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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.]
Re: [Private now]
"Even an 'accident' of that magnitude would be grounds for the most severe punishment. True, carelessness is more excusable than malice, but even so...
Well, Katze's condemnation isn't my current concern. Christmas is, and the meaning behind it. Let me try again, setting things as simply as I can. [How to simplify something so wondrous and fill with boundless riches was a feat in and of itself, but Ted would attempt the impossible and keep his words to a minimum.]
In the beginning, God made everything, including the people like you and me. But those people went bad; they went against God, the one who made them, and simply wanted things for themselves. In other words, they became enemies of God; evil and selfish. Now, to go against God so much is about the worst thing you can do. It's a sin; an infinite sin, for God is infinite, and so all sin against him is infinite too.
And, once you get as bad as all that, you can't stop. Sin, not God, becomes your new master, and keeps you under its power. So now the question becomes: how do you get out? Can you be good again when you're separated from the source of all goodness, that is, God? After all, we're not infinite. We can't make up for infinite sins, no matter how good we try to be. If it were up to us, we'd fail. We'd simply sin and die in sin. Pretty hopeless, eh?
Thankfully, God had other plans. There is one way to make up for infinite sin: if God, himself infinite, paid the price for us, then we'd be let off the hook. That is what Christmas celebrates: the free gift of God's son, and that son's redemption of man from the slavery of sin.
Oh, and it's important to note the difference between redemption and salvation. To put it shortly, redemption makes salvation possible. Salvation is what will bring you to heaven; that is, what will finally transform you and put you right with God. But we couldn't get it without redemption first; that's what God's son, Jesus, came to grant, and why we celebrate now.
Heh, suppose I might be repeating myself and tiring you. But that's about as good of an upshot as I can give, just now. I'm always happy to talk to you about these things, Bracken, as often as you like."
[Private now]
He sighed.]
Then... Then I'll take K-Katze to my heaven i-instead. I-I'm sure I could get him there, though... though I don't really want to go.
[He'd rather stay alive and come back after death.]
I... I don't like that g-god much... He seems kind of m-mean...
[After all, if he wanted to forgive people, why not just do it?]
Re: [Private now]
Heh, only one heaven I'm afraid. Can't get there on the back of another, either. Believe me, it's a very fine place. I'd go there instantaneously, if I could. Alas, there's worldly tarrying to do.
[He's pretty sad to hear that] Oh, I don't know. I don't think dying for someone's redemption and salvation is very 'mean'. Quite the opposite, really.
[Private now]
Th-There's lots of worlds, so... So I'll just take K-Katze to a heaven that let's him in.
Re: [Private now]
Heaven, that is, God's Kingdom, is a very universal thing. No cheating, now.
He does forgive, but that doesn't mean he's silly about it. He takes sin very seriously; someone has to answer for it. The kind thing was to choose himself as the one to do so.
Besides, God, after all, wants us to be good. If he just forgave, nothing would change. And since we're bad, that means God wants us to change; that is, to repent. To do what God, being perfectly good wants, and not what we, being bad, want. But because we're bad, it's something we can't do. And the badder we are, the less we can do it. So, we would need a good person to help us do it.
That's what Jesus was for. He was a man. But he was also God's son, and so good enough to help us do it. Sort of like reading a book for you and helping you sound out the words until you can read them for yourself, like my father did.
[Private now]
[He had a lot of worries about himself, but believing himself to be evil certainly wasn't one of them. Frustrated, his cheeks felt hot.]
A-And my friends aren't bad people.
Re: [Private now]
[A plaintive noise of expectation yet disappointment. This was the crux of the matter he kept coming back to with Bracken, and to an extent the entire world: conviction of sin. If it were granted, Ted's sure salvation wouldn't be far behind. But if it wasn't, if self-righteousness had its way, there's no hope. One can't accept, they can hardly know or appreciate, forgiveness if they're ignorant of sin. The all-important question, then, is how to convict?
He could browbeat him. Glean his memory of their personal experiences, and what Bracken told on the network. That seemed more abusive than necessary, and didn't feel quite right besides. If he were some holy prophet, he could, perhaps, do something like Jesus did with the loose woman at the well. But he isn't.
He could disabuse him about his friends. After all, Ted was one of those, wasn't he? And presumably Bracken trusted him. If he plainly told Bracken that Ted himself was evil, what would Bracken say? That Ted was mistaken about himself? Some more prying into why, precisely, Ted was evil?
No, that didn't seem right either. Human wisdom and reason can only go so far. This, like so many things, was a matter for the spirit. The Holy Spirit, to be precise. One of its jobs was the conviction of sin; enlightenment to the terrible truth that was so necessary for a good and holy life. It was time for a leap of faith.]
"Bracken...that belief is not the truth. I'd like you to know the truth, but it's something that usually only comes through the Spirit. Have you...ever prayed before? Would you be willing to do so now, or some time soon?"
[Private now]
[He thought back. Since he'd woken up, he didn't recall praying. None of his friends were particularly religious, and it wasn't something he had sought out. But he didn't remember before that, if he had been part of any religion or if his family had been. Perhaps they had been, since it seemed fairly common. Maybe even the same religion as Ted. But he didn't remember.]
