The Harvest

by John David Krygelski

“No such misunderstanding will remain. They will soon know the truth.”

  “It’s just…I don’t know. Why did You do it? I mean, why didn’t You just erase his mark? Why the ‘666’? You had to know what would happen. It seems so….”

  “Ungodly?” Elohim offered with a slight smile.

  Sighing, Reese answered, “I guess.”

  “Reese, when we first began to speak, you and others were troubled because I was not acting godlike enough then. Do you recall?”

  “I do.”

  “Yet, in those conversations I was not the God of the Armageddon…of Revelation, bringing down upon the people great destruction and despair. Now, I disappoint you because I have chosen to punish and make an example of a single evil man.”

  Reese smiled and asked, “You’re not complaining because You just can’t win, are You?”

  “Hardly,” Elohim answered, a grin spreading across his face. “However, you should remember my response to you when asked if I was God.”

  “Your answer was that our definition of God had become inaccurate.”

  “Which is quite true. You see, man has a tendency to create his own personal God, a God who is strongest in the areas where man is the weakest. Someone who is troubled by the actions of others and feels impotent to oppose them sees God as a mighty, vengeful warrior. A person who has suffered from the unfair judgment of others sees God as a wise and all-knowing deity. One who struggles with a fiery temper, unable to allow even the meekest slight to pass by without lashing out, sees God as a pacifist who always turns the other cheek, no matter the offense.”

  “And what about me? What type of God did I create?”

  Elohim smiled broadly. “You, my child, have created a God with powerful, deep, and intense emotions that flow freely yet never conflict or give rise to dilemmas.”

  Reese cocked his head to the side, like a curious golden retriever, and said, “Emotions, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have a problem with emotions?”

  “I know.”

  “No! That was a question.”

  “It is normal for a person gifted with your intellect to shun emotions, to be uncomfortable with them. There have been far too many times in your life when emotions led you down a path you regretted. Had you relied upon your intellect, you would not have chosen the same path. You have learned to trust your mind and not your heart.”

  Reese considered Elohim’s words for a time before asking, “Getting back to our discussion, why the ‘666’ on Beaman?”

  “That can be best answered by harkening back to your lecture the morning of the day we met. You were interrupted by Megan Mislin. Your response to her was to explain the importance of rules as well as the fact that most rules are never enforced. Do you recall?”

  “Yes.”

  “You also mentioned that some people only follow rules out of fear.”

  “I remember. And it’s true.”

  “Of course it is. And instilling fear is a two-step process. Step one is to make the rule known. Step two is to show what will happen if you break it. I fulfilled the first step during my statement by asking people not to be tempted to mark themselves.”

  “Yes, but You only told them that it would be a waste of time, that it wouldn’t get them into Heaven.”

  “True. Therefore, I discovered that a clarification and an illustration of the punishment were needed, both of which had to be widely and quickly disseminated. If I had simply removed the bogus mark from Mr. Beaman’s palm, even just prior to his dramatic moment, what would have occurred?”

  “He would probably have been embarrassed.”

  “Yes, he would have been…but only momentarily. He possessed a quick wit. I promise you that the instant he learned of the erasure, he would have concocted an event which would have further embellished his original story.”

  “You’re probably right. He would have told his congregation of a conversation with You before the service, informing You of his decision, and apparently You had decided to remove the mark.”

  “Something of that nature, yes. Remember, he had the mark on video tape, and he made certain there were several witnesses.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I considered using other marks, something a bit more benign.”

  “Like Betty Boop?”

  Elohim laughed. “Not that image specifically, no. But others. None seemed suitable. All of the available choices presented Beaman with a possible avenue for rationalization. Remember, his congregation deeply wanted to believe in him.”

  Realization sunk into Reese. In a soft voice he asked, “You actually needed them to kill him, didn’t You? Before he could have time to come up with a new story? The drama of his death would also fulfill the second requirement of immediate and broad dissemination.”

  By reading Elohim’s face, Reese knew he was correct. Elohim responded, “The world is filled with many Dick Beamans, great and small. He was not the only one to forge the mark upon himself. Beaman and the others did not believe for a moment that doing so would get them into Heaven. Their sole intent was to gain the prestige of being identified as members of the Chosen who decided to make the supreme sacrifice, who decided to stay behind. They did this only to garner power, influence, and, in some cases, wealth at the expense of the faithful. I could not allow this exploitation to occur in what would be, in the minds of many, my name. How many of the others with a deceitful mark will now be tempted to capitalize on it?”

  “Few, if any. Have You tampered with any others?”

  “Yes, I have. Some of the others with counterfeit marks have had them erased. There have been some substitutions, and some I’ve left intact. Those I’ve left with the marks will discover tomorrow night, when we depart and as they attempt to remove them to apparently fulfill my promise, that their marks remain as they are for the rest of their lives. Their deceit will define them for all of their days.”

