Verse 42: "Jumping for Joy"

“It’s a pretty horrible choice, though.” He added after a decently long pause. “Glad it’s not one I have to make.”
          I looked at him, confused. He grinned back at me.
          “What do you mean?” I asked after the silence sat for a while.
          “I mean you’re completely wrong about God. The image of him you have in your head is nothing like who he actually is once you get to know him.”
          “Know him?”
          “Yeah; you read his holy writ to learn more about him and how he wants you to live, and then you pray because you want to talk to him.” He smiled at me and his limp ears swayed softly in the breeze.
          In my mind, I knew that the old man was wrong.
          “God is all-powerful, right?” I asked slowly.
          “Yep.”
          “And you also say he’s all good, right?”
          “Yep.”
          “Therefore, a good, all-powerful God would protect the innocent and punish the guilty, right?”
          “That sounds right to me.”
          “Then, since bad things happen to good people, God isn’t good.”
          “You lost me.” He said, looking utterly bewildered.
          I felt anger build up inside me.
          “How did I lose you?” I asked, restraining myself as well as I could.
          “Around that part where you said, ‘God isn’t good.’” He smiled.
          “How?! There’s a clear contradiction! If bad things happen to good people, then God either isn’t all-good or he isn’t all-powerful!”
          Albert nodded.
          “You know, you’d be right if it weren’t for one thing; that doesn’t happen.”
          “What do you mean that doesn’t happen?! Innocent people are slaughtered every day! People die of famine, and plague, and God-knows-what else because he lets it happen!” The stars shone brightly on the hilltop.
          “Shinko, do you believe that everyone is a good person; or at least, do you believe that buried deep down everyone has the capacity to be a good person?” Albert asked calmly.
          “Yes.”
          “Well, you’re an idiot.” He shot back bluntly while smiling wildly.
          “How?! How am I an idiot?! That’s a basic human belief! People are naturally good! People know how to tell the difference between right and wrong! I’m not even in the church and I can tell you that murder is wrong!”
          Albert bobbed his head up and down.
          “But do people always do the right thing? Tell me Shinko, do you think Firma is getting better over time, or worse? Are people becoming more good and kind every day?”
          I thought about my world. It was advanced and had technology that was amazing, but it wasn’t turning into a utopia.
          “It’s the church’s fault a lot of those bad things have happened in the first place, though.” I said quietly.
          “True, unfortunately. Joining the church and giving your life to God doesn’t instantly make you a better person.” He sighed sadly. “People who really believe are still capable of committing atrocities. There have been devoted believers who murdered people.”
          “Doesn’t that prove that what you believe is worthless?”
          “Not at all. In fact, it makes it even more clear; it proves that there are no 'good people.' Besides, it's not like it's our efforts that make us better people.” He said slowly as he rested his old hand on my shoulder. “So, if the world isn’t getting better, Shinko, what does that tell you about the people in it?”
          I shut my mouth. Vivian had told me the same thing. She had hated her life as a thief, but she hadn't changed. I looked at my hands in the dim light of the night.
          I hadn't wanted to hurt John or Vivian with my words; but I’d done it anyway.
          If I really hadn't t wanted to hurt them, I would’ve done everything I could to stop myself. But in the end, I went through with hurting them because it felt good at the moment. 
          I had wanted to hurt them.
          “I don’t want to say it.” I mumbled.
          Albert closed his eyes and frowned deeply.
          “I don’t either. It hurts to think about. It makes a part deep down inside of you cringe and writhe.” He stuck out his tongue. “Heck, I know and believe it to be true, and I still don’t like saying it out loud.” He breathed deeply. “People, deep down inside, aren’t good. I know it, God knows it; and I think, deep down, you know it too.”
          I hated hearing that.
          “Not to say that every bad thing that happens to you is a result of sin; the world’s broken too. Sometimes, bad things happen. And it’s not because God hates that person specifically or anything like that; but if you live in a house that’s on fire, you’re going to get burned.”
          “Why can’t he send everyone to heaven anyway? If he’s so powerful, it’s not like we can hurt him or anything.”
          Albert stopped frowning and opened his eyes at me.
          “You’re a sharp one, Shinko. You tell me.”
          I thought deeply about what he was saying.
          “If God is good, and people are evil, then it’s absurd to ask anything of God.” I said. I bit my lip. “But that leaves us doomed.”
          “Why is that?” Albert grabbed one of his ears and stroked it gently.
          “Because if the duty of a good God is to protect the innocent and punish the guilty, then there’s no hope for us.” I frowned at Albert.
          “What do you want from me, old man? All you’ve done is say that God is supposedly justified in letting us all suffer and die! How can I love a God like that? Why does he let us live at all then?! Why doesn’t he just annihilate us all and be done with it?!” I shouted and felt my muscles tense.
          Albert’s ears perked up. He smirked at me.
          “You’ve done it. You’ve figured it out.”
          I looked at Albert angrily.
          “What do you mean? People are evil, God could kill us all, and we’re born to suffer.” I snarled at him. “What an inspiring message. How uplifting. I think I’ll jump for joy right now!” I said sarcastically.
          “I’ll join you!” He said sincerely.
          Albert squatted down and made eye contact with me. Then he jumped.
          He went five feet in the air and was shouting for joy. When he landed, he immediately jumped again. Each time he jumped, his whooping and cheering only got louder. I stepped back. After a few moments, he calmed down and wiped the sweat off his brow.
          “I didn’t see you jumping.” He chuckled.
          “I was being sarcastic.”
          “Oh. I thought you were sharp enough to see what I was alluding to.” He smiled playfully. “But I guess I’ll have to spell it out for you.” He cleared his throat.
          I crossed my arms.
          “See, God would be justified if he decided to wipe us off the face of Firma at this very instant.” Albert leaned in close. “If God really wanted to, he could end every single evil person’s life at this very instant and be completely justified.”
          “Yeah, and everyone’s evil, so he could kill everyone if he wanted to. What’s your point, Albert?”
          Albert laughed loudly.
          “We’re not dead! That’s my point! You and I are standing here and having this conversation!”
          “What does that–!” I stopped talking as I realized what he was implying.
          “You got it! I can tell by that look in your eyes, you finally caught on!” Albert said happily.
          My thoughts began to race.
          “B-but…” I shut my eyes tight. “So, in letting us live when we don’t deserve to, he’s… he’s doing what, exactly?"
          Albert jumped for joy again.
          “He’s showing us mercy, boy! Mercy! God has shown mercy to the guilty prisoner condemned to a death sentence! It’s enough to make you sing!” He wheezed. “Or, in my case, jump!”
          I looked up at the sky. I was completely baffled by what I was hearing.
          “Of course, justice comes when we die.” He said with a sigh. “But God even gave us a way out of that! Have you heard of ‘the savior from another world?’”

Edited on 09/29/25