Powerless

“How can you let this travesty of injustice continue? The future of mankind rests in the ability of future generations to improve the lives of citizens of the world, by promoting social and economic issues that will not inhibit, but promote the betterment of mankind. You seem content to sit back and watch while those in power, who seek only more power and the wealth that accompanies it, to continue, no matter the devastating consequences to future generations. And I might add, with no significant consequences to those encouraging the destruction.

The responsibility of judgement is the metered response to malfeasance, either condoning or objecting to the practices at hand. Simply recognizing a problem and doing nothing to correct it, is not judgement, it is collusion.”

And that is how it began, and to be truthful, ended. Although I know very little of God’s philosophy, it seems to be of the persuasion, that man having free will, is capable of either improving their situation or destroying themselves. There seems to be no consideration of the millennium of evolutionary trial and error that has culminated in the present state of affairs.

I being only a name of exaggerated notoriety, should have remained silent, but I have a spiritual and personal interest in this project.

Henry David Thoreau while contemplating the reasons for man having a death wish, surmised in his lost manuscript, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, that because of the lack of trust in our natural environment, and man’s inability to accept the providence provided through co-operation and understanding, that the whole experiment should definitely come to an unsatisfactory end.

My conversations with him, I wish I could relay were more fruitful, but his spiritual demeanor is difficult to accommodate for any reasonable length of time.

His statement that, he wished he’d been less hermitic, was I assumed his attempt at being more inclusive of others.  He reasoned however, that once you place yourself in front of a falling tree, blaming gravity was of little use. 

“If you truly wish to make a difference in enforcing your beliefs, you must actually do so.” His prophetic words sadly lost to musings reflected by a pond and a woods that could not comprehend.

He also queried me about the whereabouts of one Rachel Carson. He’d attempted to read her book Silent Spring, he said, "subliminally of course," but had managed to misplace his remembrance before he completed it. He indicated that he believed she was on to something, but couldn’t recall, what.

I informed him that visitors of late, has been limited to the likes of one Juliet Gordon Low, the founder of the girl scout organization. She was upset about the deterioration of what passed as a cookie, in today’s world.

She was also attempting to find someone named, Gretta Thunberg, who apparently is wasting her youth on attempting to keep the earth from bursting into flames. I assumed she was hoping to convince her to forget her foolish idealisms and become involved with cookies, but one can never be sure about addictive entrepreneurs, there are so many, and of differing flavors.

I had begun to fear my protest of the Boss’s lack of interference in, "the experiment," as I refer to it, was a bit strong, although justifiable. I was about to petition a second hearing on the matter when I was summoned.

“Gabriel,” the word and tone always has a way of making my employment feel, as though it were in jeopardy. 

“Yes,” was all I could manage in the way of a response.

“I have been reconsidering the matter you broached earlier this decade and although I am unlikely to change my mind, I find the conundrum an interesting one. On the one hand We have our promise of free will, which implies as you know, that each person has a right and ability if they so choose, to make decisions based on their personal affiliations with laws both spiritual and physical; resulting hopefully in justice.  And it also implies, an empathy with those who will take their place, given those of the past and of the future share a dependency on the one environment. At least the one they are aware of.” 

I was on the verge of interjecting a reminder of what happened, when Adam and Eve used their option of free will in the Garden on the fateful day, but decided not to muddy the proverbial waters by appearing incalcitrant.

“Then Gabriel, We have this problem with respect; of Me, Us. When you have created something you tend to perhaps, look the other way at times, as what you are witnessing is not what you hoped for or expected. So, you see no doubt, the contradiction between free will, and respect for authority. It has been a problem for ages, but until now, as you suggest, it has not threatened the entire planet. And yes, I know you are thinking of the episode resulting in the salt people, and Noah’s rainbow, but those were minor incidence compared to what you have suggested, if this is allowed to continue.

I am not in the least concerned with this, “Experiment,” as you term it. Experiments are meant to resolve a problem, answer a question, this lack of respect deserves attention as you suggest, but of what manner and intensity? Another flood, or even hail and brimstone, is no longer an option; too many possible casualties, and you know what casualties do to our ratings in some quarters.

I am grateful for your bringing this to my attention. I know you have been expressing the need for urgent action for the past five decades, but My hope was that the children would come to recognize the error of their ways and use their evolutionary strides to correct the miscalculations.

And yes, I do remember you saying, that greed and power are another example of the apple incident, but using the planet as an analogy for the apple, I thought at the time, a bit dishonest. I have however come to see, you have touched on something in the human condition that needs improvement.  Not only is there a lack of respect for what has been given, but a total lack of empathy in regards to the future they claim to so fervently want to protect. The hypocrisy I see, is not lost on you, and commend you for continuing to pay attention to what most assuredly is in My, Our, best interest.

I know you have your ways of subtly injecting optimism and possibility into people. And I am not unaware of your efforts, after that terrible incident with the nuclear bombs, to change attitudes.  I know what you suggested, was an example on my part, of the lack of both empathy and understanding; that you seem to enjoy reminding me of. 

Despite my reluctance to interfere with the trajectory of the “Experiment,” I see no harm in placing you in charge of the, what was it, SPACE FORCE? Not that you can directly interfere, but knowing your powers of persuasion, I do not doubt your ability to be heard by those you have such an affinity for.   Sustained rains, smaller floods of course, drought, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, reminders of the fragility of the place they call home, I assume would suffice to gain their attention?

I am going to leave this matter in your hands. I want you to know, I, We, will give all the assistance needed to aid your efforts, hopefully resulting in the notice you desire to instill.  

I should however warn you, given their past history, not to become disillusioned should they not take your hints. You do remember the meteor, dinosaurs, starting over, and that was before this portion of "Our Experiment," was even imagined. I just don’t want you to become disillusioned, you tend to become somewhat morose, when things don’t go as you had imagined they would.

Keep me informed. I did like the SPACE FORCE idea you planted. Too bad hypocritical political power misconstrued your intent, and made things only worse. 

Hang in there, I have faith that even though Our little experiment has taken a turn for the worse, things will improve, or they won’t. Either way we will be no worse off than when it all began. Plants, and other forms of life have yet to show us, what they can do without interference. Now, off with you, and keep me informed as I will be busy with an alternative “Experiment,” just in case.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Well, time to get to work. But where to start?