L & R Productions - The Book Of Being

opening narration

There are some stories all too soon forgotten; tales told from the lips of the wise that pass away like summer’s breeze into winter’s wind.

I will tell you a story of a distant time and a faraway land, though not so distant and faraway as you may well imagine. Indeed, they are as close to you as you are to yourself. Yes, I will tell you of Being. I will read to you from the Book of Being.

Three kingdoms rested in the mountains, hills, valleys and plains of the vast land of Being. To the north lay Mansmind, to the south, Mansheart, and to the east, the island kingdom of Manstrength, separated by the river Reliance. Long ages had passed of peace, love, mirth and prosperity for these kingdoms, yet it had not always been so.

Shadow and darkness … a time of war and battle and terrible cruelty. In the midst of such evil began the three kingdoms, ruled not of themselves, but by a foreign power … a power not of flesh, but of spirit. The name no one dare speak, though it echoed within themselves … Aphel. The inhabitants of Being were helpless against them, left only to yield to the will of the black, cloaked figures. Slaves they were, and slaves they would remain. Or so they believed.

No one, not even the Aphel, was prepared for that day.

A bolt of lightning, some likened it, only its thunder never ceased to roll, nor its radiance cease to shine. From over the western waste they came, an enormous army, marching directly into Mansheart, led by a great Lord, Prince Arnion, clothed in shimmering white. He rode upon a pale steed, a sword was in His hand, and those who followed Him shone like the sun. They came to conquer, and conquer they did, dispelling the darkness and defeating the legions of the enemy. It was swift, and it was sure, and they continued not further from Mansheart - there was no need. The Aphel, driven hence, were in turn driven from Mansmind and Manstrength. It was finished.

Clouds cleared, revealing azure blue skies above, while brown earth below blossomed into green and red and white and yellow. Amidst such wonders, the Prince took his stand on a grassy hill in the sight of all Being, His face kind, yet stern and forthright.

“This day,” he began, “deliverance has come to you, though not from a life of slavery, but from whom you were enslaved. Now you are Mine, and I am Yours, and you are My people, and I am your Prince. Always will I keep you, for I have won you.

“Take heed,” he continued, “for the enemy is not dead, but defeated. Nevertheless, you have been granted the authority to overcome them through Me. Resist them. Make not peace with them, nor esteem them lightly. In so doing will you keep them at bay.”

The Prince paused for a moment, His face so honest and true that tears fell freely at the sight.

“I must leave you now, yet despite the vast distance between us, I am with you, and hereby shall crown a king of your people who will reign over you from that which I conquered, Mansheart. My will shall He faithfully enforce, and such I will make known to you by letters that you shall bind into a book for all to read and remember. Lastly, let each of you, Mansheart, Mansmind, and Manstrength … remember Me, trust Me, and love Me always, as I shall love you always.”

A coronation was held, a king was enthroned, and Prince Arnion departed with his forces. And the years of joy and mirth passed, the Golden Age, as it was later called … and then began the change.

It happened so slowly that one scarcely noticed. The Aphel were still resisted, assuredly, though not quite as before. The northern defenses of Mansmind failed to receive sufficient reinforcements, which in turn lead to compromise and the relinquishment of certain lands. The skies above grew pale and clouded, the increase of

flocks and fields began to diminish, and the sweet fellowship Mansmind once shared together turned to division and confusion. Worse still, mortal affections were acquired, as some began to reverence the falcon for its wisdom, cunning and speed, and many in Manstrength began putting their trust in weapons of warfare, growing more steadily independent day after day. The great river Reliance that once acted as a safeguard for their island began to run dry, leading to regular attacks from the Aphel and the taking of outlying lands. In time, the river lost its former name, becoming known rather as Defiance. As for Mansheart, anguish befell them, yet one thing grieved the people above all else. Letters from the Prince became infrequent, and those that did arrive were increasingly unclear. Stranger still, those already bound in the book began to lose their meaning. The sun still shone over Mansheart and the trees of the field still bore their fruit, but the people knew the enemy’s retribution, like an impending storm, grew nearer. Time was running thin.

In direct response, there issued from Mansheart a decree. Mansmind and Manstrength were each to summon and send their greatest warrior ambassador to the western border of Mansheart. A representative from that kingdom would meet them there, where together they would embark on their quest: to seek out the Prince, and call on His aid, or otherwise perish in the endeavor. From Mansmind came forth Moria, to whom was given the image of the falcon for added measure of insight and swiftness. From Manstrength came Asthenes, given the sign of the battleaxe for increased strength and resolve. From Mansheart, however, no one quite knew who it was that set out alone.

Thus their journeys began, and thus they departed, each from his kingdom.

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synopsis

From the pages of allegory comes a tale of Christ’s faithful discipline of His own (Rev 3:19). Since their deliverance from a dark, foreign power long ago, the land of Being once again finds itself amidst great peril due to their compromise and negligence to resist the enemy. Three representatives are commissioned to find and beseech their Deliverer, and through a journey of trials and hardships that soon unite them, they discover in the end a vital truth that will never be forgotten. Based on Psalm 119:67.

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