Hope

From Aryez

Book 33 of the Marfat

33: Hope

1. What hope was there left for those who

2. were sundered from their homes by the ten

3. thousand leagues of the great blue sea?

4. Separated by mountains of sorrow and

5. misunderstanding; divided by swamps of hate.

6. Hated by friends and pursued to the death

7. by enemies. What hope was there left?

8. Driven by the fire in their spirits, they went

9. forth. Love they received not, hate they

10. desired not, but death they received.

11. Countless spears pricked them, but fate

12. and oath drove them forth. The sun

13. went down red beyond the hills so dead.

14. The moon perished, the rivers wept, and

15. the stars fell. What hope was there left?

16. Their voices cried out for mercy, the only

17. comfort of their eyes was the sickle of

18. doom [big dipper, a symbol of hope]. In sorrow for all their sufferings,

19. they shed tears unnumbered. But the Lord

20. looked down upon His people and their pain

21. and rewarded them for their continued hope.

22. For a cause is alive until it loses all hope. And the

23. coming of the Lord was like a cool, refreshing breeze,

24. one that uplifted all the people out of

25. their misery and delivered unto them

26. gifts beyond their wildest dreams.

27. For day shall come and night shall pass.

Commentary: This literary passage describes the idealistic suffering people undergo for their faith and the mercy and hope God provides for those who believe in Him. This passage can also be interpreted to describe steadfastness. The founder also said that the greatest people are those who serve at the lowest level unconditionally.