"Untitled", by Digit Al

[Note from the Proprietor: This is an entry for this month's What I Learned From... groupwrite project. We'd love to have you join us! See the bottom of this post for details - after, y'know, you read this post, of course! Just sayin'.]

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Two armies faced each other across the ravaged earth. Each understood, from the nature of the conflict, that there could be only one victor. By now many skirmishes had occurred – indeed, the very ground they occupied evidenced the terrible forces that had already been brought to bear.

Nevertheless, the Conclusion of the matter was still to come. Both sides, opposition and incumbent, knew it would be long and fierce, with no holds barred. Both understood the stakes involved. Each had committed to see the battle through to its inevitable finale.

THE OPPOSITION GENERAL marshaled his forces in vast ranks to either side. All that remained was the disposition of a few last arrivals, and the battle would begin. He knew it was all or nothing, and was grimly determined to be the victor, no matter what the cost. Everything he was, everything he dreamed of would be determined by the outcome of this final battle. There were no greater stakes, and he knew it.

He surveyed again the impressive ranks of daunting warriors at his disposal. Their size, their determination, their dedication to himself… A deep and profound feeling of pride rose from within as he contemplated his command of so invincible a force. His eyes narrowed as he turned and carefully scrutinized the massed ranks of the incumbent’s forces. Their strength and self-confidence was evident, but he knew they would be no match for the power of his own forces. Victory, he knew, would inevitably be his.

The appointed time approached with all the ponderous inevitability of a glacier. He stood tall, raising an arm toward his trumpeters. They lifted their flaming instruments, long prepared to boldly signal his command. As the moment approached, all of creation seemed to hold its collective breath in anticipation.

It was time.

BUT A SUDDEN FLURRY of motion began within the facing ranks, making him pause for a moment. Brilliant light flooded upwards from the midst of the enemy line, so bright as to be nearly intolerable. Taken by surprise, the General halted the order to better concentrate his not inconsiderable intellect upon the new development. Wary of trickery, he waited and watched, bewilderment increasing as a remarkable scene unfolded before his astonished eyes.

The distant ranks of enemy soldiers began to part like the pages of a vast and timeless book, revealing an extraordinary panorama. Right there, exactly in the middle of a blasted and torn battlefield, an anomaly had appeared. Where once the land was twisted and black, a vast patch of brilliant green had simply appeared, as if commanded into existence.

His jaw dropped as he watched the patch of emerald light resolve itself into a huge garden. Snow-capped mountains appeared, accompanied by the threaded silver lines of rivers and streams filled with clear, fresh water. Every kind of tree and bush thrust newly-formed limbs skyward as if in supplication. Flowers burst open in eye-popping arrays, sweeping across the hills in broad strokes of color as far as the eye could see.

An incredible variety of insects, birds, and animals began to appear everywhere. Strangely, they appeared almost rough-hewn at first, as if molded from clay by a sculptor’s hands. But then, with an explosive flicker of motion, they burst into life. Birds exuberantly flapped their wings as they soared upwards into the now clear blue sky. Cattle munched sedately on fresh green grass as they slowly ambled away. A trout, tossed like a lump into the river, changed in an instant to a flash of silver motion as it turned and joyfully burst from the liquid surface in a fantastic leap.

IT MADE NO SENSE whatsoever. What was going on? And why now, just as battle was about to be joined, would his counterpart stop everything for this… this petty diversion? That’s when he noticed a small gathering of figures in the midst of the garden, next to one brightly spectacular tree.

Abruptly, he stopped to take a closer look. Yes! One of the figures was the arch enemy himself! He grimaced in self-satisfaction, anticipating the coming delicious confrontation. To finally vanquish his foe once and for all! The thought stirred his heart as nothing else could.

But… what was he doing? Two other figures stood in front of him – one male; the other, female. Oddly enough, they didn’t appear to be wearing any armor. In fact – and this was strange, considering the conflict that was about to be unleashed – they weren’t wearing anything at all!

Was it a planning session for the upcoming battle? Perhaps they were special envoys, being briefed to send a message. Maybe even to me, he thought. Could the enemy be willing to give up so easily? He doubted it, but one never knew. It was dangerous to underestimate the shrewdness of his opponent.

But no, they seemed to be just… talking. Finally, his nemesis stepped forward, kissed them both, and joined the male and female’s hands together. That’s when the truth became evident – it was obviously some kind of ceremony!

It was an astonishing revelation. All those eons spent planning the coming confrontation, and he thought he knew his opposition down to the last aspect. Nothing, he thought, could possibly take him by surprise. This, however – this was something completely unexpected.

He silently watched as the ceremony ended and the ranks of soldiers smoothly reformed themselves with machinelike precision into their former battle lines. The bright, eye-searing glow faded from sight, and one could almost physically sense their determination gathering as both sides prepared themselves for the coming action.

BUT CONFUSION REIGNED in his mind for the first time in a long, long while. He understood the fact that his opponent had wanted him to see this – but for a while, he had no idea what to do – a first for himself. What could possibly be so important that an epic battle would be held up for a… a… ridiculous ritual!

Then confusion gave way to anger. This will have no bearing on the inevitable outcome, he told himself. But still… there was that niggling doubt. He knew his adversary was a shrewd campaigner and wouldn’t hesitate to do something unusual, just to throw him off. He stoked his anger into white-hot fury. There was nothing – absolutely nothing – left to chance. This moment of show, so obviously for his benefit – well, he was determined it would change nothing! As for those two… humans – he practically spat the word – well, he’d deal with them later.

He angrily turned and raised his arm to give the signal…

Something Very Odd

[Note from the Proprietor: I realize there's plenty of folks who don't take the story of Adam and Eve literally. Heck; there's some who haven't even heard of 'em! No problem, my friends; believe it or not, even among Christians there seems to be some discussion about their actual, literal existence. Hey, that don't bother me none. As far as I know, it's pretty much a free world out there (at least, inside our own skulls, anyway), and you're welcome to believe they were real - or not - as you see fit.]

OK; I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that something very odd happened in this story. I mean, think about it for a minute, won’t you?

In truth, what turned into (or will turn into, depending on how you look at it) the Ultimate Battle actually started out as a rebellion by an angel then known as Lucifer. However, by the time the smoke cleared (figuratively speaking, you understand), Lucifer-turned-Satan and a third of the angels had been swept from Heaven.

Now where, exactly, they ended up isn’t really clear to me, although it seems apparent from the narrative in the Book of Genesis that even the Earth itself had been decimated in the ensuing conflict. Be that as it may, to me the story of Adam and Eve still remains an amazing anomaly. Or maybe… it was a turning point?

The Turning Point

I mean, here we are, in the midst of the Battle of the Eons. Both sides know it’s a conflict with only two possible outcomes: total victory – or total defeat. As we say here in Texas, there weren’t no ‘ifs’, ‘ands’ or ‘buts’ about it.

And yet, right in the middle of this epic conflict, God himself stopped the whole shebang – not to conduct a planning session, nor to regroup, nor even to take a breather. Nope; it was to conduct, of all things, a wedding!

Kinda fills you with a sense of wonder, doesn’t it? I mean, the institution of marriage must be pretty important, don’cha think, if the God of the Universe would do something like that. So… it seems to me we ought to at least take our marriages a bit more seriously than, y’know, your average sporting event, political issue, or financial statement.

Hey, I’m just sayin’.

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[Yet another note from the Proprietor: This is yet another entry in this month's What I Learned From... groupwrite project. If you'd like to participate - and maybe win a free copy of Problogger - well, just click on that cute little link and read all about it!]

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