Electric Candles

Cheap candles flicker around the table; cheap remnants of a cheap God, made in China, required by city code, because somebody got burned.
I think God is dead, rolling in his grave. There was a fair trial, of course. The prosecutor said he simply had to go; this god is a danger to society.
Then I think they killed Him. They did it once before and he was dead for three days. This time it might be longer. But they don't realize that every time they try to kill Him, they only kill their substitute. When the Philistines laid the Ark of the Covenant before their god, they found it dead in the morning. As dead as the stuff it was made from. This modern god might last a little longer.
They say boring people are bored. But perhaps boring people are people who have a boring god. I want a god who sits in the heavens and laughs. Who toys with the raging nations. Who burns down cities - in California - right in front of their fire bureau.
People want God to be tame and nice, but he just isn't. He is the Author, writing the story, and we are the characters. And authors are notorious for killing their characters. There must be death for there to be life. There must be pain in a good story. In this story, God Himself died to give life to us. Now we are trying to kill Him again and bad things are happening to us. Some parts of the story are predictable. We should have seen it coming.
I remember when we used to use real candles. The flickering flame heated and illuminated. But it burnt down a house once. Now they are plastic and electric. But electricity causes fires too. Hot fires, that burn down houses. Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, When is wrath is kindled but a little.
Don't try to put the fire out with gasoline.