genessia | The Reason for the Season (heathen) [Video/Action] [Backdated 12/26]

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The Reason for the Season (heathen) [Video/Action] [Backdated 12/26]

The great majority of people will go on observing forms that cannot be explained; they will keep Christmas Day with Christmas gifts and Christmas benedictions; they will continue to do it; and some day suddenly wake up and discover why."

-G. K. Chesterton

[The feed opens to reveal a colorfully dressed blonde man in a quiet part of the park, snow lightly falling in an otherwise quiet winter wonderland.]

"Good morning, everyone. From speaking with a great many of you on Christmas, it seems many did not know what made that particular holiday especially holy. Let's have enlightenment; that is, scripture. Ahem.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

To understand that light, you must first understand the darkness preceding it. Cruelty, oppression, murder, and so on. In a word, sin, which most sensible people can find about them and, more distressingly, in them. And mankind wondered when, if ever, they'd be free of it and be able to unite once again with that light. How might man, having fallen, rise again to God?

God's answer, per usual, is very poetic. He would meet man on his own level, and condescend unto him. The Word would become flesh; God would become man, that is, Christ. The world was granted a savior, and tidings of great joy for the redemption he would bring about through his conquer of sin and death. Hah, it's almost vulgar! God descends from his heavenly abode to come into a lowly manger and meager birth. Bless him for it; who could ask for a Savior any other way?

That will do for an upshot. Thus, Christmas is a recognition for the greatest gift of all: the Son of God, and through him, the gift of salvation to all who believe in his name. A very fine gift I'd like to give to all of you. Indeed, I should like to personally baptize every one of you desperate sinners, convert you to Christianity, and see you off personally to the kingdom of heaven.

Hah, not asking for too much, I hope. Well, should any of you like to speak with me about that, I'll be glad to converse and answer questions of faith as best I can. In the meantime, Merry Christmas everyone. May you all come to light and life."

[Action]
[Ted will go around in both gay apparel and manner, blood aflame with the true meaning of Christmas, preaching much the same to every city in Genessia. He lacks both a soapbox and a signboard, but he'll spread the gospel anyway for about an hour for every one. Everglade gets two, for obvious reasons. If you want to meet him in a 3D context, you know who to look for.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Mm, heaven's more of an 'above' than a 'below' locale, strictly speaking."

I-It's weird, because it's below, b-but... But it looks like endless sky. And, if you l-look up, you can see the world, b-but people there can't see you. A-And it's big and scary looking.

"That does sound weird; far weirder than the heaven of which I'm speak, which would dazzle you would glory and joy we haven't words to express. But I shouldn't get too dreamy; while thoughts of its nature are wholesome enough, it's rather more urgent to make sure you're on the way."

Edited 2017-01-01 05:21 (UTC)

B-But I want to stay alive!

[Geez, Ted, don't threaten him with Heaven.]

"Heh, as do we all. But Bracken, don't you believe there are things worth dying for? Friends for whom you'd lay down your life?"

[He really, really didn't want to die. But, he had and would defend his friends with his life.

Very quietly, he nodded. But he was on guard, because he didn't want to go to Heaven early, and he wasn't sure if he would be reincarnated like everyone else.]

[Ted held a warm and deep smile.]

"I'm glad. But of course you'd answer in the affirmative; I observed as much in the Eref ruins. Well, Heaven is rather something you live for, and only die for on occasion, as the martyrs do."

H-How... do you live for Heaven?

[A grin of a cheekier type.]

"You get in good with the Landlord.

By which I mean, one must be suitable to it; congenial to it. Heaven is more than just a nice place; it's a reward for the clean and the worthy. For those who have eternal life, and are free of his sins. None can do this by their own efforts; only Christ's blood can atone for one's sins."

T-Taking blood sounds really... messy.

I-I think if people are good, and they aren't r... reincarnated, maybe they'll go to Heaven.

