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August 1998
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The Golden Coin of God

It is said that God holds a great golden coin in His right hand as he sits on His throne in Heaven. It is no small thing, that coin; it is heavier than worlds. Every so often, by whim or by chance, God flips that coin. It is said that if ever that coin should come down tails all the universe and every work within shall vanish in a flash as though it never were. God, though, is a kindly god and the coin is a two headed coin.

Afore the throne of God and below it there stretches a table, ever so long, at which all the lesser gods sit. Some of them drink and carouse, some think beauty into being, and some hold the death of all that lives were they but let loose.

Long ago, even as gods account time, God called forth sly and cruel Loki to anoint His feet with oil. Long did Loki labor, long in the reckoning of men and long even in the accounting of gods, for His feet are large. As Loki labored he slyly kept his eye on God. Once of a moment God lifted His eye from Loki and cast it upon a sparrow. In that moment, less than the twinkling of an eye, Loki changed one face of the great coin from heads to tails. God knew this for God knows everything but He said nothing and held His peace.

Two thousand years ago God flipped that coin for the first time since Loki played his trick. It came up heads and all was as it ever was. Since then that great coin, heavier than worlds, has rested in the right hand of God. Someday, by whim or by chance, God will flip that coin again. It may be tomorrow or it may be ages from now for a thousand years are as but a day to God. When He does it may come up heads and all the world shall be as it ever was.

And it may come up tails.


This page was last updated August 5, 1998.
Copyright © 1998 by Richard Harter

Richard Harter’s World
Site map
Essays
Literary
August 1998
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