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	Gerald's Bird The story about Gerald and his bird is no exception. The reader is not told whether Gerald is real or not, but the end of the story may supply the answer – it all depends on how you interpret . . . [ read more ] The story about Gerald and his bird is no exception. The reader is not told whether Gerald is real or not, but the end of the story may supply the answer – it all depends on how you interpret it. Gerald may in fact be "suffering from a rare medical condition" as the teacher says, and has to "protect himself from bumps and bangs", or he may be made of wax. Perhaps his bird is the key to the puzzle? I do not actually say one way or the other. In the Bible, people and the Earth itself are both described as "wax" many times. God created all living things with the Word of His command, and the first humans were made from the earth. The metaphor of "wax" is very interesting. Scientifically speaking, all material will melt when it is hot enough – even diamonds. Everything will burn. Metaphorically, all life depends on God’s sustaining power to remain intact. In a very real sense, everything is made of "wax". "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." Psalms 22:14 And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place." Micah 1:4 "And the Lord God of hosts is he that touches the land, and it shall melt." Amos 9:5 [ close ]
	People of the Mist
	Seeds of Distortion
	St. Meular's
	The Smell of Love In this story a love-sick boy is caught out with a lie, and in order to conceal it, he uses a magic perfume on his girlfriend. Thoughtful people know that if coercion or force are used on another pers . . . [ read more ] In this story a love-sick boy is caught out with a lie, and in order to conceal it, he uses a magic perfume on his girlfriend. Thoughtful people know that if coercion or force are used on another person, to the degree that that force is used, the person’s free will is removed. The more force, the less free will. True love never forces itself on another person, because if force is involved it is not true love any more. The love-sick boy finds himself having to trade off his youth to win the affection of his girl, which is quite a noble action, but as he ages prematurely he realizes how foolish he has been. Life is fleeting, and age comes to us all soon enough. Why hurry it? The boy realizes that the trade off he has made makes it increasingly difficult to win the heart of the one he loves. The end of the story is a flash forward to where all mortals arrive in time – nothing but bones – and even the bones disappear in time. When I wrote this story I was thinking about how large a sacrifice would a man make in order to win the love of a woman, and what kind of sacrifice really mattered. The question remains. There may be no complete answer. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1 "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return to me; for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." Galatians 3:13 "For you are bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6:20 "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18 God has given His all to win the hear [ close ]