Gardenias

A new look at creation

 

“In the beginning God fashioned the heavens and the earth.” Francis Julian plumped himself down on the low garden bench before the squat, curly-haired ape of a man, who was tearing up gardenias with a look of disdain on his face. Joe was never the one for gardenias; he preferred bougainvilleas, reminded him of the crown of thorns.

“I’ve heard that one before, Father Julian.” Joe’s emphasised ‘Father’ mockingly.

“You don’t understand, not this heaven or this earth,” Julian’s voice was grave.

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Language, please, Joe,” the priest sighed and shook his head.

“Bugger that, Ju, where the devil does it say in that book of yours that there was any other heaven or earth.”

Ju, thought the priest with a wry smile, for Ju-ish priest? and allowed himself a chuckle. 

Joe (short for Joseph) Jayawardene had been Father Julian’s best friend and confidante since childhood. He was also the only one in the vicinity who never recognised him as a priest, for which Julian was secretly grateful.

“Patience, Jo. Let me finish and then tell me what you think.”

Joe tossed down a fistful of strangled flowers and dusted his hands on his trousers. “Fire away, padre.” He said, squatting down in front of the priest.

“As I said before, God created a heaven and an earth. Day one saw Him divide the day from the night, the first natural balance put into place. You see, Joe, everything follows a sort of pattern, a natural law. Even God.”

“The buggers at the diocese would s**t kittens if they heard you say that.”

“The bug… ahem, gentlemen at the diocese follow ritual. They do not think for themselves.  After all, God did give us a mind, Joe. Not so as to confuse ourselves. Satan does that. No, He wants the scales to fall away from our eyes. He wants us to see.”

“Spill it Ju, what’s on your mind.”

“God’s reason for us all to suffer his world.”

“What do you mean?” Joe leaned forward.

“Satan,” the priest said with a sigh, “betrayer turned adversary, that’s what this is all about. God was betrayed by His own best man. One He held up higher in esteem than Jesus himself.”

Joe settled himself on his rump, his legs stretched out in front of him.

“Following a certain law, God created the world out of chaos, you can see the pattern, in everything around you, Joe. Then he found he needed someone to be the keeper of the world he created.”

“And so he made man,” interjected Joe.

“So he did, Joe, but you’ve jumped the gun.  Adam was not the first caretaker of the world.”

“He was not?”

“No, Joe,” the priest sighed again, “Satan was.”

“What?  Hold on a minute Ju, aren’t you going a bit overboard on his one?” Joe’ complete attention was on his friend. “You’re a priest, Ju, you represent something, and it sure isn’t blasphemy!”

“Blasphemy! Joe, think. Is what I am saying really sacrilegious? It says in the Bible that Satan was created cherubim, a super-archangel if you will.  And it was there that God broke the very law in which the world was created and where God’s own pride took over. He was meant to create man and woman, keep the balance intact; instead He went and created Lucifer, thinking to Himself that he would not be dictated to by mere unthinking forces and intangible laws. After all, He is God. It is He who is creator of the entire universe. It was this pride that infused itself into his creation, and led… but no… I’m getting ahead of myself.”

Joe just sat there, mouth slightly open. Francis Julian didn’t seem to notice. He went on: “Lucifer is in his very essence of creation, a force of good. As cherubim, his powers were vast and he was given a very special gift: the gift of persuasion. God thought he would find it useful to help in controlling all the creatures of His creation; you see, God named Lucifer king. And his kingdom? Planet Earth. But pride settled in. Pride that led Lucifer to turn from God’s first son to His greatest enemy.”

“Lucifer was made more beautiful, more powerful than any other angel, and his gift of a silver tongue eventually turned one-third of the entire host of God’s angels to himself. As Lucifer’s self-importance grew, he also became dissatisfied with a mere single planet. After all, angels spanned the universe, but he was confined to this minuscule sphere, warden to God’s little garden. He was essentially a creature built against the grain of natural law, God’s pride coursed through his veins, to mutate like an ever-spreading cancer to lead him to think he could overthrow God.”

“Jesus!”

“No,” smiled the priest, “He doesn’t come into play just yet. God got wind of Lucifer’s plan and ambushed him before he could muster the full strength of his army, or things might have been very different. He summoned His two personal bodyguards; Gabriel… and Michael.”

