Roleplaying
2004 Archive
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Seminars
| When: | 12 May 2005 |
| Who: | Noah, Sandra |
| What: | Sandra talks to Noah about angels and Heaven. |
Street Festival
Several streets of the East end have been blocked off with sawhorses, and in the three or four blocks thus made safe from traffic, there's a street festival going on. Booths on both sides of the road fly multi-colored banners, and wandering local buskers ply their trade. The streets in this area have been cleaned up and even some of the building walls have had the accumulated grafitti of years painted over. Booths run the gambit from offerings of neighborhood restaurants, to demonstrations of cooking with cheap, local ingredients, as well as information and workshops on finances, voter registration, immigration, and health and safety. There are also several people running free art lessons, and face-painting and dream interpretation booths where the proceeds go to charity.
It's a scorching hot day, and the few clouds blowing across the Texas sky don't really do much to shade the blacktop. As a consequence, the restaurant and cooking booths have mostly switched over to cold food and drinks, and many of the participants, with Hispanic-Americans dominating the crowds, have stripped down to the minimums that decency requires. They seem to be having fun, though, with many people wandering around with face paintings, or with crafts that they made themselves. Others browse at the information booths, and there's an impromptu street dance taking up one part of the thoroughfare. Sandra's over at the dream interpretation booth, the dark skin of her hands and face painted with white stars. She's talking and laughing with a group of children as they call out questions about what dreams are and mean.
Noah is doing what Noah does best; eating. He's off at one of the food vendor booths. He turns to leave the booth carrying a large plate of funnel cake topped with powdered sugar. He rips off a piece on the edge of the plate and stuffs it into his mouth while wandering through the crowd.
Sandra shakes her head in response to one question. Laughing, she replies, "No, poking your brother in the eye is /not/ a good way to stop Rapid Eye Movement while he's sleeping." She looks up as parents start drifting towards the booth. "And that's the basics. It looks like your parents are arriving, so I'll close out, here. And we have these for each of you." She passes out sparkly pinwheel wands to each child, to loud shrieks of joy.
Noah makes his way towards Sandra, his path past the booths taking him nearby. He seems to be crowd watching mostly.
Sandra ruffles the hair of a few of the kids as they scatter in all directions, waving wands and trailing parents who rebuke them in a mixture of English and Spanish. She adjusts the sign outside of the booth to the time of the next kid's workshop, then turns over the booth to a few University students. As she steps out into the crowd, her eyes catch the figure of Noah approaching. She waves and calls out his name.
Noah stops dead, looking like a kid with his hand in the cookie dough. A handfull of funnel take and a ring of powdered sugar around his lips. He turns about, looking for the source of the voice and smiles brightly before heading off in her direction.
Sandra dodges pedestrians with ease until she reaches Noah. "Hello there, chipmunk. How fare you today?" she asks, a big, happy grin filling up most of her face.
Noah nods with a smile. He puts the hunk of funnel cake back down on his plate instead of stuffing it in his face "Good," he says cheerfully "I'm just...you know. I wanted to get out tonight and clear my head. You know...before tomorrow."
Sandra tosses an arm around the young man's broad shoulders and gives him a brief hug. "Be not afraid, Noah, for the Lord God is with you." Despite her smile, the words are sincere. "And you chose an excellent place to clear your mind...if not your palate," she adds, with a playful nod towards the plate.
Noah looks down at the plate and shrugs "Either way I doubt I have to worry about keeling over from a coronary." He winks and smiles. "And...thank you. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I imagine this isn't just a walk in the park...well...other than being in the park. And there could be walking involved."
"Likely not," Sandra agrees, her painted face solemn for a moment. "But tomorrow will take care of itself. Don't let it rob you of joy in the present, chipmunk."
Noah nods "I can't promise anything...but I'll try. I guess. Ug. You're right, you know. I'm treating this like its my last day or something. I was out for this, and then I was going to go home and clean the apartment, probably pray a lot, see D for lunch tomorrow. Suppose I was treating it kinda grimly now that you mention it. But it's hard to just act like its any other day...Sometime tomorrow night I could be a whole other person. Or gone...I don't know. I wish I knew more about what was going to happen. But it's not like anyone has the answers. Heck. D just told me today that God isn't our big cosmic pal. Like he's never met him....talk about sobering." He says all this in quiet tones, leaning close to Sandra since she put his arm around him.
Sandra squeezes again, and then starts to amble along, possibly dragging Noah with her. "Damien, for all his merits, is not /exactly/ a good source of information about God. He has been seperate from him for a very long time, and is only now finding his way. While it is true that we do not talk to God in the sense of holding a conscious conversation with a person, I see his work in every human face, and I feel his love every moment of my existence."
Noah nods, seemingly taking the statement to heart. He tightens his face a little as he feels a pang of sorrow and says, "That's how I feel...I mean not in the same way. I imagine somehow that the world is a different place for you since you didn't think until recently that you were born here. But the *only* way I know God is through his works and in the way we treat each other. So, for me, for now, I just have to trust that no matter how tomorrow goes, God is going to be there somehow and everything is going to be a-okay. And sometimes that gets me through...and sometimes it don't. But doubt comes with the package deal along with faith."
