Temple Stones

We then
May not boast
We are in by grace
And grace alone
Through
No effort of our own.
Rough undressed stones
Wrenched from the quarry
Wholly imperfect. 

Yet we shall not thus remain
But another perfection attain
And not by our own volition
Shall we be fitted for addition
Onto the eternal Temple.

Even then
In days of long gone by
And far from Mount Sion
Hammer and chisel
Noised their will
After measured twice
Before taken to Mount Sion
And there builded up
To contain the holy glory.

Thus He does use
The hammer of hardship
And the chisel of trials
Here below
To shape and fit us
To behold the holy glory
There above
Forever.

RWOz2

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Day One Thousand One Hundred Seventy Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

From the safety of a dense thicket Quasimo sent the drone aloft to join the stream passing near the Temple. The surroundings thereabouts were too exclusive and affluent for us to wander around.

The pictures sent back were inconclusive. The cages on the grounds all held animals – no sign of Mawuli.

Ordering the others to remain, Elijah and I, walked up to the Temple.

Ignored at first, that all changed when a passerby recognized Elijah and ran from us raising a hue and cry.

Stan’s image materialized at the gate and announced that the one we sought was now with his army and would do a good service for him.

Guards tried to seize us but we were whisked away.

Day Six Hundred Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Some unusual activity today. The Captain and Tomas told us later about the waves of soldiers passing through the area. Thankfully they were not stopping anywhere along their route. Elijah and I missed it for we were off in the city for news.

Everything appeared calm and even dull there. We attracted notice in certain sections, but there was a marked difference in the willingness of the people to respond when we talked to them. It made us curious.

We discovered why on our way back. Fresh posters were mounted on the walls outside the temple. They announced that Stan would deliver a message to the world in two days and included a simple admonition – to be kind to everyone.

Day Five Hundred Ninety Eight #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We arose early and went in search of our friends. Only a few farmers in carts heading to market shared the roads with us.

We said little on the way in.

When we came to a temple we had passed by yesterday Elijah insisted upon entering. It bore all the signs of rededication to the cult of Stan. An acolyte motioned us forward but we skirted around the morning crowd and made our exit.

With the citizens across the city tied up in similar meetings we quickly got through to the civic center. There the Captain and Tomas were penned in a cage. Their surrounding captors fainted away at Elijah’s approach.

We released them and together returned to the country.

Day Five Hundred Thirteen #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Upon rising this morning a melody filled my heart and soon a song of praise to the One was on my lips. It was a brand new song, one I had never heard before.

Elijah was greatly cheered by it. He said it portended awesome things for the day ahead. We both took eagerly to the road again.

Our mood changed when we passed a temple built beside the way just outside the third village. Slaughtered bodies lay all around its premises. Like the others we’d seen, it had been plundered, emptied out of valuables. Unlike the others, the attendees had resisted. And paid for resisting.

And likely as a consequence when we entered the third village it was deserted.

Day Four Hundred Ninety Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We made some unsettling discoveries after the truck sighting. It effected our choice of shelter and our security consciousness.

Detritus in front of one building led us to surmise that the truck had been positioned outside. We entered. In Elijah’s evaluation it was a temple of some kind. I had the same thought, but was puzzled at its barrenness. But then with that truck, its contents could have been carted away easily.

Then around in a candle lit alcove the image of Stan looked benignly down upon us.

We left immediately and looked for a place to rest far away from that edifice.

A fitful day passed with frequent watch changes.

Come night we shook its dust from our feet.