Conversation

CONVERSATION

Part I

“It is the nature of Islam to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet.”

So declares the Islamic Brotherhood.

Part II

Well if that be the case G-D
then we have a problem

OH YES? AND WHAT’S THAT?

If you’re G-D
All-Seeing
All-Knowing
The Three Os and all that stuff…

SORRY? THE THREE OS?

Oh give me a break G-D!
Omniscient
Omnipresent
Omnipotent

YES. ALRIGHT
SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?

There’s no need to shout!
Funny. I’ve never pictured you shouting…
Oh well, we learn something new every day
Anyway …

If you are all that
… then why do you need to impose your will?
… and why do you need to extend your power?
… and why do you need to embrace all nations?

WELL…

No wait.
I haven’t finished G-D

If you are what I have been taught,
to be the eternal-self-existing-one
then you have no desire
to do any such thing!
Because You have no need to!
And you certainly wouldn’t do it
by imposing yourself
by extending your power
by having imperial tendencies

I WANT EVERYONE TO WORSHIP ME

Hey G-D! Stop shouting!
That was more akin to a shriek!

The real you desires no such thing
The real you practises
unconditional mercy
unconditional compassion
unconditional love

YOU ARE PROUD AND ARROGANT
YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY FOR YOURSELF

Well you created me,
so I’m led to believe …
And right now
You’re on the back foot!
You haven’t given me one shred of evidence
to believe that you are who you say you are

Part III

The greyness darkened
and then became impenetrable darkness
A sense of oblivion

So?
I want nothing to do with a god who
has to rule by power
who has imperial designs
who has to remind me that his credentials
must be imposed by force
and moreover
demands that I worship him

So I guess that moves me across the divide
One short step
from Theism
a brief flirting with Agnosticism
and thence
to Atheism

Part IV

Impenetrable blackness
a darkness like a thousand blankets
An Inked Treacle
Black Oil
a suffocating grip upon
life, upon soul, upon spirit even

In the distance far, a pin hole of light
so far away, it seems, from the Universe
Yet
the other side
Mesmeric

And the darkness fled
Shrieks
Incandescent horror

I pondered … there’s that shriek again!

Part V

You stood your ground well
Yours arguments
simple, refreshing to the soul
and of the Spirit

Wide-eyed wonderment
Who is this Being?

Part VI

Come now!
Cease this doubting

You have the answer
in that declaration
We have no need to impose Our order
We have no need to extend Our power
We have no need to speak of the entire planet
Come to think of it, We have no need
to even speak of
this Universe
this Multiverse

Only undeveloped minds will be overawed
by the entire planet
And that is because they see a speck of it at most
They have no perspective
They cannot see the myriad species
brought by Us to life
everlasting life
here!

Part VI

We have no need of worship
Worship is a private thing
Worship forced upon Us is dismissed
It is of no consequence
It reflects not a person’s heart
but rather an institution of humankind

Recognition is light years
from an earthly perspective of worship

True worship is an awareness that does not enforce or demand a following

Part VII

So who was I speaking to?

Oh, it’s neither here nor there
Some will say the powers of darkness
Some will say some fallen being
Some will say your conscience
Some will say satan, the devil,
be-elzebub
Whatever, it is of no consequence
Look upon it as fairy-tale
if it helps

The thing is, as it is written,
‘who do YOU say I AM?’

Now that is what puts the cat
amongst the pigeons!

Would We persecute?
Would We insist that women be inferior?
Would We demand all sport to cease?
Would We quell the Arts, Sciences and Literature?

Would We condone the destruction of former civilisations?
Would We take offence at idolatry?
Would We insist on some Alexis Carrel solution?
Would We insist that Eugenics has a place?

Would We forbid the education of all?

Would We insist that women are to be mutilated?

If so, then consider …
How is it that We have them delight you and Us
in the finest and most challenging sports
and pastimes?
Consider too the host of them
who bring a sense of realism and justice,
natural justice
to politics

Mark well that some of the finest leaders in history
are women
and We intend it to be so
and would not have it otherwise,
for men, left to their own devices
too often bring themselves into disrepute
and Us
and give vent
to injustices that they insist are We
commanding them to do Our will

If they but knew the truth of their indictment
they would flee as darkness flees from Light

Part VIII

Consider too that according to various texts
all is in Our Image
What do YOU think?

And here is your starting point
for your entire life from this point on …!

There is no end to compassion, mercy and unconditional love

There is no boundary by which these principles of creation are hemmed in

They live and breathe
as do We

Apply the Litmus Paper test to bold and naive statements
such as that which prompted you
to apparently speak with Us

We are not bound by religions
for these are the thoughts and aspirations of people
There is good and bad in every religion

Then there is religion that is high-jacked for malign purposes

Humankind is at a major juxtaposition
in this twenty-first century
the self-same point on the road to enlightenment
that confronted humankind less than a century ago

Eugenics was seen as the answer
Propagated in one continent,
it quickly spread and besmirched the minds
in another continent
Just as it had done many millennia ago …
You may know of whom We speak…
Queen Esther and the wicked Haman
- so the texts record -

Any suggestion that any part of Humankind
exists only to be culled to extinction
or must be culled to extinction because their deeds are so outrageous,
is a warning to all right-thinking people
that the guard is down
terror lies ahead…
unless men and women work together

Part IX

Diplomacy
Ambassadors Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary
there is your key
For at the heart of diplomacy lies the very means We have given
to everyone

Communication
a meeting of the minds
Find common ground upon which to stand
build upon that
Skilful diplomacy keeps in check the use of force

Part X

We leave you now
though, in a manner of speaking, we don’t

for you know full well
that We Three indwell you

But you can see now clearly that this Pandemic
is ‘a wake-up call’ , to use your phrase
and it is for Humankind to work together

We leave matters in your very capable hands
We are never far beyond the veil
and, often, step into Time from Outside Time

But then you know this

Selah

Ian Bradley Marshall
Liverpool

March 5, 2021
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© Ian Bradley Marshall 2021

Author Note

Parts I - IX were written on July 11 2015, from where, I know not.

And so I marked the piece as unfinished. And left it at that on the old website.

Today, on reviewing the same - for I have not seen in it in quite a while - Part X became obvious.

In 2015, Part IX seemed to be left dangling in the air. I’m glad now I have its reason for so doing, and to thereby have its conclusion.

Ian Bradley Marshall

December 12, 2015 - composed July 11, 2015