This week's 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Bible.
The challenge was to write 100 words using at least one of the following well-known phrases from the King James Bible as inspiration.
...the powers that be / the apple of his eye / the writing on the wall...
You didn't have to include the phrase if you didn't want to - just make it clear by the content, which phrases you were using. It had to be suitable for a PG audience.
I'm afraid my entry this week blatantly - flagrantly - steals its inspiration from Stephen Leatherhead's wonderful piece last week. I hope you don't mind, Stephen - please look on it as an homage to your marvellous imagination! I also couldn't manage to steer it away from the intrinsically Biblical theme, so apologies for the distinctly Old Testament high moral ground!
Um! Rather depressing viewpoint!
Here it is:
Regretfully, he gazed down at the small, damaged planet.
How they had changed it, the human race! His own fault, really – Adam had been the apple of his eye, so he’d given him overall control.
Foolishly, as it turned out.
He'd seen the writing on the wall: now they were devouring everything – the planet, each other, themselves – in pursuit of that mirage-god, More. He’d tried, sent endless messengers, but they never listened.
He sighed. The powers that be had declared Earth a waste of time, a failed experiment.
There was nothing he could do. He would switch it off.
There was nothing he could do. He would switch it off.
Tomorrow.
However, there is another Biblical quote, so maybe a ray of hope: '...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.'
Tomorrow could be some way off!
What d'you reckon?
What d'you reckon?
I enjoyed thsi Lorely - the thought of someone watching over us and then deciding just to switch the Earth off is quite sobering. It's not a depressing piece at all - just very sad.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you SJ! It seemed a bit 'preachy' after I finished it! But then again, we have done quite a good job of screwing things up...
ReplyDeleteI really loved this piece Lorely! It is not too biblical in it's vocabulary but my goodness what a message it conveys. Excellent writing!
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with the earth - if He could just swithc off Mankind in a thousand years the experiment might not fail after all.
ReplyDeleteNever was a truer word spoken, MS! Totally with you on that one! We are the ones who cause all the problems. Thanks for your comment!
ReplyDeleteI was walking through the park eating a banana today and couldn't find anywhere to discard the peel. But then I thought, wait a minute, humans might not survive, but the Earth isn't going anywhere. In 100 million years, this peel will turn into oil. So I just dropped it on the path.
ReplyDeleteI don't think your banana peel will make it into oil I'm afraid! It will long since have gone to feed the roses! Next time, chuck it under a rose bush - they love the magnesium banana peel contains!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment!
woah I like this but I must admit I'm going to bed fearing an apocalypse! Hopefully the 1000 years to a day is right . . . .
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on my 100 words, it was very much appreciated, can't wait to read your next post.
I really enjoyed this piece Lorely. It offered a deep viewpoint and it had an emotional punch too. Thanks for the credit at the start but the credit is all yours. 'The powers that be...' Over the creator...hmm food for even more thought. There, I didn't shout once! Thanks for sharing, Stephen.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one. Not preachy, just food for thought. It's comforting to think we are being watched over...not so comforting about beign switched off, but we are still here :)
ReplyDeleteLove it, this works so well! Great post! GSussex
ReplyDeleteThis is powerful. And possibly very true. I'm sure anyone connected with the creation of us is sadly disappointed at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThis is true but may appear that there is no hope for this world. We have to set our eyes on heavenly things and put our trust in the one sinless person that was sent to redeem us.
ReplyDeleteI slipped on that magnesium banana peel! I am now having traction and the doctors think I should make a good, if slow, recovery. Thanks for the admission of guilt. Maybe a normal potassium banana peel would have been less slippy. Where do you get the magnesium ones from? Lidl?
ReplyDelete