Love, Sacrifice, Faith: A Tale of salvation
23rd of December, 2078; remains of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
It was two and a half weeks since the disaster that wiped out most of the population of the United States East Coast. A young man walks alone in the snow on the streets of the remnants of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Looking for shelter from the snow and cold of that winter night, he finds his way into an old theater from the 1930s in the midst of what once was the downtown area of the city.
Sitting in the middle section of the seating, he began to recall the memories of his loved ones who were lost in the disaster. As he remembered these fond times, apparitions started appearing on the dimly-lit stage of the theater. A beautiful display was unfolding in front of his eyes, but one particular person in his vision changed his attitude. A vision of a young woman walking through a park started to fade in, and the man stood at the sight. Grinning ever so slightly, with a warm feeling inside, he walked up to the stage. When he reached the stage, he held out his right hand as he slowly walked towards the apparition. He believed it to be the woman he was going to propose to a few days after the day the disaster occurred. As he approached the vision, the woman he saw faded into nothing.
Heartbroken, the man looked away, sighed, and returned to his seat. When he sat down, he heard a whisper: “Remember love.”
Not sure where the voice came from, the man looked around the dark theater and said, “Who’s there?”
He heard nothing but the sound of the wind blowing through the streets of the city. He settled down a bit, and the visions resumed. More vibrant than before, this vision was of three children playing in a creek. He started hearing noises and voices, before he finally realized that this vision was of his childhood. He was the middle child of a rich family who owned a large ranch in the middle of rural Pennsylvania. He had one older brother and one younger sister, and they would often go to a nearby creek to play as little children.
He saw the three wading in the creek, looking for stones, when his younger sister was swept away into deeper water by a strong current. The eldest brother, without thinking twice, dove into the deep water and rescued their younger sister. However, the rescue wasn’t without a cost. The eldest brother accidentally stepped on a jagged rock before he leaped into the water, severing many tendons in the bottom of his foot. When the middle brother saw this injury, he started panicking, but the elder brother instructed him to run to get their parents.
Running as fast as he could, the man recalled, he told his parents about the older brother’s injury. The elder brother was taken to the nearest hospital, where surgeons successfully saved his foot itself, but the doctors also said that he’d never be able to walk unassisted again. The man recalled what his brother said to him on the day after the surgery, “It’s better to lose a foot than to allow someone else to die when you clearly have the capability to save them.”
And with that quote, the vision faded once more, and the whispering voice returned, “Remember sacrifice.”
Looking around, the man assumed that there must be someone there. Calling, but receiving no answer, the thought crossed his mind that he may be going insane from the traumatic experiences he had recently encountered. Settling down again, he began to doze, and once more, the visions resumed.
This time, he saw something he didn’t recognize: a vision of the world, millions of individuals around the world, who faced a dangerous life every day. They faced murderers, mocking even from their own friends and family, bullies who beat them and discourage them, and some invisible force that caused grief and pain among them. The man saw these millions, all of different age groups, somehow enduring all of that torment and danger. The vision then focused on one individual: a small boy, sitting in church with his family. In an instant, the doors of the church were broken down, and a team of gunmen walked in.
The leader shouted, “Who among you truly believes in Jesus Christ as God?”
With the entire congregation lined up in rows on their knees, the gunmen went to each person in the church, asking the same question. Each person they came to said the same thing, “No, I do not truly believe.” And they would leave the building. However, when they came upon the boy, they pointed a gun straight in his face, and asked, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
Unafraid, the boy looked at them with loving eyes, and said, “Yes, He is my best friend. What about you? Do you believe in Him?”
The leader smiled and kneeled. “I do,” he responded, while gathering his men, “Let’s all worship Him together.”
The vision faded in an instant, and again, the whispering voice returned, “Remember faith."
The man was growing ever impatient with these mysterious messages, so he explored the theater, looking for the cause of these visions and voices. He looked behind the stage, under some of the seats, outside the doors, up on the balcony, in the VIP boxes, but he found nothing. Resigning himself to what he thought was insanity, he returned to his seat, where he was going to attempt to rest.
As he came to his seat, there was a stranger sitting in the seat next to where he was sitting. Looking around, puzzled, the man said, “Can I help you?”
The stranger gazed at the man, and kindly said, “No… but I can help you.”
Believing he was imagining things, he rudely responded, “Okay, I’ll play along. Who are you, Mr. Know-it-All?”
The stranger looked down, then back up at the man. “Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss.”
The man shook his head, and took his seat. “Who are you?” he said once more.
The stranger said, “You know who I am. I am the Whispering Wind that has spoken to you.”