  Reese, troubled by what he heard, decided to pursue a line of questions he had earlier dismissed. “There’s no point in asking if You mind that I am candid, since my thoughts are already known to You.”

  “No, there isn’t. Ask your question.”

  “You don’t seem to have a problem striking out at mankind, stopping an action or punishing one after the fact, if the offense directly or indirectly relates to You. Yet, You did nothing to prevent the deaths of 18,000 people in Times Square. I know we’ve discussed this before, but I’m just having a problem reconciling Your positions. Dick Beaman’s crime or sin, or whatever You want to call it, certainly does not rise to the level of those who planned and executed that massacre or the others in Europe. And the reasoning that You made a rule and he broke it doesn’t hold up, either. I believe ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is one of Your rules, also?”

  “Reese, as usual your question is a profound one. And, frankly, that you ask it concerns me. It is the belief in the Creator, as well as the belief in Heaven, which is the basis of faith for millions around the world. Whenever there is widespread belief, there will be organized study of the belief as well as organized opposition to it. It is important to me that I not act in a manner that provides a truly negative interpretation to those who study the faith. It is also important to me that I not provide deliberately or inadvertently any fodder to those who oppose the faith. If you, knowing me as you do and possessing the intelligence that you have, conclude that I am a hypocrite….”

  “Wait a minute, Elohim. I didn’t….”

  “You didn’t what, Reese? Actually say it? Does that matter to me?”

  Reese, feeling extremely uncomfortable, said, “You’re right. That was my thought. I’m sorry, I guess, for thinking that.”

  “You need not apologize. As I explained, I have great respect for your mind. If my actions or lack thereof result in your coming to that conclusion, others will as well. And for that perspective I am grateful.”

  “I’m Your canary in the mineshaft?”

  Amused, Elohim res
ponded, “In a sense, you are. Certainly you are my barometer, warning me of a change in the weather. To provide you with an answer to your question, I will ask one.”

  “How unusual,” Reese said, hoping his comment was taken as the joke it was intended to be.

  Instead, Elohim’s eyes bored into Reese’s. “Have we become too familiar?”

  Taken aback, Reese said, “I’m not sure what You mean.”

  “Reese, contrary to popular myth, I do not seek reverence. To seek it, to solicit it, to demand it, and to punish those who do not give it is an ugly trait. There have been many men and women in Earth’s history who have chosen this path, and they are not among the best of mankind. However, I, just as do you, believe that respect is a healthy, positive thing to both give and to receive. Sarcasm is not a tool used for the expression of respect.”

  Reese, grappling with the discomfort this morning’s meeting was creating within him, said, “I meant no disrespect, Elohim.” He paused, taking a deep breath and sighing heavily. “There are times when talking with You can be disconcerting.”

  “You’ve grown accustomed to the other party in your conversations relying entirely upon what you say.”

  “Of course I have. That has always been my reality. The privacy of my mind is a place where I can differentiate between the Reese Johnson I am and the Reese Johnson I wish to be. What I allow myself to speak is a reflection of the latter.”

  “From my perspective both are the true Reese Johnson. The fact that you continue your attempts to improve upon yourself is an admirable trait which can only be perceived by looking into your thoughts. There are many for whom there is no such distinction.”

  “The part of me who wishes to become a better person would like to apologize to You for my thoughts. The other part of me believes apologizing for one’s thoughts is absurd.”

  Finally, Elohim smiled. “For the truly vital and vibrant minds, thoughts happen. Even the most sincere pacifists will suddenly find their minds filled with visions of killing those who anger them. The presence of the thoughts does not make them murderers; acting upon the thoughts does. The part of you disinclined to apologize is the wiser part. I did not express offense until your thoughts cleared your built-in filter and were spoken. For, you see, thoughts that remain within your head are capricious and beyond your control. Speaking them, however, is a conscious and deliberate decision.”

  “In that case, I can sincerely apologize.”

  “Accepted. Now, if I may continue, I would like to answer your question by asking one of you.”

  Elohim paused, gazing at Reese, who smiled and said nothing.

  After a moment, Elohim, also grinning, said, “That was much better. I congratulate you on your restraint.”

  “It was nothing,” answered Reese. “Please, Your question.”

  Elohim laughed softly, shaking his head. “I must say it was most entertaining watching your thought process. I counted at least nine versions of what you wanted to say right then before you chose the one you spoke.”

  “Did You have a favorite?” asked Reese, continuing to grin.

  “I did, actually. ‘Please, I eagerly await yet another question’ was my favorite of the selections.” Again, Elohim paused before asking, “And you, did you have a favorite?”

  “You already know my favorite. And, even though we are alone, even though I know You are reading my thoughts as clearly as I read them myself, I’ll not be saying my favorite aloud.”