“Michael was created last, as an ultimate defence against Lucifer. Infused with the very wrath of God, he was sworn to defeat Satan at all costs. Do you know what the name Michael means, Joe? It’s Hebrew for ‘God-like’; a being made even more powerful than Lucifer. Another mistake, Joe? Who am I to attempt to speculate, but what purpose would Michael serve if ever Lucifer were defeated? A warlord without a war. What would he do with himself? But no, I’m getting sidetracked. Where was I?”

Joe blinked and swallowed, his throat dry. “Ahh…” was all he got out before Julian started talking again, looking more excited than Joe had seen him in a long time.

“Imagine it, Joe! A cosmic battle such as the universe had never before seen. How many stars were hurled down from the heavens? How many worlds must have been destroyed! The very essence of good battling the manifestation of darkness. Chaos sown by Lucifer overtook law and order in the cosmos, but God, understandably tied up this spiritual rebellion, could not spare the time to put it right. God’s little garden was utterly destroyed, became void of form, a sea of foaming antimatter.”

The priest was panting, beads of sweat appeared on his brow. “Michael overthrew Lucifer who was now called Satan or ‘adversary’, but he couldn’t kill him. He was cast out of heaven with his army of fallen angels right behind him, cast down like a bolt of lightning. The fall of Satan… into the cesspool of chaos which once was earth.”

“Earth!” breathed Joe.

“Yes, God’s most beloved creation. Satan was utterly defeated. It was here that God made his second damning mistake. He used the same unravelled thread, which once was Earth, to fashion a new garden, unwittingly weaving Satan and his minions into the fabric.”

“Satan lost almost all his power, yet he still had his voice. And God had not retracted his commission. Satan was still steward. The earth still belonged to him. So the great creator God, smarting from his lesson learnt, created man and woman to look after the new world of his creation, but the voice of Satan still whispered. Adam was made out of the clay of the earth and so contained the thread of Satan within him, but in the light of God’s presence, the string of darkness was completely engulfed.”

“Then God went away, and while he was away, the lord of chaos took his chance. Think for a while, Joe, what did Satan sow in the heart of man? Pride! He promised Eve that when she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would be like God. Wasn’t that exactly what Satan wanted for himself? And it is this pride that exists even today. Jesus lived a live of utter humility and, ultimately, self-sacrifice to show the world that they, following in his footsteps, could defeat pride. But are we willing, Joe? Are we prepared to be crucified with Christ? I don’t think anyone really is. And so, in the end, Satan wins.”

“My God, Julian, that got to be the most outrageous theory that I have ever heard!”

“Do you think so, Joe? What if I say I could show you proof?”

“What!?” exclaimed Joe.

“Satan feeds on chaos, Joe. I needed to confirm my theory, and God always turns a deaf ear to my queries, so I tried the next best thing.”

“The next best thing?” asked Joe, “You’ve given me a headache Ju! Tell me quick, what the hell have you gone and done?”

“I asked Satan.”

“You what!?”

“You heard me right the first time, Joe, my “theory” hit the nail right on the head. The devil told me himself.” Julian had a triumphant grin on his face.

Joe took a wary step back, “the devil told you,” he said.

“You don’t believe me, do you Joe? Take a look behind you, Joe, I’d like to introduce you to someone!”

The hairs on the back of Joseph’s neck prickled. His feet felt like lead, but he managed to slowly turn around his body around. There was no one there. He heard the priest start to giggle behind him. Damn it!  Joe heaved a sigh of relief.  The old padre really had me going there for a second.  Turning back to the priest he began, “Ju, you son-of-a…”.

Joe’s words were cut off by the sickening thud of a garden shovel slamming into the side of his head.  Joe fell to the ground; eyes wide open, staring at his old friend. “Let’s just call this my initiation, Joe. You see, both sides predict victory, but only one side wins. Satan has been the victor from the very beginning. Me, being a man of the cloth, serve his purpose only too well. Who would suspect dear old Father Julian to be the servant of Lucifer?”

“Why?” gasped Joe.

“Gardenias, Joe. Lucifer likes gardenias.”

 

*     *     *

“Oh, Father Julian, what a beautiful garden! And your gardenias!” Rosemary, and her mother were visiting the priest for tea.

“Yes, my dear. But I couldn’t have done it without the help of Joseph. A pity he had to go away. You may say he gave his life for those gardenias.”

“Never liked gardenias myself, if you don’t mind me saying so, Father,” interjected Rosemary’s mother with a sniff, “always preferred dahlias myself.”

Father Julian smiled a wicked smile, and Satan leered behind him.