Old tales and new prophets

Tales are meant to be told, not read. There are few who cannot hear, although many who do not listen. And even more who read, but do not understand.

This podcast tells of old tales and new prophets.

(c) William L. Enyart
Email: bill@billenyart.com

Transcript

Old tales and new prophets 

Tales are meant to be told, not read. There are few who cannot hear, although many who do not listen. And even more who read, but do not understand.

There are doers of deeds and tellers of such doings. It is unseemly that the doers of deeds tell the tales.

Telling of stories is a gift from the gods. A gift like strength of arm or stoutness of heart or fleetness of foot.

Unlike those gifts, telling of tales does not fade with age. For those gifted, it ripens. For those gifted, the living of life adds to the richness of the texture.

Losses and joys alike add to the story. 

Few there are who carry that gift. For some a burden, for other’s a necessity, for others a joy.

It is the tellers of tales who provide the genetic memory of the human race.  Without their voices carrying through the ages there would be no memory. There would be no light luring us forward.

Just as sometimes the genetic strand breaks, just as sometimes a mutation takes place, sometimes the tale is mistold. Sometimes the listener fails to hear what is told.

When the spirit is weak and the words are wrong the message fails.

When the spirit is strong yet the words wrong, the message fails. When the spirit is wrong and the words strong the people are led astray.

It is the duty of story tellers to listen to the spirit. To channel the spirit. It is good and right to hear the spirit. It is good and right to bring that light to the people. 

All people have a portion of the spirit within them. Not all can share it. Not all can pronounce it. Not all can use it in ways that are wise.

What are the wise ways? 

The wise ways tell of grace and light and hope. The reality we live in is a confusing and complex and often dark place. A place with as many realities as there may be people. Yet we know that is not the way.

What is the way? Is the way confusion and chaos? Is the way hatred and disgust? Is the way unimaginable wealth lording over squalor and poverty? Is the way believers murdering other believers through religious and state sanctioned violence?

How have our lives changed since Abel and Cain?

How have our warring tribes changed since the earliest tales told?

Are we building a tower of Babel with our computers and our space shots? 

We are salting our fields with the foulness of our wastes. 

We fail to control the lusts of our leaders, whether they be business, religious or political leaders. 

They lust for power and wealth and yet more. Is there no satisfying their lusts? Why are we sheep that we fail to tame them? Why do we allow them, even encourage them, to lead us astray. To lead us from the path of righteousness.

We have now, and always have had, many who are false prophets. It is time to denounce the false prophets. It is time to deny the false prophets. It is time for new prophets. Prophets who do not lust for lust’s sake, but rather seek harmony. Who seek peace. Who seek justice. Who believe in the dignity and worth of all. 

Are there such prophets? Do they have words? Do they have tongues? Will they be heard?

For three decades and more, I served as a man of the sword. I am near on to old age now with scars and weary bones and the knowledge that I sent men and women to their deaths for a nation that little knows nor cares of the lives they lived.

I speak now not of girding loins for battle, but rather echo the words of Isaiah: And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4 KJV.

Empires have come and gone. The pharaohs, the Greeks, the Romans, the British. Those of the Chinese, the Russians, the Americans will fall also.  

The empires of the Hudson Bay Trading Company, the East India Company, Sears, have risen and fallen just as Amazon, Google and Facebook will. The fortunes of men have swollen and collapsed, just as they will continue to do. 

We have worshipped the gods of power and wealth and fame. 

I lust for none of those things any longer. Now I long to form the words of tales. The words that help another see light. The words that tell the tale. The tale of truth.

Those who will not listen are cursed. Cursed not by me but by their blindness, their deafness. Peace is achieved not by satisfying lust, for lust can never be satisfied, only appeased. Peace is achieved by appreciation. Appreciation of the wonder of life. The wonder of this creation that we are witness to. 

May the prophets speak before the time is too late.

(c) William L. Enyart
www.billenyart.com
Email: bill@billenyart.com