"Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little."
-Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator.
I saw blood. I saw a lot of it. There were sirens blaring and guns blazing all around me. People cried with their loved ones' in their embrace, but with no sign of life. There were bullet holes in every spirit as it left its body, and I could see dead people's souls as they passed by all around me. The fire in their eyes had died out. I saw an explosion that ripped through the gut of a fanatic who'd tied it around his waist in the name of God or whoever that might be. He was a good kid back in the day, but he was made to hold a gun in his hand way too soon. The explosion tore through and burnt away thousands of memories and experiences lived by people all around the fanatic. And they'd just walked in to get a cup of coffee. I heard screams of mothers as they wrapped themselves around their babies to protect them from bullets that were being fired in the air. I saw authorities with 9mm handguns trying to shoot at monsters with machine guns that tear through metal like it's paper. I saw a demon. Dressed up in all black, he held a gun over my head and dared me to move. I prayed to God and moved. He prayed to God and shot. And I stopped existing. I saw glass shattered, dreams broken, cries of the wounded that rip through the thin air. I saw a new world in front of me. A world I discovered today. I saw Death claim what was rightfully his. I asked him,
"Where do you take them?"
He said, "To a better place".
Confused, I asked, "And what about those who have to go to Hell?
Death was amused. He said, "Son, this is Hell. This has been your Hell all along".
I nodded, pretending to understand. "So then where is the better place?"
"Where God doesn't interfere", he said. And so I went with him.
I saw the world stand still from that moment on. The streets remained empty, apart from the blood and the bullets that were spread all over the place. The relatives of the victims were now asleep with empty stomachs and tears that had rolled down half of their cheeks and dried up. I saw them each miss a part of their existence; a part that was assassinated by the demons, for the greater good of God. I saw flowers outside embassies, and candles at the feet of national monuments. I saw despair. I saw loss. I saw blood. I saw people pray. I saw people pray. After all of this, I saw them pray. I saw them kiss beads of significance around their hand. I saw them place their lips on a miniature cross. I saw them place their foreheads on cemented sand. I saw them join their palms towards the sky. I saw belief. And I saw no response.
I saw God abandon us years ago. He abandoned us when Japan got hit by Tsunami. He abandoned us when the Twin Towers were brought down. Abandoned us when Mumbai was held hostage in 2008. When Paris was made to bleed. I saw him abandon us when I saw ten year olds play with AK 47s instead of stuffed toys. I saw him abandon us when the guy held at gunpoint prayed to him for help and had his brains blown out seconds later by a guy who prayed five times a day. God abandoned us a long time ago. Humans weren't his favourite creation. Nor his perfect creation. We were pawns that came into existence with evolution from the sand, and will return soon back into the sand. There is no bigger picture. There is no going anywhere after this life. There is what there seems to be and there is no more. What matters is what you and I decide to do in these few years that we have remaining. Whether we choose violence, lies, betrayal or kindness, truth and compassion. Whether we pray and despise those who don't, or keep religion within the walls of our house and walk out as a good human being.
And whether we love, or we hate.
#JeSuisParis
-Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator.
I saw blood. I saw a lot of it. There were sirens blaring and guns blazing all around me. People cried with their loved ones' in their embrace, but with no sign of life. There were bullet holes in every spirit as it left its body, and I could see dead people's souls as they passed by all around me. The fire in their eyes had died out. I saw an explosion that ripped through the gut of a fanatic who'd tied it around his waist in the name of God or whoever that might be. He was a good kid back in the day, but he was made to hold a gun in his hand way too soon. The explosion tore through and burnt away thousands of memories and experiences lived by people all around the fanatic. And they'd just walked in to get a cup of coffee. I heard screams of mothers as they wrapped themselves around their babies to protect them from bullets that were being fired in the air. I saw authorities with 9mm handguns trying to shoot at monsters with machine guns that tear through metal like it's paper. I saw a demon. Dressed up in all black, he held a gun over my head and dared me to move. I prayed to God and moved. He prayed to God and shot. And I stopped existing. I saw glass shattered, dreams broken, cries of the wounded that rip through the thin air. I saw a new world in front of me. A world I discovered today. I saw Death claim what was rightfully his. I asked him,
"Where do you take them?"
He said, "To a better place".
Confused, I asked, "And what about those who have to go to Hell?
Death was amused. He said, "Son, this is Hell. This has been your Hell all along".
I nodded, pretending to understand. "So then where is the better place?"
"Where God doesn't interfere", he said. And so I went with him.
I saw the world stand still from that moment on. The streets remained empty, apart from the blood and the bullets that were spread all over the place. The relatives of the victims were now asleep with empty stomachs and tears that had rolled down half of their cheeks and dried up. I saw them each miss a part of their existence; a part that was assassinated by the demons, for the greater good of God. I saw flowers outside embassies, and candles at the feet of national monuments. I saw despair. I saw loss. I saw blood. I saw people pray. I saw people pray. After all of this, I saw them pray. I saw them kiss beads of significance around their hand. I saw them place their lips on a miniature cross. I saw them place their foreheads on cemented sand. I saw them join their palms towards the sky. I saw belief. And I saw no response.
I saw God abandon us years ago. He abandoned us when Japan got hit by Tsunami. He abandoned us when the Twin Towers were brought down. Abandoned us when Mumbai was held hostage in 2008. When Paris was made to bleed. I saw him abandon us when I saw ten year olds play with AK 47s instead of stuffed toys. I saw him abandon us when the guy held at gunpoint prayed to him for help and had his brains blown out seconds later by a guy who prayed five times a day. God abandoned us a long time ago. Humans weren't his favourite creation. Nor his perfect creation. We were pawns that came into existence with evolution from the sand, and will return soon back into the sand. There is no bigger picture. There is no going anywhere after this life. There is what there seems to be and there is no more. What matters is what you and I decide to do in these few years that we have remaining. Whether we choose violence, lies, betrayal or kindness, truth and compassion. Whether we pray and despise those who don't, or keep religion within the walls of our house and walk out as a good human being.
And whether we love, or we hate.
#JeSuisParis