I... can't remember p-praying... I could try?
Re: [Private now]
"Heh, excellent, then by all means, try. I don't mind showing you how, if you need it. Will you pray for these things, then?
Pray for the Holy Spirit, that you will know concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Pray for sorrow, and crispness of conscience. Pray that you will keenly know the difference between your fallen state and the glory of God; pray for remorse and contrition.
You do that, and I swear I'll do the very same, for both our sake."
[Private now]
I-Isn't 'sorrow'... Isn't that being sad?
Re: [Private now]
[C'mon Bracken work with him]
"Mhm, but the healthy, edifying kind."
[Private now]
[Who did? What a weird thing to pray for.]
C-Can't I pray for my friends instead? So... So that they're safe and h-happy?
Re: [Private now]
"It'll be good for you, I promise. Aheh, sure, if you like, but this friend would be gratified if you asked for this first."
[Private now]
[Though he didn't sound very enthused about this. This didn't sound fun at all.]
I, umm... I p-pray for the 'Holy Spirit', and...
[And if Ted expected him to remember all of that he was kidding himself. He could memorize stuff okay, but a little at a time.]
Re: [Private now]
"Oh! Well, I admire your speed, but you needn't do so in front of me. Unless you'd like me to lead you in it; I don't mind, if you'd prefer. You've never prayed before, right? In that case, simply...move your body as is fitting with respect and reverence. Most bow their heads, close their eyes, and kneel. Whatever you're used to, in that regard.
Once you've taken whatever posture best fits humility, simply address the prayer to God. Ask for the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Sin, righteousness, and judgment; will you please me to remember that and ask it sincerely?"
[Private now]
U-Umm... Holy... Holy Spirit...?
[Was he just supposed to address it? It was so strange.]
P-Please... Please convict of sin, of... of righteousness, and... and of judgement.
[He repeated, but what he was saying didn't really connect to anything for him. He might know the individual words, but he might as well be saying "Om Mani Padme Hum" for all the meaning it had to him. He was just repeating sounds.]
Re: [Private now]
[He stifled a small laugh at how eager Bracken was to do it. Goodwill acquiescing to goodwill, perhaps? Well, if Bracken's going to do it, he'll do it too, taking a prayerful posture of his own. Silently, of course, letting Bracken's request have the greater presence. Ted too prayed to God for the conviction of the Holy Spirit in those three aspects: The sin of the man, the condemnation of one's own conscience, the knowledge of the dread wrath of God.
Next, righteousness; that is, the holiness of God and his glory, as well as one's unworthiness in the face of it. An illuminating contrast.
Finally, judgment: the natural end of rebellion and sin. The felt gravity of that coming sentence, and the need to escape it. Naturally Ted would happily explain all of this to Bracken, if he asked.
Thankfully, clumsiness or lack of words in prayer would be no trouble. The Spirit would pray to and through them should they lack understanding by silent groans. If Bracken were confused, as he so often seemed to be, it would still be enough so long as the effort was sincere.
When Ted finished, he had an expression of quiet yet burning happiness to him.]
"Very well. So long as you were sincere, then...something very good has happened."
[Private now]
...C-Can I pray for my friends now?
Re: [Private now]
[Ted wanted to send him on his way and count today's proceedings as a win and step on the road to salvation. But this is one of the few things he's wary enough to be thorough on. Bracken has to mean it. He'll try to confirm.]
Mm, well, first, did you mean it? Do you truly wish to know the truth of your sinful condition, as well as the righteousness of God? I know it's not pleasant, but it is important.
[Private now]
[Oh no, Ted was holding him up from praying for his friends.
He could do it anyway, but that just wasn't the way he thought about things. He panicked a bit.]
I'm... I'm not s-sure what either of those th-things are.
["Sinful condition" sounded like such an illness. He really didn't take well to this abstract stuff.]
Re: [Private now]
Oh, it just means knowing how bad you are and how good God is, and how large the gap is between those two things, and feeling sorry enough for it. That's the upshot, anyway.
[It's okay Bracken your friends are all going to hell anyway why bother really]
[Private now]
Frustrated, he pouted a bit. He was one to take negative words to heart, and it was difficult for him to handle them.]
B-But... But I don't feel bad...
[It was like someone was scolding him for stealing cookies out of the jar and he was desperately trying to plead his innocence. He didn't want to be thought of as bad. Disheartened, he rubbed at his eyes a bit with the back of his hand.]
Re: [Private now]
[The age-old battle between heart and mind. Ted wondered whether to soothe or press ahead with sooth.]
I know, but sometimes our feelings can be false. Don't you think the truth and knowing the truth is more important?
If it helps, I'm bad, and had to find out the hard way. This way is better.
[Private now]
[He was more adamant about the second thing. Feeling bad about himself was one thing, but he couldn't bring himself to look down on his friends.]
Re: [Private now]
[
DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE NOT FRIENDS HUHNo comment about the desirability of truth, eh? If at first you don't succeed...]Bracken, suppose you were bad. Wouldn't it be a good and important thing to know the truth about it?
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