Precipice

To live is to stand on the edge of a precipice. All it takes is one slip, and down into eternal darkness we fall. So we cling to the ledge with all our might. But the longer we hold on, the weaker we get. And eventually, inevitably, our strength gives out.

Faced with this stark reality, it's no wonder that man invented a loving God. "I give to you life, as a gift and a test. Struggle, and thrive, and then join me when it is done. What you see as eternal darkness is merely the veil that obscures paradise from your vision. For if you were to see it in its full glory now, you would not commit yourself fully to the life I have given you."

But this is a child's fantasy. No argument in favor of its psychological utility (no matter how alluring) can change that fact. And some of us are incapable of such profound self-delusion. What of them? Poor, wretched souls are they? Or do their stars shine brighter for knowing the true limits of their existence?

It's true that religion can offer man acceptance of the inevitable. And even draw comfort from fear. But these things are not out of grasp for the irreligious. One must accept the inevitable regardless of whether it be light, or dark. And an end to joy is also an end to suffering.

But fear can be a great motivator, too. And who is to say what is truly inevitable? For someday, we may discover an end to death, and learn to light a candle in the eternal darkness ourselves. No delusion of acceptance will ever accomplish this for us.

"That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die."