Kneeling Man: Oi, God! Have you seen this one where the Pope tweets about hate, darkness, love, hope and human faces (not faeces).
God: Why did you bring faeces into it? Shock value?
KM: Yeah. And because the Pope has been known to talk about being sexually aroused by faeces, but there’ll be another post about that.
God: So what’s your problem with this one? Seems pretty uncontroversial.
KM: I haven’t seen much hate and darkness recently. Should I look for some so that I can bring love and hope?
God: Well… it’s usually not a good idea to go looking for trouble, so maybe that’s not what the Pontiff meant.
KM: I’m pleased to hear that. I mean I’ll still bring love and hope if I do stumble upon some hate in the darkness.
God: That’s good to hear.
KM: I do wonder about one thing though.
God: What’s that, Neel?
KM: I know that love and hope are human attributes, but hate is too isn’t it? I mean animals don’t hate do they?
God: It’s a side of humanity that needs to be discouraged and defeated.
KM: Why did you make humans capable of so much hate?
God: I didn’t make it that way. I gave humanity free will. Humanity made hate common.
KM: Sounds like a bit of a cop out to me. But never mind. I think the Pope’s a bit confused saying that love and hope will give society a more human face. Isn’t society a perfect reflection of humanity already? A warts and all sort of human face.
God: Perfect and imperfect both.
KM: By perfect, I didn’t mean good. I meant accurate.
God: Ah, right. But it doesn’t explain why different societies are so very different.
KM: The main differences seem to be in the way they relate to you.
God: Oh, you think?
KM: Especially in the case of the ones where they’re prepared to kill each other on the basis of how they relate to you.
God: I think you might be getting a wee bit off the track there, Neel. It’s very late, you must be tired.
KM: You’re the one that started that idea.
God: Good night, Neel. Sleep well.
KM: Night, God.
God: Phew!
KM: Sorry? Did you say something?
God:
