold on…. hold on…… I’m conversing with God!” I yelled at her.
"Get up!It's time for you to go to work!"
K. Siladass
No comments:
Post a Comment