Work Text:
Greetings. God with you.
And with you. What brings you to my modest place? And who are you?
My name’s Kes, and I am serving God, as you do. I am a traveller. Sometimes, I travel alone, sometimes with my friends. And I help those who need help.
It’s a commendable pursuit indeed. I am sure you did a lot of good.
Let God judge that.
Right. So, why are you here?
I came here because there are people here, in this forest, that need help.
Surely you don’t mean myself?
No, not you.
Who then needs help here? Who is here that needs help and yet I did not help them?
Tristan and Iseult, they need help.
These sinners? You are here to help them?
We are all sinners. Even I am. And they are still humans. I hope you haven’t forgotten that.
It would be a grievous error indeed… Yes, they are humans. But they did not repent for this. Not even when I told them…
They are too stubborn for their own good, yes. But don’t be so quick to judge them for it. Their situation is very tough. And complicated.
Complicated? I fail to see how this is complicated…
Because you are blind! Not physically, obviously. But you look, and yet you do not see. You are wiser than most people here, and you still can’t see it.
See what?
That right now, in their situation, the letter of God’s law is directly contradicting the spirit of this law.
How can that be?
What is the purpose of marriage?
To procreate, to continue the human race…
And here you are wrong. Procreation is… an important part of it. And even this is not how this works in practice now. Marriage now is being used to solidify alliances, as part of a trade deal… That is not how He made it to be. Marriage is to protect love between man and a woman, and to amplify it. You cannot amplify what doesn’t exist. Why do you think the Sixth Commandment exists? To protect those with power over others? No. It exists to protect this love. Not to deny it. And yet here, you use it against this love to protect those in power, to make them get what they want… Would the One who is Love put such a law in effect? Is it just? Look at them. Why are you here? Why am I here? I think we both are here for God. To show our love for Him. Look at them. They were willing to leave all the earthly luxuries they had and come to this forest, to live like animals, like hunted animals. Why do you think that is? What gives them this strength? What is so precious to leave all their world behind for? If they were given a chance, truly given a chance, they would marry and be a true marriage. Instead, they were forced to do this. Can you really blame them?
You do speak the truth. And yet, I fail to see why this happened? How it happened?
It’s because you have been corrupted. Corrupted by politics. You allowed your rules to become a tool of politics and of greed, and adjusted your understanding of the law to allow it. To protect politics rather than people who actually love each other. You must purge this corruption. God is already working on it. Politics must now affect our religion. Religion may affect politics, but not vice versa.
You gave me a lot to think about… I am not sure I agree with everything you say, but it is something to think about and break down. And I have time to do this.
Well, I’II be going, then.