Dancing Shoes

Yes, you made it. Didn’t think you would, did you? That’s what most people say. There are so many challenges, so many choices, so many ways to go wrong. Congratulations! You didn’t kill anyone – or at least not too many people. … Ha ha, just a joke. One of my favorites. Ah, I never get tired of that one. Just to see the reactions. That raised eyebrow you gave me. Superb. What a riot. I crack myself up.

Uh huh, this is it. Pretty much as you imagined, huh? No, I’m not “Peter.” You know it’s those other people who believe in “Peter.” Not us. What? Oh, I wouldn’t know. Maybe there is another place like this for them, with “Peter” at the gate. Could be. I haven’t thought about it much. But both stories can’t be true, can they? And where are you standing now? So what does that tell you?

I know, that’s the first criteria. That you believe. Of course you believe. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.

My name? It’s not important. No one remembers my name, anyway. But you’re asking too many questions. You only get to ask one. Take some time to think about it. There must be something you want to ask about this place ¬– or anything else.

What? That’s your question? Well, that’s an interesting one. I don’t hear that one often: Why did He rest on the seventh day? A few of us were talking about that very subject a few months ago – or maybe it was a few decades ago; it’s difficult to keep track of time here. It was down at the Strato-Cumulus Bar over beers, as I remember. … Of course there’s beer here! You know where you are, right? It’s the other place where there’s no beer. Just coffee. Coffee breaks every couple of hours. And then back on your head! Good thing you didn’t kill too many people, huh? Hahaha … ah, I tell you, that one never gets old, never.

Yeah, a lot of people are surprised we serve beer here. I guess everyone thinks we just fly around all day playing harps. I wasn’t a good musician anyway. I never had a good ear. Maybe that’s why I got this job.

So, if you had the ability, the power, how hard could it be to create the universe? Like building a sandcastle, maybe? So why would you need to rest afterward?



And for a whole day? And why not the sixth day? Or the fifth? These are all good questions, and our discussion was quite lively. But most of our discussions get quite lively, as they’re accompanied by many pitchers of beer. Sometimes too many. Wine? Yes, you can have some wine when you like, but you’ll see that most of us prefer beer. It doesn’t dehydrate you as much. Most of the bars carry excellent microbrews. Try Celestial, Infinity or Eternity. Those are my favorites. Infinity has a nice woodsy flavor. Let me know what you think.

So back to your question, how did it go? The heaven and the Earth, then the light, then the dark of night, right? That was the first day. Then the sky on the second day. After that I get mixed up. He gathered the waters on the third day, and the dry land appeared, and then He made the flowers and plants and fruits and trees. Wait, was that the third day or the fourth day? I’m getting tired just trying to remember the order of everything He created.

When we were talking about this over Infinitys that time at the Strato-Cumulus, Michael said that creating it all wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was thinking it all up. After all, if there were never water before, how would you invent water? How would you know that water is what you wanted? How would you know to create a mountain, before mountains existed? How would you know to make a giraffe? And why a giraffe?



But then you wonder if He had spent a lot of time thinking about it before he actually started working, like a writer planning his story. There was an Italian novelist who said it only took him a few days to write one of his best books. But he admitted he’d thought about it a long time before he sat down at the typewriter. I’ll bet that writer was tired after he’d written that book. I’ll bet if he spent six days writing that book, he’d want to take a break on the seventh. But let’s get back to the creation of the universe and everything in it.

Maybe He didn’t think it all out beforehand. Maybe He just got some ideas in his head and then improvised, like a jazz musician. If Charlie Parker were jamming for six days, he’d want to take a breather on the seventh, too. Yeah, I know about the heroin, but let’s assume he had as much as he needed, enough to play for six days in a row without having to go out to score. No, there’s no heroin here. And I said you only get one question.




So where were we? First day, the Earth and the light and the dark, second die the skies. On the third day, water, and plants and trees and fruits. On the fourth day … hmm, you’d think I’d know this by now … oh, yeah, the sun, the moon, the stars, the seasons. Fifth day, the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky. Sixth day, the giraffe and all those other animals, then finally man and woman. Right? Whew.

Now that sounds like a lot of work to me. But – and this is what we talked about with Michael and the other guys and gals that day – let’s say, for argument’s sake, that it was easy. Well, you know how when you’re at work, and you don’t have anything to do, it’s boring and time passes really slowly? And you get home and you’re even more tired than you are after a busy day? Let’s say it’s like that. Either way: He was tired so he rested. No mystery. Right?

But wait, there’s more. Because look at what it says in the book: There was evening and there was morning. We’re just talking about what He did during the day. It makes no mention of what He did at night.

And let me tell you something. You’ll find this out for yourself. You usually think of Him from the texts, always serious and usually angry; commanding this, commanding that, arguing with Moses. Set that aside. Because this is a guy who throws one helluva party – pardon the pun, sorry, couldn’t resist. When He gets in the mood, this place gets rockin.’ The beer flows, there’s music – not just harps, there are a lot of good guitarists and drummers up here, keyboardists and horn players, too – and we dance and sing all night long.

So imagine back then, in the beginning. I’m thinking once He had what he needed to make beer, he opened a keg and celebrated each of his creations. I’m thinking he drank all night. Yes, you usually bless Him for creating the fruit of the vine, but he created the barley of the fields, too, and as I mentioned, beer is the beverage of choice here.




So after a week of creating all day and partying all night, I’m sure he needed a rest. That’s right, I’m speculating. Of course it’s just my opinion. I said you could ask one question. I didn’t say you’d get an answer.

It was nice to meet you, too. Make yourself at home. The nearest bar is the Nimbus. Go that way and turn right when you see Venus. Be sure to try the Infinity beer. I’ll bet you’ll like it. See you at the next party. When? Oh, pretty often. Every week or so, or maybe every year or two, I can’t keep track. But bring your dancing shoes. You’re gonna have a great time. And always remember: Why are you here? Because you didn’t kill too many people, right? Ha ha ha. But seriously: It’s because you believe.