[ Setting: An islet with 360 degrees of open ocean. ]
ZELLA: My death was less painful than I thought it would be. When I hit the detonator, I saw the face of a woman. She was staring at me with such sad eyes. In that split second, I felt bad for what I had decided to do but it was too late. I was told they would take care of my family; that I would be a hero; that I would go immediately to heaven. Are you really taking me to my heavenly reward?
ALLEGENTIA: I am taking you to heaven and there are pleasures in heaven but not rewards for harming God’s other children. You were lied to. A young mind is very pliable and can be warped to believe many untrue things. The reason you are going to heaven at all is because you have some redeeming qualities; you are gullible but innocent, sincere but misguided, zealous but immature. These positive values, and others, have saved you.
ZELLA: That is very upsetting. They told me it was God’s will to kill those who did not follow His law. Now you tell me they lied. I trusted my teachers. I thought they had my best interests in mind. How could they do this to me?
ALLEGENTIA: Those who knowingly sent you to kill and die for political reasons disguised as the will of God have a much greater sin to bear. Nonetheless, you are responsible for your decisions and must bear the burden of your actions. When that bomb exploded your soul imploded. Doing God’s will is the highest motive anyone can have, but you must know, a great God would never be so petty as to use his children for destruction.
The universe is a very big place and the journey is very long. You will live with what you have done; but you can, eventually, compensate for your lack of good judgment.
ZELLA: I believe you because I see you are an angel but I am so confused. How can I salvage anything from this level of devastation?
ALLEGENTIA: Your education was narrow-minded and mean-spirited. We will help you open your mind and see your true possibilities. You will be instructed in right thinking by trustworthy angels, not by self-serving humans. What you did and why you did it will be compared with other options you could have taken. You may not see the wisdom in the alternatives at first, but we will not give up on you. Nothing is ever forced upon those who seek the truth. As a matter of fact there is never any coercion with any soul no matter how blinded or stubborn they have been. Freewill is basic to every person and sacred to us.
ZELLA: I want to apologize to that woman. Will I ever see her again?
ALLEGENTIA: You will meet all the people you killed. And later you will need to meet the people you hurt. You changed their lives forever. You will get to know them as people, as sons and daughters of God.
Humans fail to see the larger perspective, some unavoidably but some purposefully. So much ill has been done because of shortsighted misunderstanding about who God really is and what he really wants. All institutional religions hold on to some primitive ideas about God; and they are blended with some true and good ideals he actually personifies. You were motivated to do what you did in large part because you had such an incomplete and distorted idea about the very God you thought you were serving. God is Absolute Love. He never condones the taking of life or causing your brothers and sisters to suffer.
ZELLA: What a mess I’ve made. I am so sorry.
ALLEGENTIA: Even the greatest sin can be forgiven for the sincere of heart.