Everything Finished

It started in a wheat field, where the gold grains flowed like the waves of the ocean.  Where a man set eyes a plain woman.  A foreign woman.  It took a man like Boaz to notice a woman like Ruth.  And notice her he did, amongst the waves of that golden ocean.  There he met a woman named Ruth, and they started on a path already laid down for them, choosing to walking together.

It went on to a harlot in the city of Jericho, listening to the marching feet for seven days.  There was nothing but the marching.  No clanging of weapons or roar of soldiers, even though it was a battle.  There was only marching, which left no certainty of where or when the marching would end.  By the end everything would be saved or destroyed, depending on what side she chose.

It chose with the first woman standing at the Tree of Temptation, giving a foothold to the serpent with dark eyes and seductive tongue.  Her heart beat within her naked breast, hungry.  The fruit hung as a tantalizing backdrop to his tempting offer.  Too tempting.  Her will power shattered with her innocence, as she sunk her teeth into that sinful pleasure.  Oh how sweet it tasted, until it killed the best parts of her.

It had nothing good left.  A nation chosen by God decided to choose its own way: the way of destruction.  He wrung his hands and cried out, begging them to listen.  But they had already chosen to keep their luxuries over saving their damned souls.  There was nothing left to stand against the wrath of God.  All that was left was a man named Amos who wept, mourning how it would end with nothing saved.

It ended with a naked, bleeding man.  He stood with arms outstretched--like a beacon calling wheat-swept lovers to join the right story, like a shield holding back feet marching to destruction, like a blanket wrapping around the fallen first woman to comfort her with something new, like the banner of a new nation calling the old to join its side: the only side that could save them.  Such the naked man hung as, and wretchedly did his crowned head bleed as it raised to the heavens.

"It is finished!"

It was.  Everything finished... so everything could begin.