Barren had not gone far when he came upon his first adventure. As Barren got close, he noticed another bird doing something to the narrow land, but he could not tell what exactly. He addressed the bird in hopes of passing him without trouble.
“Greetings, my name is Barren.”
“Greetings of the same; it is good to meet you Barren. My name is Christian, but most birds around here call me the Pointless Planter.
“Might I ask what you are doing to the ground?” asked Barren.
“I have this seed I am trying to plant in the narrow land. Nothing has grown yet, but I trust that when the time is right, my seed will sprout.”
Barren did not understand. He had only ever heard of food crawling around to the surface of the land, but never grown. Yet the Pointless Planter seemed to carry with him a wisdom he had not seen in any other bird, so he brought himself to inquire about his mystery.
“Do you know anything about what is beyond the blinding whiteness?” Barren asked.
“Certainly. I’ve been there. Being outside of this blinding whiteness is the most wonderful experience in life.”
“Really, what is it like?” Barren asked excitedly.
“You can see more than only birds' faces; you can see the rest of their beings too. You can see every bird, all the wonderful different kinds. And there are other birds, but different than birds. But this is the best part: we, birds, can fly.”
Barren did not know what “fly” meant, but it sounded wonderful to him. “How can I get to everything you are talking about, beyond the blinding whiteness?” Barren asked.
“It is simple, but very difficult. You must jump off the narrow land.”
“But that is suicide. I will die.” Barren shouted angrily. After the Pointless Planter’s answer to his last question, Barren’s demeanor ran from excitement to resentfully doubtful. Barren passed the Pointless Planter disappointedly. As he passed, the Pointless Planter told him, “You must die to truly live. But if you ever decide to jump off, God will catch you.”
Barren heard what the Pointless Planter said, but he was not listening anymore. He had heard of God before, but knew nothing about him. Saddened that his first adventure left him more confused than before, he continued on his journey to the end of the land, determined to find out what was beyond the blinding whiteness.
(to be continued)
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