Three weeks passed in a blaze of headlines.

PRESIDENT SETS DATE FOR APPEAL TO GOD

OUR ONE SHOT – PRESIDENT TELLS STAFF

TURN OUR ATTENTION TO GOD – PRESIDENT URGES

POLITICAL LEADERS BACK PRESIDENT

POPE BACKS PRESIDENT

NOTHING TO LOSE SAYS LEADING CYNIC

RELIGIOUS LEADERS JUBILANT

AMNESTY ON WEAPONS

GLOBAL TRUCE DECLARED

CHARITIES SWAMPED BY DONATIONS

NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT TREATY PROPOSED

FOOD DISTIBUTION DOUBLES TO HUNGRY

NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEACTIVATED

WEAPONS AMNESTY OVERLOADED

WORLD AT PEACE

EXCITEMENT AS WORLD WAITS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

TOLERANCE PREVAILS AS WORLD APPROACHES LAST DAY

LOGISTICS POWER CITY SQUARES ACROSS GLOBE

31.1

The President settled at his desk and perused the list of translated headlines from news services around the world.

QUESTION IGNITES UNPRECEDENTED WORLD INTEREST DOUBTERS AND BELIEVERS AGREE – “LET’S ASK”

GOVERNMENTS LOBBIED FOR QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED

WORLD WANTS TO KNOW

POLL VERIFIES GLOBAL CURIOSITY

“A worldwide poll demonstrates overwhelming support for asking the question on everyone’s lips. The poll, conducted in every capital city, asked only two questions.

Do you believe that if everyone wanted to see God at the same time God would actually appear?

68%  yes.

26%  no

 8%   undecided.

Do you believe the world should put this question to the test?

92%  yes

 3%   no

 5%   undecided.”

The President spun his chair and gazed out the window over the lush oasis of the White House garden.

Haven’t you seen enough?

The support is staggering.

It’s time to take control.

And with Christmas Eve only a few weeks away…

Wouldn’t that give everyone – the 26%, and the 68% – the best possible chance to prove their point?

30.1

You are…

You will…

“Do we have a direct line to the Pope, Christie?”

His secretary’s voice was usually one of total discretion, but now the President noticed a faint catch in her breath – like she’d been expecting him to make this call.

“Yes – if you can give me a few minutes – there is a line set up.”

“Listen Christie, the President said softly, “this is a special call. It’s very important that I don’t appear in the slightest bit rude. I don’t want any of this “I have the President of America on the line” here. I’m waiting for him – you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“I want to be there when he lifts the phone. I don’t care how long it takes, just make me wait, not him.”

The President sat quietly and listened as Christie scythed a path through the Vatican until, eventually, an enthusiastic old voice said -

“Hello?”

“Your Holiness…”

This is how John Conquest had told him to address the Pope.

“I need to talk to you.”

“President Stirling… at last… I’ve been waiting for you to call.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“I have.”

“How odd,” the President said with an ironic lilt. “I’ve been waiting for you and all along, you’ve been waiting for me.”

“Sometimes it must be like that,” the Pope said gently. “We needed that time to gauge the reaction of the people. Now we know beyond a shadow of doubt. The people have decided, they want to test the question.”

“You think?”

“I don’t think Hunter, I know.”

29.1

You will go down in history

As the greatest politician the world has ever known.

You will bring universal tolerance.

The pressure on the President to go to the front of the White House and state his position was building by the second. But he had some cleaning up to do first.

“Send them in.”

The twelve members of the Committee for Un-American Activities Abroad filed silently into the Oval Office – like sheep to the slaughter.

The President had studied their files. This was the thick cream at the very top of American society, their biographies riddled with connections to the big-ticket items – oil, mining, and munitions. These were the boys with real money.

“What a miserable bunch you are,” he said.

There was a low grumble of dissent, above which the President distinctly heard the comment -

“What about you?”

He pounced on it – tracing it to its source.

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded, glaring at Adam Wilson.

“Well,” Wilson said, with the confidence of a young man who had inherited billions. “The newspapers are inflaming this story without any restraint at all! Someone needs to take control. You’re the one who’s supposed to be showing leadership here.”

“I’ll show leadership when I’m good and ready,” the President said curtly. “But first I want to deal with you lot.”

28.1

The death of the man known colloquially throughout India as the “King of the sadhus” captured the attention of the faithful as the news spread rapidly through the internet. People wanted to know more about Shard. Was he a leader, a prophet… and if so, of what religion?

Was it true that he had nominated the precise moment of his death?

Was it, in fact, suicide?

Shard’s death and the innuendo surrounding it provided much needed food for a veritable feast of opinion surrounding the existence, or not, of God.

What was the full extent of his vision?

Was it true, that even after his death, this vision would live on?

Was there a film?

When was it going to be released to the public?

By the time the World Press took up the charge, the details of his strange, timely death had already initiated a huge wave of interest.

“King of sadhus predicts moment of death.”

“Predicted death claim ridiculed by physician.”

“Holy man death must be suicide.”

The frenzy about the cause of death peaked at the door of the Coroner’s office. But with his statement that this was “a perfectly natural death” with “no marks or wounds” found on Shard’s body, and “no drug or poison” in his blood, the focus shifted to something more easily digestible.

“Australian footballer at holy man death.”

“Carlton mid-fielder lost in India.”

“Renunciation “unlikely” says football club.”

When the international reporters got their ears to the ground in Mumbai, the claims escalated.

“Max Austin – drugged, brainwashed or hypnotized?”

“Renunciation filmed.”

“Claim camera implanted in footballer’s eye!”

27.1

Shard waited – fasting, mentally preparing for the inevitable moment – until he received the call. When it finally came the conversation was short, but to him, infinitely sweet.

