As the Gods made preparation to create the human race, there
existed some degree of uncertainty about the project. Exactly what
would be required? Would sufficient resources be available? It was
known that both man and woman would be necessary in order to
propagate the earth. But as with any major project one must make do
with materials at hand. In order to ascertain exactly what was
available, all resources were collected. Temporal parts are rather
sparse in heaven. Of such things as arms and legs and eyes they found
but few--only three or four of each, as I recall. On the other side
of the work area they collected hopes, fears, emotions and other such
things. Some of these seemed to be available in vast quantities. In
fact, no containers could be found large enough to hold them. It
became necessary to store them in great heaps upon the ground.
Mention should be made here of one very large heap, for it takes a
particular part in our story. It quickly grew to almost twice the
volume of any other. All were quite astounded, and not a little
embarrassed by its presence. Not only the mass, but the power of it
was awesome. Work around this area was always carried out in quiet
and hushed tones. This heap contained pain--the pain and sorrows of
life. It eventually became the source of a great controversy. Some
felt that it should not be used. What could be the purpose? As it
grew, many came to feel that at least a major portion should be left
out. Even as production began the controversy raged on.
It
turns out, the man was created first. Assignments were made. Some
began the work on the body. Others were dispatched to divide each of
the heaps exactly in half. It had been decided in the interest of
equity that the man and woman should each receive exactly equal parts
of everything. Just about the time the man was getting his portion of
the pain of life, the smoldering controversy erupted. There was no
putting off the decision any longer. For a time, things got pretty
ugly. After a lot of stress and discussion, it was finally decided to
use all of every resource at hand, including the pain and sorrow.
The disturbance had distracted many from their work. During the
eruption of controversy and subsequent discussion, the work of
dividing the pain and sorrow had come to a virtual standstill. Upon
resolution, the need for this resource at production was immediate.
Drastic action was necessary to keep the project from falling behind
schedule. One grade four angel, in charge of dividing a nearby heap,
made a critical error. He and his crew remained behind to help get
production moving again. Unfortunately, this left their own duties
unattended. These duties included the dividing of the heap which
contained pleasure, the appetites and strong desires of this world.
Not realizing the situation, the work was continued. The man was
completed, and they started on the woman.
The error was not
discovered until the entire project was nearing completion. Someone
went to get the woman's share of pleasure, and it was not there. A
frantic search ensued. It was some time before they realized what had
happened. To everyone's horror, the man, long since completed, had
been given the entire portion of pleasure. It was a terrible time. A
glorious project thought to be on the verge of completion was about
to tumble into ruin. The fairness and equity so carefully planned had
been lost. What was to be done?
After much finger pointing and
blaming, they finally got around to trying to figure out what to do
about resolving the error. The project was much too important to be
abandoned. Nearly all available resources had been used up. Another
great controversy ensued. Some wanted to take everything apart and
start over. But there were deadlines to be met. Besides, the man
would have none of it.
About this time a fortunate thing
happened. They discovered another heap that had also been unequally
divided. It was quite small in size because it was highly
concentrated. A group had been dispatched to obtain the man's portion
of this heap just before the original controversy had erupted. Those
in charge of its division had been late in beginning their original
task and were the first distracted by the disturbance. They were, of
course, the last to get back to work afterward. Upon returning, they
found the man's portion had been taken by the previously mentioned
group. They, supposing that so gross a divergence would have been
noticed immediately, assumed the dispatchers sent to pick up the
man's portion had completed the task of division for them, so they
went home. When the misunderstanding was finally discovered they
realized the man had received but a few handfuls of empathy. For that
was what this heap contained. It was soon decided that in order to
make up for the previous error, the woman would be given all the
remaining empathy.
This story has a happy ending, but this is
not it. It took a long, long time before the man and the woman were
able to adjust to the effects of the accumulated errors. She thought
him cold and heartless and could not understand his appetite. She was
frightened and intimidated by what, to her, seemed to be insatiable
desires. He, on the other hand, saw her as lacking in will and
indecisive. Instead of focusing on the things she wanted, she always
seemed too interested in unimportant side issues; How a decision
would effect some person not even directly involved. Would they be
able to adjust to the consequentual changes?
They grew further
and further apart. Finally it seemed that neither had any pleasure,
nor any empathy, especially toward one another. It was at this time
that the Gods discovered why that largest heap, the pain and sorrow
of life, had been so large, and seemed so awesome. For there was a
great outpouring which the man and the woman could hardly contain.
The angels and the Gods stood in awe, and wondered at the wisdom of
it.
Then, at what seemed the last moment, a miracle occurred.
Just as the man and the woman expected to part, almost as strangers,
they chanced to look into each others eyes. Each saw a small lonely
person. A person filled with pain and frightened by the prospects of
more. A person who would hopelessly search for companionship in a
world divided against itself. But there was one last thing. Each saw
the reflection of a small frightened person fighting desperately to
cling to a commitment, to return to that one last hope.
In that
moment, each comprehended the pain of the other, and thus began a
struggle to renew the commitment. He at last could see her empathy.
She at last could accept his desire. It was a sad moment as each
realized they needed only to see past their own needs to the needs of
the other. Each vowed silently to never be blinded again by their own
needs.
In the renewal of commitment they found tenderness and
hope. And They used their pain to guide them. In the nurturing of
tenderness and hope they found trust. And they used their pain to
guide them. In the nurturing of trust, they found love. And they used
their pain to guide them. In the process of learning tenderness,
hope, trust, and love they found joy in each other. And finally, from
joy in each other they discovered God.
Love grew as they
learned to be sensitive to the pain they saw in each other; and the
pain within themselves. And they grew in wisdom and understanding as
they realized that God felt the pain with them. And to their bond,
they added a bond with God. And they used His pain to guide
them.
And thus it became, that through pain, hope entered into
their lives. Their differences began to work to bring them closer
together, instead of further apart. In place of a wounding, was found
a healing. For she began to experience desire; not for him, but
through him. And he began to empathize and understand feelings; not
with her, but through her. And from these things would come the
miracle of union.