Thursday, June 14, 2007

[ADAM stands before the statues of FAITH and PERSUASION. He is on the first step of the flight of stairs that lead to the figures. Behind him is the cosmos, and forward stretches two paths into EDEN, one past each golem.]

[The SERPENT is wound about the head of the statue of PERSUASION, so that the face of each is one. The visage of the statue of FAITH is featureless.]

ADAM: I am the only man who shall not have to look to my footprints; where I had tread. I have the benefit of forward motion and the blessing of establishing the archetype of men. [Looks to the statues, and seeing the face of the statue of PERSUASION, frowns in recognition and realization, though not of the SERPENT.] Though I shall not have their gratitude-- I will be cursed for my knowledge, my failure to forethink.

ADAM: [Sardonically. Looks down to his feet and up the stairway.]. Shall I step to the second step, or the third? With my right foot or my left? Should I deviate eastwardly or westward from the center of the path? Will I move with caution or sureness or callousness?

[Waits a moment, then steps solidly to the second step with his right foot. Waits again.]

ADAM: [Mockingly.] I could have stepped with my left. I did not go far enough. I must have moved too much, too quickly. I am still far too centered.

ADAM: [Spitefully, shouting.] Am I to question every act I commit, every action I commit to? [Quieter. Shakes head.] They will not know that I am equipped with the knowledge of the span of existence, that I know all that they will learn, for if I am not able to learn such knowledge, how shall they? They will not know that I do not need the apple. They will not realize that I am the greatest image. They will fall to Christ. He will take their stones, but he will also take their praises-- though I am the only man to know immortality. I am the only one who will never look behind.

ADAM: [A malicious chuckle.] I could stand here forever and they would never come to. My curses would lay upon them before their birth and there would be no retort! There would be no answer. I could stand here forever and name them all, and then change their names, and name their fortunes and misfortunes, and then change the names of those lucks, and it would be that the anointing of God upon me of choice would really be his surrender. I know the serpent; I could slay it before its tongue spread deception into the ears of my rib and then myself. I could turn about and return to the cosmos! [Motions forward.] All of this would never be!

[ADAM turns until all that is behind him is just outside of his peripheral vision, and grimaces.]

ADAM: [Sighs.] But I am the only man who shall never have to look behind. I shall never look behind. And each of my decisions is pointless and worthless, for I will never learn more. I will never gain. [Thinks.] I am established to lose.

ADAM: [Another flash of anger.] I am the real Christ. All that I have now is meant to smashed from my hands and head and heart so that it will trickle down the generations for new men to gain and learn and love.

[His face lightens and he again sighs, before nodding in acceptance.]

ADAM: [Another chuckle. He shakes his head.] Ah, anachronism: Reaganomics.

[ADAM walks toward the statue of PERSUASION and beyond. The SERPENT unwinds itself and follows.]

[End.]


Just a short scene based around the idea of Adam actually utilizing the free will he was given and refusing to obey God. He ponders his power over the Lord and the race of men, because if he doesn't enter the garden, God's divine plan can never unfold, and humanity (with the exception of Adam and Eve themselves) will never be birthed. His notoriety and penchant for blame will never burden his name.

It's not a promulgation of a certain faith, just an exploration of a certain faith's promulgation and exposition.

1 comment:

Gunter Heidrich said...

It leaves me considering man's struggle for constancy and his indefinable need to recapture that infinite incomprehensible absolute peacefullness and quietude and mastery that deep down somewhere man (/Adam) might have once known.
One can only find that I think though at least in life, not through endless construction, but through total destruction and death often of self and even on a societal level I think(it can be seen through The Crusades to The Cold war).
Perhaps that is why wars are fought deep down really, freewill against freewill, will against will. Perhaps bloodshed is in the blood.
It is perhaps why we must believe in God and Heaven. They are the embodiement of that infinite sought after quietude.
In the end though that tells little of the face of Faith, except that maybe Faith is God, a collective consciousness perhaps(?).
...
More food for thought.