Often, we have walked this shore

Felt the sea breeze

Watched the sandpipers stab translucent sand crabs

And the ring-billed gulls glide across the surf.

But this morning there’s a strangeness in the air

An odd glow on the horizon

An unnatural unnerving wind in the eel-grass

A cold inverted vortex lifts us aloft

The dark myth unfolds

As ineffable as it is unfathomable.

Swirling in the thickness of illogic

It makes no sense to speak of 

“Time before time,” of something

Before nothing, yet there it is – 

Before infinitely condensed space-time,

Pure ethereal spirits, flames of fire 

Created with free will.

(But, why? Surely not that the Omnipotent

Alpha-Omega had needs, or wanted slaves;

Nor would Divine Love be so aggrandizing as to

Narcissistically fashion beings just to adore the Divine Self.)

Unknown, unanswered, mystical and mythical

Creatures (if spirits can be called creatures) 

Some of which choose pride, rebel, and,

By so doing, self-isolate into terrible aloneness.

Grace becomes malice

Love becomes hatred

Order turns into chaos

A thick fog in the dead of cold night

Darkness upon the face of the deep

A cosmos without order or beauty or music

Great God of Goodness and Love – heartbroken – 

Loved these strange creatures, these shape-shifters,

These wraiths, these flames of fire.

Though humans were created in the Imago Dei, 

All of creation bears the fingerprints of the

Divine – snake and eagle, toad and puppy, orca and damselfish.

These fallen dominions, principalities, powers – 

Are they irredeemable?  

Can created beings place themselves beyond the reach of divine love?

Being eternal, are they indestructible?

Is it impossible to annihilate them?

And, if not, why allow them to continue 

Their spoiling of masterpieces?

They are dissonance, confusion, cruelty, heartbreak.

Did the Omniscient One not know they would choose

Havok, death, chaos, and cause merciless anguish?

Did not Perfect Love anticipate wars and burn units?

The whirlwind tenderly sets us down

As the chill dissipates and the sun – 

Blessed in its normalness – 

Rises to spread a warmth across land and sea.

With gentle strokes, we wave the warmth

Onto our faces as the portal softly closes

And feel the warm sand under our bare feet

And hear the lapping of the waves on a golden shore.

We are content with mystery.

We no longer need answers.

We bask in Love.