The Cure
The alchemist’s potion cured everyone of their sins. The potion absolved everyone of their sins. Mercy was bestowed on all of mankind. The potion was a miracle. Everyone, for once, was joyous and unburdened.
Everyone but Joss.
Joss drank the potion but remained sinful. It was a miracle that one remained as he was meant to be.
As the world celebrated its absolution, Joss preached the virtues of his sinfulness, but no one listened.
Finally, God came to Joss.
“Preaching sin? Would you have mankind return to its wicked ways?”
“Yes. Of course,” Joss said.
“Why? So you may not be alone in your wickedness?”
“Because you cast us to be sinful,” Joss said. “It is plainly detailed in the scripture that everyone in their joyous celebrations now ignore.”
“Man is only wicked because Adam ate of the apple,” God returned. “It is not what I intended. It is what Adam made of mankind.”
“But all of scripture is founded on the sinfulness of man,” Joss said. “Without sin, there is no need for scripture. Without sin, there is no need for God since we are no longer in need of salvation.”
“True,” God said.
“Ironic, isn’t it, that you too created the alchemist that has made you obsolete?” Joss asked.
God said, “If you wish, I shall lift the miracle.”
“I wish,” Joss replied. “As do you. So I will relieve you of that wicked choice my making it for you.”
God returned mankind to its sinful ways.
Joss accepted responsibility for relieving mankind of the miracle of its unbridled joy.
Joss, of course, was a pariah for returning mankind to what it was always intended to be.
To much celebration, Joss was hanged in the public square for his evil deed.
Forevermore, scripture contained the new tale of the devil’s offspring, Joss, who so piteously returned man to his sinful and wretched ways.
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