"In Absentia Dei" [with God Absent]

#“In Absentia Dei”

In the aftermath of the rapture, a world stripped of its moral compass was left behind. Few spared from divine ascendance sought solace in the ruins of civilization, finding none but desolation and whispered memories of the damned.

Amidst discarded chapels and abandoned prayer houses, Father Tomas, a man bearing the wounds of lost faith, emerged as a reluctant leader. Under the weight of his tattered robes, marked by the burn of faith's demise, he bore a heavy mission; restore belief amidst disbelief, bring heaven back down to the loamy earth.

Part One: The World without Heaven

The world was different now. Morality, once a compass guided by divine forces, lay broken. Lawlessness reigned supreme as people succumbed to the infernal perversions of their hearts. Fathers turned against sons, brothers betrayed brothers, and the sanctity of life was forgotten in the desolate aftermath. The rapture had claimed the faithful, and the world that remained was devoid of divine grace.

Father Tomas walked these ruined streets, his eyes searching for any flicker of hope in the chaos. A scalded priest, he was a man reduced to a shadow by a painful incident from his past that tested his faith severely. Before the rapture, it had been a many-years-long journey of reconnecting with the divine, and just as he had been close, heaven had forsaken the earth. Yet, here he now stood, a beacon in the post-apocalyptic darkness.

Part Two: The Lapsed Shepherd

Inside the confines of the crumbling church, the walls echoed with past sermons of redemption and deliverance. Here, Father Tomas found himself reluctantly assuming leadership. But how does one preach faith in a world abandoned by God? How does one spin hymns about divine benevolence in a world stripped of heaven?

He started with small congregations. Believers scattered in the ruins were drawn to the beacon. Amidst hushed whispers and tearful recollections, they gathered, seeking solace, seeking answers from a book that seemed to betray their existence.

But the former faith-filled words now felt empty, echoing across the hollow chambers. The “Our Father” elicited sobs rather than joy. Yet through this shared vulnerability and shared pain, belief began to brew.

Part Three: Journey of Reclamation

Father Tomas, armed with nothing but a dying faith and raw determination, embarked on a journey to reclaim purity. He wrangled with both his and the world's disillusionment, confronting realities that challenged the teachings of his sacred scriptures.

Every midnight, he climbed up to the steeple, gazing at the abandoned heavens, pleading for a sign, an answer. Amidst silence, he found his faith deepening, a conviction evolving from the ashes of disillusionment.

He preached not of a God they felt forsaken by, but of Love, of Compassion, and of Forgiveness. He veered his followers from the heavens, directing them to seek divinity within their hearts.

Under his leadership, communities began to flourish. Love replaced aggression; understanding doused the flames of discord. Amidst the chaos, a sanctuary of shared faith emerged.

Part Four: The Reluctant Promised One

In the humble priest, people saw a leader, a prophet even. A man who, left by God, emerged as the canvas of divine embodiment. He was the reluctant prophet, and his message was not one penned on stone tablets or whispered in hallowed chambers. It was the scripture of humanity, written in acts of kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and resilience.

Epilogue: Heaven and Earth Collide

Father Tomas did not bring heaven back to the earth. Instead, he made earth a reflection of heaven, a place the divine could dwell. He did not do it with miracles or divine interventions. He wielded the power of humanity, of love, and of unity.

And so, even in a world left behind, a new faith was born. Born of a scalded priest and his abandoned flock, it stood as a testament to man's unwavering strength and the profound ability to find light in the darkest corners.

In Absentia Dei, in the very absence of God, the world learned to create its own heaven.