A waiting room. There is a man here who feels lost and guilty. He feels fear of an eternal punishment for his past crimes. Fear of judgments for his actions. The fear of being judged? unworthy, unclean, evil; wrong. He?s terrified that these words describe him. There are things about himself that he finds wrong, that he doesn?t like. There are other people in the room that he fears they will not like as well. He shifts in his seat, reminds himself again to be calm, and stays composed. This man is insecure, but everyone in the world feels insecurity. Everyone buries it under logic. Knowledge is the ultimate power, for without it people would be consumed by fear.

Unfortunetly for this man, he is dead. Everything about this room is terrifying to him, but its familiar form as a waiting room is calming enough for him to remain composed. He doesn?t know what will happen next, but he understands that he?s waiting for something to happen. The other people in this room understand the same thing. A door opens, and an aged man enters the door frame. He is tall, yet healthy; about 40-looking, brown skin and he dresses in business-like clothes. But is that really a man? How can he be if he?s dead? In fact, is anybody in this room human?

?Ronald Cohen? He says; the name of the man we?ve been focusing on. Ronald identifies these words that have identified him and that if this was a waiting room, those words would be a signal for Ronald to follow this person. Ronald stands from his seat, approaches the businessman, and is invited into the next room. The businessman shuts the door behind him. The room he enters is what Ronald recognizes as an office, but does this office really exist?

?Hello, Ronald? the businessman says to him and offers his hand.

?Hello.? Ronald rebukes, and shakes the hand. A common North American greeting, but this is the afterlife. North America doesn?t exist here.

?I?m going to help you understand your situation.? says the businessman. ?I know you must be feeling a little disoriented. Before we go any further, let me introduce myself. I am the entity recognized in your life as the Christian God, Jehovah; and I would like for you not to call me anything other than Joe, okay??

Ronald stares blankly at Joe, and then cracks a smile and laughs, relieved that Joe is friendly. He nods his head and shakes Joe?s hand. ?Sure.? says Ronald, through a chuckle.

Joe leans toward Ronald with a warm smile. ?Not quite what you were expecting; was it??

Ron laughs. ?No, no, I?m jewish.?

?Have a seat.? says Joe.

Ronald sits down on a chair in front of Joe?s desk. Joe rounds the corners and sits down in his own chair, which happens to look very comfortable. Ronald?s chair is also very comfortable, but not much more comfortable than is to be expected of a guest chair in an office. It all seems very familiar?

?Is there anything you would like; beverage, snack? We have everything.? Joe says.

Ron is cautious to answer. ?Everything??

?Anything you desire.?

Ron is still cautious. After all, he?s dead, and in the presence of a God he never acknowledged until now.

As if sensing that thought, Joe replies. ?Believe me, it?s absolutely no trouble. I am able to create anything; I do it all the time. If there?s anything that will make this transition for you easier, then you should have it with you, here.?

Ronald is more calm now, and carefully thinks about requesting something. He remembers the scent of baking from his life. Pastries his father cooked in his youth. Suddenly, a beautiful cake appears on the desk in front of Ronald. He is shocked, but is then joyous, amazed. He laughs again. He reaches out to touch it, runs his finger across the surface and scrapes a small pile of icing off the cake. He tastes it.

?Pretty cool, right?? says Joe.

?Yeah.? says Ronald.

?But you understand, Ron, that you aren?t really eating cake right now.? Joe explains. Ronald follows that thought and suddenly becomes silent. ?You are dead now, Ron.?

Ron continues to ponder this, and reaches the conclusion that nothing he sees before him is real.

?That?s right.? exclaims Joe. ?What you are experiencing now is a world of familiarities. This is a world I have created to ease the passing of spirits. It reflects the knowledge you gained in life and creates a calming space. The last thing you need to do is panic.? Joe reaches for the handle on a file drawer to his right and pulls it out. ?Now, let?s begin. I can answer any questions you have.?

Ronald immediately responds. ?Where?s? What?s going to happen to my family??

?You should know that time is moving much more slowly here than on earth. Your family has already lived out their lives, and you will be able to see them right after we?re finished this? orientation of your death. They?re going through the same orientation right now, separately of course.?

The blank stare returns to Ron?s face; he understands enough and nods. ?Okay??

Joe removes a folder from the desk. ?The life you lived was a trial. The goal of the trial was to live out your entire life until you either die of natural causes, or are killed. Taking your life is a failure to complete the trial.? Joe withdraws a book from the desk and sets it on top of the folder. ?In your life, you are born into a world of restrictions, very much unlike death. You must walk on the ground, eat food and to some degree, exercise so that you can survive. You need to be responsible for yourself in life in order to survive.?

?Wh-Why?? Ron interrupts.

?Why?? Joe replies.

?Why do we need to live??

?Life, as I have created it,? Joe explains. ?Is a means to educate you about dreams.?

?Why dreams?? Ron asks.

?Death is the eternal sleep, Ronald. You are dreaming as we speak, a dream I have made for you. You see, in life where you are restricted, dreams have infinite freedom. Only with those restrictions can you understand the freedom you have in dreams. The ability to manipulate dreams comes from knowledge of the contrast between the moments when you are awake, and when you dream. This knowledge is the key to surviving your death. Without it, you would not have a form or consciousness. You would not exist in life or in death.?

