God gave Everybody something to do. Everybody thought Somebody would do it. Soon Anybody was available to do it, but finally it was Nobody who did it. Don’t leave something alone, ensure it has a home.
Original author unknown, adapted by Michael, Spring 2002
Is offering forgiveness the wrong thing to do? No, it’s humanitarian and demonstrative of abounding love. Should a culprit be forgiven? Almost… the culprit first must acknowledge the wrong and accompany it by a desire for atonement. Can our desire to be forgiven be granted without aforementioned acknowledgement and atonement? No, as our lack of recognition to a wrong is just as a bandage applied to healthy skin, it might help, but it’s still wrongly applied. Our conscience is unworthy of a relaxed Self when ignorant to having harmed others and given no place to release its Self. Through a short story of a Great Task and Knowledge, I’ll share that there is a time when forgiveness can’t be earned to give proof to always checking yourself before wronging it.
Long ago, there were Four great men who sat around an evening campfire. These particular Four men were different than what we consider men for the simple reason that they didn’t belong there. Without going into long detail of quantum mechanics border lining upon malarkey; these gentleman for all other purposes shouldn’t have been where at least when they were. They in themselves were special as they represented knowledge and wonders of many worlds traveled before. To the left was Everybody laughing voraciously, beside him sat Anybody drinking tea, and opposite was Somebody begining to laugh at the joke he just told. Lastly sat Nobody, the strong, quiet silent type.
To answer the question of how these Four great beings are related. Simply said, they were friends from the moment of Creation and would always be intimately related in mind, body, and soul forever. Humorously, wherever Everybody went, Anybody, Somebody, and Nobody were sure to follow. Everybody was unquestionably the leader as Everybody’s inherited duty was to bring Just and Lasting Peace to all the places Four men travel. Anybody and Somebody supported this Great Task and resolved all the minor details of doing. Though Nobody wasn’t part of the “management” team, he was the “implementer” of all that the team was to do. Hence, Nobody enjoyed Great Task’s before him, for he knew that the tasks were important to All, Everywhere.
One day, Somebody spotted the place we know to be our home, Earth. “Ah, there’s a blue planet with hot spots to be cooled,” commented Anybody. To which Everybody added, “let’s set down there and see who we might dwell upon to work our Great Task.” Down went their ship to the place we now call Israel. Upon landing they moved outwards into the land to learn about it and offer Just and Lasting Peace through healings, tales, and offering another side to a well told story. This was made possible by using Knowledge gained from years of trans-universe travel. After a while; Somebody through Everybody’s guidance became greatly known throughout Earth to have great wisdom in offering a Just and Lasting Peace.
In time, the Four men joined together to talk of a concern. “We cannot reach as many as we might joined. It’s time for Anybody to follow Everybody and Nobody to follow Somebody into the lands to bring our Great Task to as many Humans possible before our time here is over,” Everybody reasoned. Upon general consent the Four men ate their last meal together. During the meal, Nobody rose to offer peace, love, and happiness to the others. Nobody spoke unto his companions of this place being different than the worlds such as Atmas with it’s Blurigan Seminol’s and Waszx’s hn-spz populants. Their they used crushing words to welcome the Four men before understanding the Four men offered Just and Lasting Peace. On the other hand, these Humans of Earth welcomed openly but always asked for more when enough had been giving. “Humans need a bit of patience,” Somebody said. Anybody answered, “Everybody could better give of the Great Task if only Nobody could teach Humans heart.”
The following morning, Anybody followed Everybody west while Nobody and Somebody went south to the desert. Somebody who was from the Northern points of his faraway home world, a world vastly covered in ice and slow moving glacial formations, complained that it was “freaking hot” and “I’m not sure I can take much more of this heat stress.” Nobody caring deeply for Somebody, tried to bring him comfort as the desert journey continued onward. Finally stopping at an oasis, Somebody asked rest and respite until the blazing sun passed overhead. Nobody heeded the request.
When Somebody fell asleep, Nobody traveled further into the desert for solace from the Humans. Humans troubled Nobody with incessant pleas for more than what Just and Lasting Peace could offer. These followers of Everybody, Somebody, and Anybody hounded Nobody in particular since it was he who really did the work. “Why can’t we have more? We only ask for a small bit of your power? Our request is have a better life than today. Why shan’t you give to us Knowledge?”