Sandra nods, seeming to approve of the answer. "That is exactly right. I have always thought that doubt is a gift from God, even as faith is. Faith sustains us, but doubt allows us to see alternatives. Sometimes I think that's why He withdrew after the death of the Metatron. Maybe he knew that we would reach even higher if there were obstacles in our way."
Noah furrows his brows "The Metatron? Damien didn't talk about this with me. He told me that he's never talked to God. That angels just...well they don't. That God is somewhere higher than Heaven."
Sandra smiles, a bit sadly. "In the beginning, the Voice of God was in Heaven, and through it, the Lord of All spoke to his creations in Heaven, both great and small. The Voice was also called Metatron. It was to the Metatron that Lucifer took his complaints, and on the day of the Rebellion, the first Fall, it was the Metatron whom Lucifer slew in treachery, spilling angelic blood on holy soil. So did the War begin." She looks up at the sky. "I wasn't there. But so it is told."
Noah thinks on this as he walks "When did this all happen? Like how long ago? Just to put it in perspective."
Sandra laughs. "Thousands upon thousands of years ago, Noah. When humanity had only just earned the appellation of Homo Sapiens. That's the closest I can come to a true date. Time in Heaven runs differently, in unpredictable ways."
Noah chews on his lip as Sandra talks, thinking while she's speaking. Just as she finishes he asks "I've been wanting to ask...But maybe I didn't want to know the answer. But...What about religions? Like the ones I know. Damien said his wife was involved with Islam. What about the Jews. And Christians. And everything else for that matter. It's probably the question that weights on every single person's mind. Even athiests." With a chuckle, he adds "And here I am asking it of an angel in a street festival."
Sandra laughs, and spins away from Noah to buy a paper flower being sold at a booth they're passing. As she skips back to Noah, she says, "Religion is largely irrelevant. Some Archangels prefer one religion or another, and many angels are religious, but there is no mortal religion that has all of the Truth, and almost all of them contain some /part/ of the Truth. What matters is if you are selfless in your actions, and loving in your heart." She chuckles. "And if you asked a different angel, you'd get a slightly different answer."
Noah makes a face as if he's thinking hard still "But what about Jesus...I guess I'll know the answer by tomorrow. But...eeesh. Why doesn't God just tell us all this. Instead we have religions that have evolved over thousands of years and everyone runs around thinking they're right and everyone else is wrong."
Sandra leans close to Noah. In a lower voice, she says, "Not even we know about Jesus. Not really." She pulls back. "As to /why/. Well, why should He? Noah, we are not God. We know more than mortals, but even we need wonder and mystery, lest we lose appreciation for God's Creation. We are instruments in a grand Symphony, and if we tried to understand the true breadth and depth of the music, we would be shattered by it's infinite glory."
Noah stands there in the middle of the festival and ponders Sandra's words for a good long time. He forgets about the crowds, the noise and even the funnel cake. Eventually he looks up to face Sandra and says "That's...the most sensible I've heard from you two since I was let in on this cosmic secret." He pauses again, thinking again, concluding "Wow."
Sandra stares at Noah for a moment, then throws back her head and just laughs, with complete and joyful abandon.
Noah smiles warmly now. He must be feeling better as he stuffs a chunk of funnel cake in his face before holding out the plate to Sandra. He seemingly inhales the cake for seconds after chewing he says, "I'm kind of excited now...about tomorrow. About how things are going to be. You know? Like...maybe I can do more good soon. Not that there'll be more hours in the day or I could work harder. Just that I'll have the ability to do more for people than I can now. If that makes any sense."
Sandra nods firmly. "I know exactly what you mean, and it makes great good sense. I hope that it is the right thing for you, Noah, I truly do. I think it is. Eli would not have agreed to try if he did not also think so."
Noah makes that face again. His 'thinking face.' As if thinking were something that took a lot of effort. "What are archangels like. D didn't talk much about them. Like are they just angels who've gotten promoted? You said Eli was in control of Creation...which I guess I would think is God's job. So I'm a bit confused."
Sandra laughs. "Archangels...they /can/ be promoted, but not very many have been. Many of the ones we have today were personally appointed by God. Creation is one, and Dreams, my Lady, and War, and Animals, and there once was Purity," she adds with a grimace of her own. "But anyway. An Archangel is a perfect embodiment of the concept in the world that they promote." She starts steering them towards less crowded thoroughfares, just in case, as she talks. "My Lady Blandine is not just someone who promotes the ideal of Dreams, she /is/ everything that Dreams can be. The well of her hope is bottomless, she is ethereal and distant at times, but also very close and very dear. She cares nothing for material things, but rather for the fondest wishes of humanity." She smiles. "And Creation? He is earthy and loves humanity with all his heart. He is guided by inspiration, his works are many and varied. He not only creates, himself, but he inspires others to create, both material goods and intangible things like love and trust and friendship."