"If they really are good, then they definitely will. But I must stress that, of course, everyone is bad, and dead to their sins, and no effort of their own will ever be enough for the purpose. It's impossible; something only God can perform. That is the way I know of."

O-Oh... Ted...

[And he thought Ted knew a lot of people, but this was kind of sad.]

I-I can introduce you to lots of g-good people. H-Have you met Trahearne?

"Spoke with him, actually. I think we are using different definitions of 'good' here. There's the way we tend to, colloquially and casually. And then there's the way God uses it, which is something much truer and much harder. No doubt many of us seem 'good' by our own standards. But compared to God's, it's not quite the one that counts, eh?"

I... I don't know what th-that kind of good would be. B-But I'm not sure how he could be a-any nicer?

~~[He could stop being a life-profaning necromantic scumbag, for starters]~~

"Well, sin can account just as easily for the bad things we do, as well as the good things we don't, but should have. But I don't mean to condemn Trahearne for anything in particular. It is written that 'all have fallen short of the glory of God'. Whether one understands that glory, it is very important to get it back and be as we ought. Alas, it is not something we can accomplish on our own."

[People seemed to be really invested in their own self-conception of a good person. Ted wondered how they could be so blind, or how goodness could mean so little to them. Maybe it's something they'll just have to take on faith.]

So...

[If people couldn't accomplish that on their own, then he really didn't know how to do it.]

So no one goes to H-Heaven?

No, not by their own efforts. It's not enough and never could be. With man, it is impossible.

But with God, it is possible. Indeed, that possibility is what Christ is all about, and why we believers are so joyful around this time of year; through him, the Savior, all men may stand justified and redeemed.

B-But I don't know how to reach either of them.

Heh, prayer is the usual method.

But for that problem in particular, well...if one can not do it oneself, the logical thing is to see if someone else can't do it for you. This is precisely what Christ came to do; substitute himself, and pay penance in our place. Accepting that payment, done on our behalf, is the crux of the matter.

Oh...

S-So... I don't have to do a-anything, because he already d-did it?

[That seemed a lot easier.]

You needn't do that specific part, at least. Which is very good news, for one cannot.

However, to truly accept that sacrifice, you must enter into adoption with God. In essence, you must confess that he is your Lord and Savior, believing that he died and was raised again. And, of course, if someone truly is your Lord, then you'll have faith in him and do all he says. One must enter into the life he has provided; there is, in the end, no other. This is what I mean by "convert"; become a Christian, with all that entails.

[It takes a lot for Ted not to gush or get enthused; if he brings Bracken to the point where he truly must 'count the cost', he's relatively certain he'll refuse. He doesn't want to get his hopes up just for them to be dashed again. But he can talk truth to him, at least. For a little while.]

W-Well, lots of people die and c-come back...

[That was easy enough to believe. What was so weird about that?]

B-But how can you know what he s-says if he's not there to talk to?

[He shook his head]

'Tis not death alone that was miraculous, but the kind of death that only he could perform. Only God could atone for man, and so he did.

Oh, the same way one does with most historical figures; read what's recorded about him. And then there's the Church, which he left behind and faithfully follows him.

I... I don't understand. His death was d-different?

Wh-What if I have a question that wasn't written down?

It's a little mystical, and hard to explain. You remember what I said about blood being necessary to atone for sins? Well, for starters, if we had to pay with our own, we'd be dead. Not very cheery, eh? So if we're to be redeemed, it has to be someone else's. But not just anyone's; it'd have to be clean. It'd have to come from someone who'd lived a perfect, godly life, as the Savior did. So his, freely given, was the only one that would do.

Heh, you'd have to have a pretty ingenious mind to ask a question so novel! The Catholics, actually, have answered pretty much everything, save some sacred mystery. Human wisdom isn't flawless, of course, but it covers most things you could ask. Goodness, I bet even I, fool that I am, know a thing or two.

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