the way to Earth

God dried his tears and waited for the next brand new soul to enter the departure room.

The Divine drew a slow deep breath. Time stopped for a moment and then raced to catch up.

The door between time and space opened and a little purple cloud floated in timidly.

God met it with a big smile.

“There you are, little soul! I’ve been waiting an eternity for this moment!” God said with her trademarked laugh.

“Here I am...” The new soul said with a shaky voice.

“Are you ready for your first day?” God asked.

The new soul approached the tube and nodded tentatively. It studied the tube that was supposed to send it down to Earth in a flurry of light and song.

“Don’t be nervous, little one,” God said while cupping the soul up in his large hands and holding it tight up against her luminous naked chest.

“The journey to your body will be smooth. It will feel like riding a tide.”

“I don’t know what a tide is...”

“Oh, you will someday, little one, you will!” God exclaimed with a chuckle. “Tides are amazing! If you ever want to remember where you came from go spend time watching waves.”

“Okay...”

God’s smile widened. He so loved this part. God held the soul even closer.

“Ready?”

“Okay...” the new soul said.

The warmth of God’s touch spread a charge through its wispy form. Like the softest of lightning.

“Before you go I need to ask you the question that I ask every single soul I send to Earth,” God said while laying the soul down into the tube.

“All right...” the new soul responded uncertainly.

God leaned down and kissed the new soul at the apex of its billowing shape.

The kiss sent another charge of electricity through the soul - but this one was much stronger than the first. The new soul felt the first pangs of life move through it.

Its essence groaned with creation.

The tube began to hum. An ancient song began to play.

“Are you ready for your question, little soul?” God asked.

“Yes...” the soul replied.

God stared straight into the core of the soul with the gentlest of eyes. Her eyes contained the light of Genesis.

God leaned in and asked:

“Will you be kind to every other soul you meet while you are in your body on Earth?”

The soul paused a bit before answering - for dramatic effect.

This wasn’t a question wasn’t a surprise. The new soul had been told during orientation that God would ask it - but wanted to pretend to give a thoughtful reply.

The new soul wanted God to think that it had reflected on it deeply despite the fact that there was only one way it could answer the question.

After a moment the new soul answered:

“Yes, God, of course, I’ll be kind.”

“To every other soul?”

“Yes -to every other soul.”

God’s smile stretched out into the corners of the universe.

“Well, then little love, your adventure begins right now! Enjoy the adventure!”

The new soul began to vibrate. The tube closed around it and in a flash it was gone.

“Have a great first day on Earth, little one! Remember to look for the waves if you ever get homesick down there!” God yelled out to the fading contrails of the freshly vanished soul.

The room fell silent.

God began to sob.

“Why are you crying?” An eavesdropping Nebula asked as it was passing by.

God always found his celestial creations to be the most nosy.

God drew a slow deep breath before responding. Time stopped for a moment and then raced to catch up.

“Because the new souls always unintentionally lie when they answer my question,” God said while brushing the tears from her burning cheeks.

“They aren’t going to be kind?” the Nebula inquired.

“Not to everyone,” God replied quietly. “It’s really hard for them down there to live with kindness. They eventually decide that it’s fine to only show empathy to certain people. Sometimes they will only be kind in order get something out of it. They treat kindness as a transaction.”

The purple nebula frowned.

“They forget the promise they make to me…” God said with his voice trailing off.

“If you know that these new souls are going to forget about their promise to you why do you even bother sending them down there in the first place?” The Passing Nebula asked.

“Just in case,” God whispered.

“Just in case, what?” the aspiring constellation replied.

“Just in case they remember.”

The nebula hugged God farewell before disappearing into itself.

God drew a slow deep breath. Time stopped for a moment and then raced to catch up.

The Divine dried his tears and waited for the next brand new soul to enter the departure room.

The door between time and space opened and a little aqua cloud floated in timidly.

God met it with a big smile.

“There you are, little soul! I’ve been waiting an eternity for this moment!” God said with her trademarked laugh.

~ john roedel (unpublished)