Green Pastures Page #8

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I stood all I can from you.

I tried to make this a good Earth.

I helped Adam, and I helped Noah.

I helped Moses, and I helped David.

And what's the grain

that grew out of the seed?

Sin. Nothing but sin

throughout the whole world.

I've given you every chance...

and now the High Priest of Israel

dares trifle with my name.

Listen, you children of darkness,

your Lawd is tired.

I'm tired of the struggle...

to make you worthy

of the breath I gave you.

I put you in bondage again to save you...

and you're worse than you was

amongst the fleshpots of Egypt.

So I renounce you.

Listen to the words

of your Lawd God Jehovah...

for they is the last words

you ever gonna hear from me.

I repent of these people I made...

and I'll deliver them no more.

- Who is it?

- The delegation, Lawd.

Tell them to come in.

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- Good morning, Lawd.

What can I do for you?

You know, Lawd. Go back to our people.

Every day for hundreds of years,

you come in and ask the same thing.

The answer is still the same.

I repented of the people I made

and said I would deliver them no more.

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- Good morning, Lawd.

Gabe, why do they do it?

I expect they think

you're going to change your mind.

They don't know me.

And you down there

don't know me, either.

Is something else wrong, Lawd?

It's a man.

He ain't exactly praying...

but he's talking in such a way

I got to listen.

His name is Hezdrel.

He's a man no one ever heard of.

I can hear his voice now.

Tell him to stop.

I find I don't want to do that, even.

They's getting ready

to take Jerusalem down there.

That was my big fine city.

This here man, Hezdrel,

is just one of the defenders.

I ain't coming down. Does you hear me?

I ain't coming down.

Go along, Gabriel, and tend to your chores.

I'm going to be working here a while.

- I hates to see you feeling like this, Lawd.

- That's all right.

Even being God ain't no bed of roses.

I hear you.

I know you's fighting bravely...

but I done told you

I ain't coming down there.

The fighting's stopped

for the night, Hezdrel...

but it's going to begin again at cockcrow.

King Herod said

he's gonna take the temple tomorrow.

Burn the Ark of the Covenant,

and put us all to the sword.

- You's ready, ain't you?

- Yes, Hezdrel.

Then take these wounded men here back

and get them took care of.

So King Herod's going to

burn the temple, is he?

Well, what if they do?

If they kills us, we leaps out of our skins

right into the lap of God.

De Lawd will be here,

looking out for his people as usual.

Won't you, Lawd?

Why don't you leave me alone?

You know you ain't talking to me.

Is you talking to me?

I can't stand you talking that way.

I can only hear half what you say,

and it puzzles me.

Don't you know you can't puzzle God?

You want me to come down very much?

You know I said

I wouldn't come down there.

Why don't he answer me a little?

Listen, I'll tell you what I'll do.

I ain't going to promise you nothing...

and I ain't going to do nothing to help you.

I'm just feeling a little low...

but I'm only coming down there

to make myself...

feel a little better. That's all.

Why, he looks like the first one I made.

Like Adam.

But he ain't in no garden now.

- Hello, Hezdrel.

- Who is you?

Don't you know?

- Is you a preacher?

- Yes.

I've come a long ways

to ask you something.

- What?

- How come you all are so brave?

- 'Cause we's got faith.

- Faith?

- In who?

- In our dear Lawd.

But De Lawd said

he was through with mankind.

You talking about that old God of wrath.

- We's got a new Lawd now.

- Who said so?

Our preacher. Old Mr. Hosea.

But you know there's only one God.

Ain't there?

Maybe there is.

Maybe we just got tired of his appearance

that old way.

What do you mean?

I mean that old God that walked the Earth

in the shape of a man.

I guess he lived with man so much

till all he could see was the sins in man.

That's what made him a god of wrath.

Of course, they's the same God.

He just ain't fearsome no more.

Now he's a god of mercy.

Mercy?

How did you humans

find out about mercy?

The only way we could find it.

- The only way anyone can find it.

- How is that?

Through suffering.

So that's what faith is.

Thank you, Hezdrel.

- For what?

- For teaching me something.

I guess I been so far away...

I was just way behind the times.

The cock's done crowed, Hezdrel.

They started fighting again.

We's ready. Come on, boys!

This is the day they say they'll get us.

Let's fight until the last man goes.

What do you say?

Let's go!

You look a little pensive, Lawd.

- Want a cigar, Lawd?

- No, thanks, Gabriel.

You look awful pensive, Lawd.

You've been setting here,

looking this way...

a awful long time.

- Is it something serious, Lawd?

- Very serious, Gabriel.

I'm just thinking.

What about, Lawd?

Something the boy Hezdrel told me

about Hosea and himself.

How they found mercy. Mercy.

Through suffering, he said.

I'm trying to find it, too.

It's awful important, Gabriel,

to all the people on my Earth.

Did he mean that even God...

must suffer?

Listen.

There's someone else on the Earth.

Look at him.

They're going to make him

carry it up that high hill.

They're going to nail him to it.

That's a terrible burden

for one man to carry.

Yes!

We's going home, Mr. Clutty.

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