In desperation for peace and longing to be with Somebody again, Nobody broke down and granted Humans Knowledge. “Ah, thank you Nobody for granting us this Knowledge. Now we know what to do with the resources of this world. Now we know how to treat those around who are different. Nobody is our King, Nobody is our Teacher. We give thanks to Nobody!” Depressed and weary from the Human ordeal, Nobody moved gingerly on his now blistered feet back to Somebody.
Interestingly, when a Four rested, time moved slowly for them. As a result, by the time Somebody awoke, Nobody had aged into a mature Four. To this Somebody took pride in Nobody’s maturation. Rested now, Somebody asked Nobody whether to journey futher into the desert or onto Lima to regroup with the other Four. Worried about what had transpired earlier in the desert, Nobody, directed their travel towards Lima to avoid the Humans that had hounded him earlier.
Unbeknownst to Nobody, the group to which he had granted Knowledge was a ‘smart’ group of travelers known as ‘the company.’ They could be in many places at once, what one knew in the morning all would talk about by dinner. Forbidden Knowledge spread throughout Earth like wildfire.
Meanwhile, Everybody began having a hard time sleeping. He dreamt of change, feeling that Humans knew Knowledge. Internally Everybody thought, “they aren’t supposed to know Knowledge, the time for Humans and Knowledge is too soon. Humans haven’t learned to control themselves.” Anybody sensing a change in Everybody’s sleep laid hands upon him. Anybody with ‘any sense’ sought to soothe Everybody’s pain and turmoil. He prayed for Everybody’s relief through the night.
In the morning, Everybody wearily attempted to shake off the dream, “it’s silly, Humans couldn’t have the Knowledge I dreamt of. Only the Four are worthy of it, only the Four possess Self to contain it safely. In the heads of Humans, Knowledge is Power, not Authority ready to be taken, molded, and manipulated upon a whim.” Nonetheless Everybody was worried about the dream.
Eventually, the Four men came together in Lima. Taking refuge one meal from their followers, each of Four stood to tell of their Earthen journey. Everybody commented about the way Humans are ruled by emotions leading to both great potential and horrible danger. Anybody considered that Humans might impress him more if they felt of Nobody’s heart. Somebody, not entirely happy with this journey closed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking, “Nobody has become a Four on our journey, he even has gone onto the Humans himself to offer the Great Task.” In celebration of the good news, three cups blazingly clashed to be joined meekly by Nobody’s. After the evening conversation and grieving of missing home, Everybody broached the Four about his dream.
“I’m afraid Humans have Knowledge. They will know not what to do Right with it,” almost in tears Everybody confessed. “Every night, the fear and dread has become worse. It’s fast approaching us that Humans have Knowledge. Earth and Humans will be tainted without Self to temper Knowledge with Right.”
Nervously, Nobody moved to offer Everybody comfort, but couldn’t. Instead Nobody, neared Somebody and Anybody as if seeking a defensive position from Everybody. Finally speaking, “I gave Humans Knowledge, Everybody. I couldn’t take their pleas, their cries, I became embroiled by their emotions, my Self weakened, Humans took Knowledge of Four men when I fell.”
Cups and more dropped at Nobody’s statement. “Then it is true, my dreams are real. Our time and the time of Humans is ending fast. May our Great Tasker have mercy upon us all.” Before Everybody could speak again, great flashes of searing, white light moved across the plains, valleys, oceans, and mountains of Earth. Nothing organic or carbon based was left alive. The inorganics left alone, changed. A new Knowledge sparked, “the bipedals’ had Knowledge but lost their Self.”
Since Nobody gave into the cries and pleas of humans, everybody was destroyed. This wrong, committed during a time of Nobody’s weakness and Human greed for unmitigated power, left nobody left to recognize it, much less offer forgiveness. Though Nobody gave what was wanted to the Humans, he knew his actions were wrong as shown by his desire to move away from the desert. The Humans in their pleading knew that they would use Knowledge in a manner wrong to others and themselves. These actions by both parties resulted in a situation that couldn’t be resolved. Don’t be left in limbo, always check yourself before wronging it.
From TRST 230 God in Human Experience (I think…), Spring 2002 at Seattle University
Peimic 