“Oh, so you're the one who has been driving me insane?” the man sarcastically responded.
“You’re not insane. Every vision you saw, every voice you heard, those were from me. I’ve been speaking to you, because I care about you. I was there when you were born, I was there when you were growing up, and I was there when the disaster occurred.” the stranger explained, a warm feeling of kindness in his voice, and a compassionate look on his face.
The man took a guess at the stranger's identity, “You’re… you’re death, aren’t you? Is it time for me to die? I have no meaning left in this place, so go ahead and take me.”
"I'm not death, I defeated it. No," the stranger paused, and then said, "I am Life." said the stranger. Humbled, the man's eyes widened as he finally understood who this stranger was. "I'm here to tell you what's next." Jesus calmly responded.
The man, shocked and somewhat angry, replied, "What's next? What can be next?"
"I am the Beginning, and I am the End. I am the hope of a future, and I am a healer," Jesus stated, "My plan is not about dead ends, but about continuous roads."
Looking around, the man noticed that the theater seemed to be growing brighter, as if the lights were being brightened. He asked, "Is it just me, or is someone messing with the lights?"
Jesus then grinned, and said, "I am Light, and in time, this dark world will once more be brightened again by my Light. You shall aid me in that aspect."
"Why should I serve you when you abandoned me and everyone else on the East Coast? You could have stopped the disaster, but you didn't! You're a monster!" , the man said in a sudden burst of anger, which quickly turned into tears, "My love.. my family.. all gone in the blink of an eye. Why didn't you save them?"
Still caring, with a distinct tone of love in His voice, Jesus responded, "I let the disaster happen, because I had a great plan in mind. Believe it or not, the disaster has brought forth one who will serve to take my message further than it ever has, with one of the most powerful testimonies in man's history. That person," Jesus paused, "is you. You will be the first to take my message to the post-disaster nation."
"Why would you want to use me, considering how much I've betrayed you? How can I do this alone?" the man inquired, a bit overwhelmed.
"You're never alone, I can be with you wherever you go. Your sins have separated you from me, but two millennia ago, I came from heaven, an event celebrated in Christmas, to take your place by suffering an agonising death. Three days later, I rose again, and I defeated death. I did all of that so you could be mine, and I could be yours. I did it so every human would have the opportunity to be with me in eternity. However, I will not force myself on you. You have to make the decision to let me save you from your sins."
Pausing once more, Jesus faded from His disguise and into His glorified post-resurrection body. He kindly put His hand, which now showed the nail piercings in his wrists, on the man's shoulder, "If you let me save you, I will dwell within you, and you will never be alone again. Also, when your time on earth is over, you will come directly to me and live into eternity with me. So, what do you say?"
"What did the visions mean, then?" the man asked.
"The first vision you saw signified love- you saw the one you were about to propose to. You loved her dearly. In the same way, I love you dearly, but your sins had separated you from me. The second vision signified sacrifice- you saw the childhood memory of your eldest brother sacrificing his foot to save your younger sister. Likewise, I sacrificed my life of glory and power in heaven to come to earth, where I sacrificed all of my life in service to others, and finally, I sacrificed even that life to save all of humanity. Yet, even then, the outcome was far greater than the pain I endured, for now countless people will live with me in the end because they trusted in my salvation." Jesus said, while showing the nail piercings in His wrists.
"The final vision you saw signified faith, which is the part that you must do- you saw the millions of people around the world who put their faith in me, which allowed them to face the struggles of life in confidence. Faith, even to the point of death, is what saved the young boy you saw, and in the same way, you will be saved if you repent and put your trust in me. Faith is key. Faith is believing in what you cannot see."
"I see... but how can I trust that you'll keep your word?" asked the man, suspicious for a reason he didn't know.
Silently, Jesus commanded Satan to leave, as he was the one planting doubt, fear, and anger in the man's mind. He then spoke gently, saying, "I cannot lie. Why would I need to? I love you with a love that never ends. I will always be there for you; I still move hearts in this world, I will always be the One you can count on."
"I finally see. I'm sorry that I've done what I've done. My past is always haunting me, and I know that my life is as good as nothing. I've always been searching for meaning, and you've shown me what that meaning is. Please, save me. I can't live one more second on my own."
Smiling, Jesus replied, "Your sins are forgiven, and you will see paradise. I tell you the truth: the angels are celebrating in heaven as we speak, because you have come to me. Now, I leave you with this: the Holy Spirit now dwells within you," Jesus pulled a Bible out of the satchel He had with Him, "Take this- my words will always be with you, in here. Now, you are fully equipped for the mission I have for you. Take my words to the world, and tell others what I've done for you. You are not the only person alive on this earth - there are still many multitudes living to the west, and on other continents. They may not be as grand as they once were, but the people live. There are many who are hurting who need you to give them my Good News."