?Why? do I exist??

Joe pauses for a moment, looks at Ron, and chuckles. ?What is the meaning of this life, you mean??

Ron cocks his head to the side, becoming confused by his own question.

?The reason for the existence of life and death and the universe itself is very simple. When I created reality as you know it, it was because I wanted to.?

Ron stares at God, dumbfounded by such a simple answer.

?Think of it much like the way you played the piano in your life. The songs you wrote, and the music you played were created by your will to create. The same concept applies to when I created this universe.?

?? Oh.? Ron deadpanned.

?Of course, there are other reasons why you exist as well. Everything that exists is a part of me. I am in every individual mind and I am always experiencing everything everywhere. I am in you, and your family, and the world you lived in, and the dreams of all living things? This universe, as I see it is my finest creation. It?s composed of an infinite cycle of infinite cycles. It continues to add to itself as time passes. Though when I created humanity it was the first time I created beings with sentience, a free will of their own. Earth is very complex; full of individuals who experience life and death, and it continually manufactures eternal dreams. I love dreams, and being a part of them. Humanity gives me endless dreams and experiences, and via those dreams, I have experienced millions of wonderful things. That is the reason I created the universe.?

?Are there other worlds besides earth?? Ron speaks.

?Many.? Joe replies. ?The universe alters as I see fit; I?ve created advanced intelligence and primitive intelligence on many worlds. But humanity was truly the first.?

Ron suddenly feels insignificant. ?Is that all? We just exist to please you??

?Everything that exists is to please me, Ronald. I cast away evil. I sever it from myself and send it into the void.?

Evil; a fearful word.

?Yes, Ronald; Hell exists. Hell is the dominion of souls who can?t accept the world I created. They commit sins and dishonor. Hell is full of things I despise.?

This is the fear of God. The fear of being judged as unworthy of existing in this life or death that he has created.

?You understand clearly now.? Joe speaks. Or is it Jehovah now? There is no longer anything friendly about this man. He is Ronald?s God, and now is the time of judgement. The fear of God is in Ronald, and he now trembles before him. Gone is the calming office, there is no need for it anymore. Ronald Cohen and Jehova stand facing each other on the edge of nothing.

Jehovah speaks again. ?There are sins in your past that are wicked. I despise these sins you committed. It infuriates me to be associated with them though you. You know clearly that it is only by my will right now that you are not yet cast into hell.?

Ronald falls to his knees.

?I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. All but one of my ten commandments you broke in servitude of your pleasure!?

?No!? Ronald panics

?Lying to me, to my face?? Jehovah shouts.

?Please, don?t send me to hell!? Ronald begs.

?You have committed disgusting acts in your life! I hate the things you have done!?

?I?m sorry!? Ron begs, on his knees and crying. ?I?m slime, I know! I cheated on Laura, and I?ve always felt this guilt for hurting her. The last thing I said to her, and my parents. They loved me and I never respected them. There are mistakes in my life I?ve always wanted to take back.?

?You are a thief!?

?I?m not anymore! I loved my new wife and my sons! I swore I would become better for them.?

?And instead you became a sloth! You ran from them and fed off garbage. You were an object of disgust in your life, barely worthy of pity!?

?I beg your forgiveness, my lord! Please, I don?t send me into hell! I want to see my family, I want to tell them how sorry I am! Please, Lord! Please!?

A solid ground appears under his feet, and Ronald looks to his left to see the cross. Blood spills out from the cracks in the wood, and Jehova stands before him garmed in red cloth. Jehovah bares his naked chest to Ronald and speaks again.

?Do you truly repent the sins you have committed in your life??

Ronald prays for his forgiveness as he answers this question. ?I? I do, Lord.?

And just as he utters the words, the flesh is torn from Jehovah?s body. 20 slashes spill blood from Jehovah?s bosom, and a drop of blood is spilled for every sin in his past. Ronald cannot speak or move. Blood has spilled across his face.



A dining table. Ronald Cohen and Jehovah sit together. Jehovah has restored his flesh. On Ronald?s plate is bread, and in the grale, whine.

?This is the last supper. The bread is my flesh, the wine is my blood. The sins of your life are cleansed from our body, and cast into hell.?



A door. Jehovah and Ronald Cohen stand in front of it.

?I forgive your transgression.? says Jehovah.

?Thank you.? says Ronald.

?There is no sin that can not be forgiven as long as the sinner repents what he or she has done. This is the edge of the dream I have made for you. Beyond this door, you will receive eternal peace. You can see your family anytime.?

Ronald cautiously enters, and the door closes behind him. Again, there is nothing. This world he has entered is absolutely empty. He looks behind him to see the door has vanished, and in its place is a book and a white folder. Objects removed from Jehovah?s desk. On top of the book is a piece of paper, a note which reads as follows.



?The contents of the folder is the record of your life and the lessons you learned. The contents of this book is the record of my life and my wisdom. You are dreaming an eternal dream, a reality that bends to your desire. Continue to dream as I do, and as others did before me.?



In the beginning, there was god?