Noah nods "Sooooo...if I wanted to ask the whole 'what's God like' thing, I should ask an Archangel? Got it," he says with a smile "I guess I only have one regret about tomorrow. I...I sorta wanted to become a doctor someday. I just have to pass the entrance exam and then I'd have to go to medical school for a few years. But....I guess I imagine I'll be really tied up soon enough." He shrugs "And who knows. Maybe there's something Noah The Angel will be better off doing than Noah The Nurse?"
Sandra smiles. "You can still become a doctor, Noah. You will have several mortal lifetimes in Roles on Earth, in which you may be a doctor, or however your heart calls you to serve."
Noah asks "Do all angels work on Earth for a time? Kinda like going to school?"
Sandra shakes her head. "Oh, no. Not at all." She glances around, and then hops up to sit on a currently empty bench. "Only those who are trusted, and have proved their abilities to their Superiors are allowed on Earth. And some of those don't /wish/ to be down here. Most of my Lady's angels work entirely in the realms of dreams, and never set foot on Earth at all."
Noah frowns for the first time "But...what will happen to me then? I mean will they let me stay here? Or will I end up in Heaven. I mean...I guess I know it won't be forever and I'll see you and D again someday. But you know. I don't want to just have to leave for a while. I like being here."
Sandra sighs. "I can't answer that, Noah. It's not up to me. If Eli takes you into his service, you will most likely remain on Earth. /He/ hasn't been up there for six decades of mortal time, he's not likely to send anyone else up to stay. You already have corporeal experience, and a very good Role. It's unlikely that any Archangel will want to squander that." She kicks her feet idily. "Whether you will wish to stay down here is another thing entirely, chipmunk. Your heart will be reopened to the Symphony. You may wish to take time in Heaven to come to terms with things."
Noah shrugs "I like to call that a vacation," he says with a smile "Though...I get the feeling the hospital might get sick of the whole 'leave of absence' thing. I might have to either beg or give notice and just try and find a job when the time is right again. It's an awesome hospital though. I'm really glad a place like that is here. The people here probably don't now how lucky they are."
Sandra smiles. "Deal with that as it comes," she advises. Her feet hit the pavement with a slap as she jumps down from her perch. "First, look towards becoming whole. Then you can worry about mundane details, if you still feel so inclined."
Noah asks offhandedly "So do I get a pair of wings?" With that he takes a seat just as Sandra stands up "D was describing the different kind of angels to me earlier."
Sandra twines the paper flower into her braids. "I don't know. It depends on what kind of angel you were. I do not have wings in my true form. Nor arms or legs, for that matter. I doubt you were an Ofanite, and you cannot have been a Kyriotate. Elohite is unlikely as well. So," she smiles, "it is likely that yes, you will have a pair of wings."
Noah nods, chewing his lip a little "That's what Damien suggested too...Apparently I'm too much of a pushover to be too weird," he suggests with a smile.
Sandra laughs. "Not at all, my dear friend. You may surprise us all and have once been a Malakite. You'd still get wings though," she assures him, with a wink.
Noah nods then shrugs "I guess...Honestly I just don't care. I just want to do a good job. You know. It's kinda sad. I never really watched any TV. Like...when I go to Heaven I won't even know which celebraties are popular. I could trip over one and not even realize," he suggests with a chuckle.
Sandra smiles sadly. "Most celebraties never get to Heaven, I fear. Nor to Hell," she adds quickly. "Most people are reincarnated. They don't meet their destiny or their fate, and get to try again with a clean slate."
Noah furrows his brows "People really get reincarnated?" He thinks on this for a minute "What about the whole karma thing?"
Sandra shakes her head. "Not us. Although I've always thought it's a good idea in principle. Better than sin, really. Do good things, and it's likely that good things will happen to you. Do bad things, and eventually it's going to come back and hurt you. But that's just the way we hope it works out...it's not a law or anything."
Noah nods "I guess..that would be more fair. But I suppose no one ever said life was fair. Even in the big picture. Whatever that is."
"Very true, Noah." Sandra smiles as she says it. The two are a little off of the main thoroughfare, out of the worse press of the crowds at the festival. Which seems to be going well, and is in full swing. A few booths have started closing up with the coming of evening, but many (including the games and restaruant-sponsored ones) are sticking on for a few more hours. Sandra looks over at Noah. "Do you like games?"
Noah smiles "I guess. I've never been to something like this before....Well. Unless you include hospital health fares. But I don't see anyone trying to take my bloodpressure or give me little baby first aid kits or tylenol," he says with a chuckle.
Sandra makes a face. "Healthy, but boring! Sort of like that cereal...Grape Nuts? Which," she adds in a confidential tone, "I am reasonably sure is not actually made from the seeds of grapes." She holds out a hand. "Let's go play games. You will learn much tomorrow evening, and today is more for the fun."
Noah puts his hand in Sandra's and lets her lead him back to the festival "Done deal," he says with a smile.
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