Jesus started walking towards the door, but the man tried stopping Him, saying, "I'm not ready! I can't do this on my own!", but to no avail. As soon as Jesus walked out the door, He vanished into the flurry of snow. When He vanished, the man again heard the whispering voice: "Remember love, sacrifice, and faith... I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
It was two and a half weeks since the disaster that wiped out most of the population of the United States East Coast. A young man walks alone in the snow on the streets of the remnants of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Looking for shelter from the snow and cold of that winter night, he finds his way into an old theater from the 1930s in the midst of what once was the downtown area of the city.
Sitting in the middle section of the seating, he began to recall the memories of his loved ones who were lost in the disaster. As he remembered these fond times, apparitions started appearing on the dimly-lit stage of the theater. A beautiful display was unfolding in front of his eyes, but one particular person in his vision changed his attitude. A vision of a young woman walking through a park started to fade in, and the man stood at the sight. Grinning ever so slightly, with a warm feeling inside, he walked up to the stage. When he reached the stage, he held out his right hand as he slowly walked towards the apparition. He believed it to be the woman he was going to propose to a few days after the day the disaster occurred. As he approached the vision, the woman he saw faded into nothing.
Heartbroken, the man looked away, sighed, and returned to his seat. When he sat down, he heard a whisper: “Remember love.”
Not sure where the voice came from, the man looked around the dark theater and said, “Who’s there?”
He heard nothing but the sound of the wind blowing through the streets of the city. He settled down a bit, and the visions resumed. More vibrant than before, this vision was of three children playing in a creek. He started hearing noises and voices, before he finally realized that this vision was of his childhood. He was the middle child of a rich family who owned a large ranch in the middle of rural Pennsylvania. He had one older brother and one younger sister, and they would often go to a nearby creek to play as little children.
He saw the three wading in the creek, looking for stones, when his younger sister was swept away into deeper water by a strong current. The eldest brother, without thinking twice, dove into the deep water and rescued their younger sister. However, the rescue wasn’t without a cost. The eldest brother accidentally stepped on a jagged rock before he leaped into the water, severing many tendons in the bottom of his foot. When the middle brother saw this injury, he started panicking, but the elder brother instructed him to run to get their parents.
Running as fast as he could, the man recalled, he told his parents about the older brother’s injury. The elder brother was taken to the nearest hospital, where surgeons successfully saved his foot itself, but the doctors also said that he’d never be able to walk unassisted again. The man recalled what his brother said to him on the day after the surgery, “It’s better to lose a foot than to allow someone else to die when you clearly have the capability to save them.”
And with that quote, the vision faded once more, and the whispering voice returned, “Remember sacrifice.”
Looking around, the man assumed that there must be someone there. Calling, but receiving no answer, the thought crossed his mind that he may be going insane from the traumatic experiences he had recently encountered. Settling down again, he began to doze, and once more, the visions resumed.
This time, he saw something he didn’t recognize: a vision of the world, millions of individuals around the world, who faced a dangerous life every day. They faced murderers, mocking even from their own friends and family, bullies who beat them and discourage them, and some invisible force that caused grief and pain among them. The man saw these millions, all of different age groups, somehow enduring all of that torment and danger. The vision then focused on one individual: a small boy, sitting in church with his family. In an instant, the doors of the church were broken down, and a team of gunmen walked in.
The leader shouted, “Who among you truly believes in Jesus Christ as God?”
With the entire congregation lined up in rows on their knees, the gunmen went to each person in the church, asking the same question. Each person they came to said the same thing, “No, I do not truly believe.” And they would leave the building. However, when they came upon the boy, they pointed a gun straight in his face, and asked, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
Unafraid, the boy looked at them with loving eyes, and said, “Yes, He is my best friend. What about you? Do you believe in Him?”
The leader smiled and kneeled. “I do,” he responded, while gathering his men, “Let’s all worship Him together.”
The vision faded in an instant, and again, the whispering voice returned, “Remember faith."
The man was growing ever impatient with these mysterious messages, so he explored the theater, looking for the cause of these visions and voices. He looked behind the stage, under some of the seats, outside the doors, up on the balcony, in the VIP boxes, but he found nothing. Resigning himself to what he thought was insanity, he returned to his seat, where he was going to attempt to rest.
As he came to his seat, there was a stranger sitting in the seat next to where he was sitting. Looking around, puzzled, the man said, “Can I help you?”
