Parable of the Sower

“This world would be a better place if people lived according to Earthseed,” I said. “But then, this world would be better if people lived according to the teachings of almost any religion.”

So what is God? Just another name for whatever makes you feel special and protected?

Fires are illegal. You can see them flickering all over the hills, but they are illegal. Everything is so so dry that there’s always a danger of campfires getting away from people and taking out a community or two. It does happen. But people who have no homes will build fires. Even people like us who know what fire can do will build them. They give comfort, hot food, and a false sense of security.

God, I hate this place.
I mean, I love it. It’s home. These are my people. But I hate it. It’s like an island surrounded by sharks - except that sharks don’t bother you unless you go in the water. But our land sharks are on their way in.
It’s just a matter of how long it takes for them to get hungry enough.

All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.

When I was your age, my mother told me that the stars - the few stars we could see - were windows into heaven. Windows for God to look through to keep an eye on us.

It’s funny. Cory and Dad have been using some of the money Keith brought us to help the people who’ve been robbed. Stolen money to help victims of theft.

There are always a few groups of homeless people and packs of feral dogs living out beyond the last hillside shacks. People and dogs hunt rabbits, possums, squirrels, and each other. Both scavenge whatever dies. The dogs used to belong to people-or their ancestors did. But dogs eat meat. These days, no poor or middle class person who had an edible piece of meat would give it to a dog.

Some middle class men prove they’re men by having a lot of wives in temporary or permanent relationships. Some upper class men prove they’re men by having one wife and a lot of beautiful, disposable young servant girls. Nasty.

My God doesn’t love me or hate me or watch over me or know me at all, and I feel no love for or loyalty to my God. My God just is.