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Literature Text
Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the marketplace, and cried incessantly, "I seek God! I seek God!" As many of those who do not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. "Why, did he get lost?" said one. "Did he lose his way like a child?" said another. "Or is He hiding? Is He afraid of us? Has He gone on a voyage? Or emigrated?" Thus they yelled and laughed. The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his glances.
"Whither is God?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have failed Him – you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how have we done this? Why have we tried to drink up the sea? Why have we tried to wipe away the entire horizon? Why have we tried to unchain this earth from its sun? Whither is its course now? Wither is our course now? Away from all light? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, and forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night and more night coming on all the while? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the foolish, who try to bury God? Are they not joyfully proclaiming of God's decomposition? The gods decompose. But God is not dead. He did not remain dead. We killed Him – and we have failed Him. How shall we, the murderers of all murderers, comfort ourselves? What was holiest and most powerful of all that the world has yet known has bled to death under our hammers and nails. Who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the great doom of our deed too great a doom for us? Do we believe ourselves to be becoming gods because of it? There has never been a greater doom; and whomever is born – for the sake of this deed, he will be part of a higher history."
Here the madman fell silent, and looked again at his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have not come soon enough," he said then; "my time is running short. This tremendous event has come and gone – it has fallen on the deaf ears of man. Light takes time to cross space. The light of the Son has not yet reached the hearts of man. We require time to be told of the deed. We require time to hear of it, to listen, and to turn from our fallen ways. And yet, this deed is still more distant from man than the most distant stars – and yet they have done it themselves."
For we have killed God. Yes, we killed God. And yet, when He rose from the dead, He forgave us our murder. He forgave the murder of Himself, because He yet loved us. And we have failed Him.
Why love Christ today? The "Father" in God has been thoroughly denied; ditto, "the Judge", "the Rewarder". Also, his gift of "free will": they say He does not hear – and that if He did hear, He would not help. They say He is incapable of clear communication: is He unclear?
"I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you truly know me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him, and have seen Him." "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness supress the Truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine Nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools..."
"Whither is God?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have failed Him – you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how have we done this? Why have we tried to drink up the sea? Why have we tried to wipe away the entire horizon? Why have we tried to unchain this earth from its sun? Whither is its course now? Wither is our course now? Away from all light? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, and forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night and more night coming on all the while? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the foolish, who try to bury God? Are they not joyfully proclaiming of God's decomposition? The gods decompose. But God is not dead. He did not remain dead. We killed Him – and we have failed Him. How shall we, the murderers of all murderers, comfort ourselves? What was holiest and most powerful of all that the world has yet known has bled to death under our hammers and nails. Who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the great doom of our deed too great a doom for us? Do we believe ourselves to be becoming gods because of it? There has never been a greater doom; and whomever is born – for the sake of this deed, he will be part of a higher history."
Here the madman fell silent, and looked again at his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have not come soon enough," he said then; "my time is running short. This tremendous event has come and gone – it has fallen on the deaf ears of man. Light takes time to cross space. The light of the Son has not yet reached the hearts of man. We require time to be told of the deed. We require time to hear of it, to listen, and to turn from our fallen ways. And yet, this deed is still more distant from man than the most distant stars – and yet they have done it themselves."
For we have killed God. Yes, we killed God. And yet, when He rose from the dead, He forgave us our murder. He forgave the murder of Himself, because He yet loved us. And we have failed Him.
Why love Christ today? The "Father" in God has been thoroughly denied; ditto, "the Judge", "the Rewarder". Also, his gift of "free will": they say He does not hear – and that if He did hear, He would not help. They say He is incapable of clear communication: is He unclear?
"I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you truly know me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him, and have seen Him." "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness supress the Truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine Nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools..."
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Kudos to whomever can point to the author and work from whom I ripped this piece.
He would be tearing out his hair in his grave if he read this, for sure.
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He would be tearing out his hair in his grave if he read this, for sure.
Nota Bene: Simply flaming will result in your comments being deleted, and you being blocked. Be useful.
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I don't' know the work. 