A Conversation With the Devil

A Conversation With The Devil
Author Unknown

I recently underwent a period of enforced inactivity.Since my body was immobile, I let my mind range over the world. I gradually became aware of threads ofdarkness. They joined together into streams, and allseemed to lead in the same direction. I followed them,out of curiosity, and finally discovered their center.It was an indescribably terrible and disgusting sight.I knew that I found The Source of All Evil. I was justabout to withdraw when I realized that something waswatching me.

"Hello", it said, "Nice of you to drop by. I don't get many visitors."
"Well, I don't wonder," I answered."Just look at all this."
"Oh, that's just the back yard", it said. "Come on in."I was suddenly in a clean, light, pleasant space. I was facing something I couldn't quite see.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Well, many of you call me 'Satan'." Suddenly I could see him perfectly. He looked exactly as I had imagined he might.
"Are you the Source of All Evil?"
He laughed. "Well, isn't that what you created me to be?"
"And you go around spreading misfortunethroughout the world?"
"Oh, my, no", he said. "I'm just the reflector. I justtake all the energies of hate, envy, fear and the likeand send them back the way they came."
"But don't you steal souls and hurt people and...?"
"I wouldn't spend my energy that way, even if I could,"he said. "All I do is make your 'less lovable' emotionsmore visible to you."
"Well, ok", I said, "but I have had some bad thingshappen, and *I* don't send out any evil energies." Helooked at me, and raised his eyebrows, ever so slightly.I blushed. "Well, not very many." He just looked at me."Well, not as many as other people I know."
"You mean, 'Thank God that I am not as other men'?" Hestill had that same amused expression.
"Ok, you win. But it still doesn't seem quiteto balance out."
"Well, think of it this way", he said. "Imagine thatyou are standing in a long line of men, all pissinginto the wind. Even if you don't piss as much, youstill get wet."
"Isn't there some way out?"
"Sure. If you stop, maybe those on either side of youwill notice, and stop too. Eventually, you may dry out."He laughed. "Or you could get out of the line."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, as long as you let others define your reality,and set your values for you, you are standing rightthere in that line."
I suddenly thought of something. "You're the Source ofAll Evil, right?"
"Well, *one* of them."
"Huh?"
"Remember, I'm really just a symbol that you created.Any religion, any political movement, any group canbe The Source of All Evil for *somebody*. I was mostlyfor Western Christianity, although I don't seem to beas popular as I once was."
"Yeah, well, ok. But is there a Source of All Good?"
"Several."
"Well, I mean..." I was suddenly embarrassed.How do you ask the Devil about God?
He saw my difficulty. "Yes, I know the family you arethinking about. The Father was created as a stern,unyielding figure, strong enough to make *other people*behave. Of course, if you use Him for that, He willalso make *you* behave. He isn't very popular anymore,except among a few groups who still want *others* toact properly. The Holy Ghost was created to fix up afine point in a theological argument. He never attractedmuch interest otherwise. The Mother still hasa considerable following. She represents love topeople, much more so than the Father ever did."
"And they are trying to undo the evil in the world?"
"They are reflectors, just as I am."
"But the miracles that she performs, aren't they real?"
"Of course", he said. "When you have a lot of purelove-energy moving, good things happen."
"And the Son?" I wondered.
"People use his name a lot, but they don't really paymuch attention to what he stood for. It seems you wantto settle all of your old scores *first*, _then_ you'llbe ready to love each other." Satan appeared very amusedat this. "Except for the Mother, the whole family doesn'tseem to hold your interest anymore. And even she gets lessattention than she used to."
"Doesn't it bother them to be ignored this way? Put outto pasture, as it were?"
"Of course not. Once you created us, we have our ownexistence. We go on growing and learning, just as youdo. All of us are forever. Including you. There is noend to our growing and becoming. We will act as symbolsfor as long as you want us, and then we will go on towhatever comes next."
My mind was filled with questions, but I suddenly feltthat I was being pulled away. "Wait!" I cried. "I haveso much more to ask!"
"I'm surprised you were able to stay as long as you did",he said. "But come back anytime. If you can."
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The stars were very bright outside my window.I hate it when I can't sleep.