  “Fair enough,” Elohim said, amid his laughter. He took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. “The very survival of the best among mankind depends upon a clear recognition of the malignancy growing on the Earth. To truly combat the evil, people must grasp not only the extremes to which they will go but the breadth of this group. As so many ascribe an all-knowing omnipotence to me, were I to punish those directly responsible for the attacks against the faithful, would they not believe the malignancy had been eradicated from the organism and was no longer a threat to them?”

  “Yes. I can see they would. Of course, You always have the option of actually doing that, actually removing all of the malignancy. I, of course, recall Your answer that the bad part of our society is necessary to nurture and produce the future Chosen, yet it seems to me that the removal of this one extreme bad group among us would create a power vacuum, just as will the removal of the good who depart with You tomorrow. My own knowledge of human nature tells me that others would rise up, or perhaps a better phrase would be ‘dive down,’ to fill the void. Other ‘badness’ would certainly spring forth. At least, if You wiped out this group, you might be compensating for causing the removal of the good influence…balancing the scales.”

  For only the second time since they had met, Elohim appeared to consider Reese’s argument rather than provide the usual, immediate explanation. As Elohim reflected, Reese relaxed, sitting back in his chair and glancing around the room, not wanting to intrude upon his thoughts. Although Reese had not looked at his watch, he guessed nearly two minutes had passed before Elohim spoke again. “Reese, if you were in my position, what do you think would be the most important prerequisite for interacting with your creation?”

  Without hesitation, Reese answered, “Wisdom.”

  A slight smile curled one corner of Elohim’s lips. “Many would say compassion.”

  “I’m not ‘many.’ I believe compassion can be its own best punishment.”

  “Please explain.”

  “Probably the best example would be a basic family – a husband, wife, and two or three children. The mother or the father is filled with compassion…cannot stand to see the misery of strangers and brings them in…as, let’s say, foster children. Before bringing in these additional children, the family had enough resources to provide themselves with shelter, food, clothing, educational opportunities, everything. The addition of the foster children stretches the resources too thin. The parents can no longer afford good nutrition for everyone, can no longer afford good medical care, can no longer afford college for their own kids. In a thousand ways the children of the original family suffer, not the least of which being the dilution of attention they would have received from their parents. By exercising a true and admirable compassion – by helping others – the parents have damaged their own children. This lesson can be extrapolated to include an entire society which attempts, out of compassion, to provide more help to the needy than it can afford.”

  “You are suggesting that the parents prioritize…that they place the welfare of their own children above the welfare of strangers. Is not the inherent cruelty of your opinion comparable to that which you accuse me of doing?”

  “I suppose that it is. But I believe the alternative is worse.”

  “Should there be no compassion in your world?”

  “That is why I chose wisdom a minute ago. Compassion must be tempered with wisdom. Of course strangers must be helped; we discussed this shortly after we began our meetings. But the help must be for the truly needy. It must not breed dependence. And what is given must not exceed the true surplus resources of a family.”

  “Your choice of wisdom, rather than intelligence, is intriguing. How do you view the difference between them?”

  Shrugging, Reese answered, “Perhaps it is all personal semantics. To me, intelligence is pure knowledge and the application of knowledge. If the ‘artificial-intelligence’ people ever make any true progress with computers, the best they can eventually hope for is an ‘intelligent’ computer. I don’t think a ‘wise’ computer can be built.”

  “I disagree.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. There sits before me a wise computer which I have built.”

  “Touché. Let me just say a wise computer will never be built by man.”

  “Then what is wisdom?”

  “Wisdom is a balance. Pure intelligence has no moral boundaries; in fact, it resents and resists boundaries. It does not recognize or acknowledge the realities of human nature.
It is unfettered by compassion. It was pure intelligence which led many scientists to propose eugenics just a few years ago. It was pure intelligence which caused scientists to discover and create the mechanisms, processes, and chemical combinations which have killed many, polluted much, and are possibly causing global warming. And as this same group of the purely intelligent observe the damage they have enabled, rather than taking responsibility, they blame mankind for the abuses. Wisdom, on the other hand, allows not only for the invention, discovery, or creation of new things, it simultaneously understands the potential for their inevitable abuse.”

  “You do not feel that scientists are aware of the potential for the abuse of their breakthroughs?”

  “Actually, I do believe they are aware. But there is a difference between being aware and making yourself responsible for what occurs. Parents know not to place a loaded gun in the hands of their child. The result is inevitable. Yet scientists place into the hands of people – people who do not share their level of understanding – pharmaceuticals, automobiles, insecticides, chemical processes used in factories, weapons, aerosols, and a multitude of other technologies which have the potential for immense harm, and then act surprised and even outraged at the consequences. In my analogy, if the child uses the pistol to shoot another child, the parents are held liable. There is no such accountability for scientists who have armed us with much worse. Scientists are not the only culprits, although science is an area of society which attracts and nurtures intelligence for the sake of intelligence.”