The stranger gazed at the man, and kindly said, “No… but I can help you.”
Believing he was imagining things, he rudely responded, “Okay, I’ll play along. Who are you, Mr. Know-it-All?”
The stranger looked down, then back up at the man. “Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss.”
The man shook his head, and took his seat. “Who are you?” he said once more.
The stranger said, “You know who I am. I am the Whispering Wind that has spoken to you.”
“Oh, so you're the one who has been driving me insane?” the man sarcastically responded.
“You’re not insane. Every vision you saw, every voice you heard, those were from me. I’ve been speaking to you, because I care about you. I was there when you were born, I was there when you were growing up, and I was there when the disaster occurred.” the stranger explained, a warm feeling of kindness in his voice, and a compassionate look on his face.
The man took a guess at the stranger's identity, “You’re… you’re death, aren’t you? Is it time for me to die? I have no meaning left in this place, so go ahead and take me.”
"I'm not death, I defeated it. No," the stranger paused, and then said, "I am Life." said the stranger. Humbled, the man's eyes widened as he finally understood who this stranger was. "I'm here to tell you what's next." Jesus calmly responded.
The man, shocked and somewhat angry, replied, "What's next? What can be next?"
"I am the Beginning, and I am the End. I am the hope of a future, and I am a healer," Jesus stated, "My plan is not about dead ends, but about continuous roads."
Looking around, the man noticed that the theater seemed to be growing brighter, as if the lights were being brightened. He asked, "Is it just me, or is someone messing with the lights?"
Jesus then grinned, and said, "I am Light, and in time, this dark world will once more be brightened again by my Light. You shall aid me in that aspect."
"Why should I serve you when you abandoned me and everyone else on the East Coast? You could have stopped the disaster, but you didn't! You're a monster!" , the man said in a sudden burst of anger, which quickly turned into tears, "My love.. my family.. all gone in the blink of an eye. Why didn't you save them?"
Still caring, with a distinct tone of love in His voice, Jesus responded, "I let the disaster happen, because I had a great plan in mind. Believe it or not, the disaster has brought forth one who will serve to take my message further than it ever has, with one of the most powerful testimonies in man's history. That person," Jesus paused, "is you. You will be the first to take my message to the post-disaster nation."
"Why would you want to use me, considering how much I've betrayed you? How can I do this alone?" the man inquired, a bit overwhelmed.
"You're never alone, I can be with you wherever you go. Your sins have separated you from me, but two millennia ago, I came from heaven, an event celebrated in Christmas, to take your place by suffering an agonising death. Three days later, I rose again, and I defeated death. I did all of that so you could be mine, and I could be yours. I did it so every human would have the opportunity to be with me in eternity. However, I will not force myself on you. You have to make the decision to let me save you from your sins."
Pausing once more, Jesus faded from His disguise and into His glorified post-resurrection body. He kindly put His hand, which now showed the nail piercings in his wrists, on the man's shoulder, "If you let me save you, I will dwell within you, and you will never be alone again. Also, when your time on earth is over, you will come directly to me and live into eternity with me. So, what do you say?"
"What did the visions mean, then?" the man asked.
"The first vision you saw signified love- you saw the one you were about to propose to. You loved her dearly. In the same way, I love you dearly, but your sins had separated you from me. The second vision signified sacrifice- you saw the childhood memory of your eldest brother sacrificing his foot to save your younger sister. Likewise, I sacrificed my life of glory and power in heaven to come to earth, where I sacrificed all of my life in service to others, and finally, I sacrificed even that life to save all of humanity. Yet, even then, the outcome was far greater than the pain I endured, for now countless people will live with me in the end because they trusted in my salvation." Jesus said, while showing the nail piercings in His wrists.
"The final vision you saw signified faith, which is the part that you must do- you saw the millions of people around the world who put their faith in me, which allowed them to face the struggles of life in confidence. Faith, even to the point of death, is what saved the young boy you saw, and in the same way, you will be saved if you repent and put your trust in me. Faith is key. Faith is believing in what you cannot see."
"I see... but how can I trust that you'll keep your word?" asked the man, suspicious for a reason he didn't know.
Silently, Jesus commanded Satan to leave, as he was the one planting doubt, fear, and anger in the man's mind. He then spoke gently, saying, "I cannot lie. Why would I need to? I love you with a love that never ends. I will always be there for you; I still move hearts in this world, I will always be the One you can count on."
"I finally see. I'm sorry that I've done what I've done. My past is always haunting me, and I know that my life is as good as nothing. I've always been searching for meaning, and you've shown me what that meaning is. Please, save me. I can't live one more second on my own."