“You have asked me a question, and deserve an answer,” the President said warmly. “All I can say is… as far as I’m concerned, personally… I have no objection to the release of those films. As you say, it may provide a catalyst for change. And my record stands behind me – I have always been an advocate for change.”

“Thank you,” Shard said, relieved.

“Is that all you need from me?” the President asked, with a hopeful lilt.

“Don’t worry,” Shard said. “I’m sure it will all come naturally to you in the end.”

“I hear that…” the President said. “But… when you say “it will all”… frankly Shard, I don’t know if there is any more I can do. After all, this is not my mandate.”

“Ahh well,” Shard said finally. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?”

26.1

“Hunter, imagine if the Regeneration was allowed to run its course, and a date was chosen for the call for God to appear on earth. Imagine that moment, that final moment.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t think I can do that.”

“Imagine if there was no appearance by God. What do you think would happen? If we’d done our best to present ourselves to God, and nothing happened, what do you think would flow from that?”

John waited for the President, forcing an answer.

“It would be a disaster!” the President said at last.

“I don’t think so. I think it would merely be a shock, that you, with you immense popularity, could lead us out of. If anyone could do it, it’s you.”

“Do… what exactly?”

“Move us forward, to the Government we need. With you it’s first ever leader.”

The President laughed this off.

“That’s an interesting sentiment,” he said. “But frankly, I’m surprised to hear you speak like this John. You sound like you don’t even believe God would appear yourself.”

“Of course I do, but… I may be wrong. What Shard is saying is that we need to move on, regardless of who’s right and who’s wrong about God. We need to move on to a better world, while we still have the time and energy oil provides to set it up.

]]> http://themanmademessiah.com/?feed=rss2&p=553 0 http://themanmademessiah.com/?p=549 http://themanmademessiah.com/?p=549#comments Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:30:40 +0000 admin http://themanmademessiah.com/?p=549  

25.1

You are the man made messiah.

You will achieve what no leader has ever dreamed of achieving.

The President rolled over – clawing for badly needed sleep. Was all this possible? Was it actually happening? Did they really expect him to lead the world into something as risky as this? Didn’t they understand, it was difficult enough being the President of America!

If everyone wanted to see God at the same time… would God appear?

What do you think?

Is that possible?

The more he searched for sleep, the more distant it became. He was lost in half-sleep. Here, without normal conscious control, his routine, re-assuring monologue was hijacked by a foreign director with a hidden agenda. Muzzled during the day, the director only appeared in the dead of night. In half-sleep’s deep abandonment, he would play with the President, like a child with a toy, gaining perverse pleasure by perching him perilously on the pinnacle of life on earth.

Why couldn’t it be done?

Think about it…

People might not need that much convincing.

After all, the planet is nowhere near perfect.

Let’s face it – we all know how bad life is for some people.

And everyone knows – “some people” are really most people.

And “most people” are more people every day.

His arm twitched in spasm as his body reacted to the deep disturbance beneath his conscious mind.

For most people it just gets worse.

And for their children… worse still.

Such is life on earth – Suicide Capital of the Universe.

And we all know, it’s only going to get worse.

The President was curious, but tentative. Ever since he’d heard about the sadhus and their experiment with Max he’d had a growing fascination with the idea, and found himself secretly willing it on. Was it possible that sadhus had been receiving messages from God? Had Max received such a message? What was it all supposed to mean for him and the world?

“Hunter Bryson Stirling, it’s very good of you to call.”

The President was warmed by the familiarity of Shard’s tone.

“Your Prime Minister asked me to contact you. He said you had something you wanted to tell me,” he said, concealing his excitement.

“Hunter,” Shard said warmly. “You are a lucky man. Born in a great country, given every opportunity… for many years you’ve felt the power of the world at your feet. Now it’s time for you to rise to your greatest challenge. All you need to do is settle the religions.”

“Oh… is that all?” the President laughed.

“Tell me Hunter,” Shard pressed, “how are you with religion?”

Hunter Stirling had never been particularly interested in religion.

“I’ve always considered religion a personal matter,” he said.

“And you – personally?”

“You’ve asked me to call because you want to know my personal attitude towards religion?”

“I do.”

The President felt reluctant, constrained by the formality of his office. He never discussed religion with anyone, particularly not in the Oval office. But his natural curiosity crushed this reactionary bent.

Tell him…

What does it matter!

“Frankly, I’m ambivalent about the whole concept of God.”

“Ambivalent,” Shard repeated. “That’s excellent!”

Among the multitude of phone messages on the President’s desk, the one which most ignited his curiosity was from the Prime Minister of India, asking him to return his call “or call Shard direct on 1337302977”. His inclination was to find out what they wanted immediately, but the thought of the Chairman brooding restlessly outside was the more pressing.

“Send him in.”

The Chairman minced into the office with the normal, self-assured smirk and settled into the seat opposite the President.

“Charles,” the President said tersely. “Why have you and your Committee been operating without my approval?”

The Chairman’s smirk disappeared.

“Are you referring to Sands, Mr President?”

“Tell me, what gives you the right to unilaterally decide to go out and kill an innocent young Australian?”

“There was never a DKO posted on anyone!” the Chairman protested. “I assure you, there is absolutely nothing that needs covering up here. You are perfectly in the clear.”

“I can see no other reason for you to employ someone as sinister as that buffoon, Marlon Sands!”

“Let’s just say it didn’t happen and leave it at that.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” the President said coldly. “What is he doing right now? Is he still working for you?”

“Well no, not officially.”

“And what does that mean?”

“I mean, we’re trying to call him but…”

“Trying to call him?”

“He’s not picking up.”

“You can’t be serious!”