Smiling, Jesus replied, "Your sins are forgiven, and you will see paradise. I tell you the truth: the angels are celebrating in heaven as we speak, because you have come to me. Now, I leave you with this: the Holy Spirit now dwells within you," Jesus pulled a Bible out of the satchel He had with Him, "Take this- my words will always be with you, in here. Now, you are fully equipped for the mission I have for you. Take my words to the world, and tell others what I've done for you. You are not the only person alive on this earth - there are still many multitudes living to the west, and on other continents. They may not be as grand as they once were, but the people live. There are many who are hurting who need you to give them my Good News."
Jesus started walking towards the door, but the man tried stopping Him, saying, "I'm not ready! I can't do this on my own!", but to no avail. As soon as Jesus walked out the door, He vanished into the flurry of snow. When He vanished, the man again heard the whispering voice: "Remember love, sacrifice, and faith... I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Note From the Author
I realize this story isn't 100% accurate to Biblical prophecy of the end times, and that's why I call this a Christian fiction story. It's supposed to be kind of a 'what if' type story. In no way am I suggesting that the Bible is inaccurate- I believe 100% that the Bible is the infallible word of God. I believe in all the Bible has to say about every subject, especially prophecy.
Now that I got that little disclaimer out of the way, I'd like to explain why I decided to write this. First and foremost, the idea came from my plans to make seasonal games with Joquan Games Studios. I knew I didn't have the time to make a full game when I came up with the plans, so I started trying to come up with a Christmas story to work into creating an interactive story. Turns out, as I wrote the story, I started realizing that I had no way to work it into an interactive story.
When I dropped the decision to make an interactive story, I knew I wanted to create a Christmas classic that tries to avoid most cliches, but adds my interest in post-apocalyptic styled fiction, and a good message of faith (that comes naturally with just about anything I do, as I love Jesus Christ). I came up with a prototype story that really seemed to work out well, but a data transfer issue occurred, and I lost the original file. That being said, I was pretty bummed out about that, as I felt I'd never be able to rewrite this story and recapture the power (no arrogance intended) that the original story had.
I felt like I should at least attempt to recreate it, and honestly, it worked out very well and ended up, in my opinion, even more powerful than before. I added some things, subtracted some things, and changed some things, and I quite honestly like this version much better than the previous one that was lost. I had a vision of a post-apocalyptic world in my mind, but not as in a nuclear post-apocalyptic world. More like a world, or part of the world, that was destroyed by some form of disaster (I have a catastrophic hurricane in mind, which caused major seismic events and surface destruction that destroyed most of the East Coast of North America, but it can be any kind of disaster you want it to be), but I wanted to tie a Christmas/winter theme as well as a faith message into the story. Thus, Love, Sacrifice, Faith was born.
So, I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and hopefully I will be able to write more of these stories more often!
-Jacob
PS - If you haven't, check out the news about DynaDim's plans to develop an online author platform!
Now that I got that little disclaimer out of the way, I'd like to explain why I decided to write this. First and foremost, the idea came from my plans to make seasonal games with Joquan Games Studios. I knew I didn't have the time to make a full game when I came up with the plans, so I started trying to come up with a Christmas story to work into creating an interactive story. Turns out, as I wrote the story, I started realizing that I had no way to work it into an interactive story.
When I dropped the decision to make an interactive story, I knew I wanted to create a Christmas classic that tries to avoid most cliches, but adds my interest in post-apocalyptic styled fiction, and a good message of faith (that comes naturally with just about anything I do, as I love Jesus Christ). I came up with a prototype story that really seemed to work out well, but a data transfer issue occurred, and I lost the original file. That being said, I was pretty bummed out about that, as I felt I'd never be able to rewrite this story and recapture the power (no arrogance intended) that the original story had.
I felt like I should at least attempt to recreate it, and honestly, it worked out very well and ended up, in my opinion, even more powerful than before. I added some things, subtracted some things, and changed some things, and I quite honestly like this version much better than the previous one that was lost. I had a vision of a post-apocalyptic world in my mind, but not as in a nuclear post-apocalyptic world. More like a world, or part of the world, that was destroyed by some form of disaster (I have a catastrophic hurricane in mind, which caused major seismic events and surface destruction that destroyed most of the East Coast of North America, but it can be any kind of disaster you want it to be), but I wanted to tie a Christmas/winter theme as well as a faith message into the story. Thus, Love, Sacrifice, Faith was born.
So, I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and hopefully I will be able to write more of these stories more often!
-Jacob
PS - If you haven't, check out the news about DynaDim's plans to develop an online author platform!
