Sally is the best at what he does, there’s no problem he couldn’t fix, no demon he couldn’t cast away, no evil he couldn’t vanquish, no plague he couldn’t cleanse. He had year upon years of experience, that is why his client hired him for this job, they needed the best and they hired the best, but for the first time, he was faced with a problem he couldn’t solve.
The job came 2 months ago, just after completing a previous job, Sally had decided to take a break and lay low. Someone found him, he concluded his employer had great power and wealth from the huge reward attached to the job, but what made Sally take the job was the problem. The detail of the job was vague, it said, "Your foe is a dragon that sits on many waters. Come to Babylon".
Sally could smell his foe immediately he got to Babylon, his scent was everywhere, on everyone and everything. Everything seemed to move slow though moving fast, people hunched like something was riding on them. Sally needed to investigate, to know who this foe is by name, his strategy, and what his plans are. After 7 weeks of questioning and searching, he had nothing. The people knew evil was in the city, they testified to it but they refused help. They avoided him, he was named a trouble maker and vibe killer. They were oppessed, they knew they were but they refused to be saved, they embraced this evil.
The enemy had confronted him three times, they fought but his weapons were ineffective. Sally tried using his power of judgment but it made the enemy stronger.
On the 8th week Sally decided to write to his employer, he couldn’t get the job done, he was resigning and planned to leave Babylon on the fourth day. His employer responded 3 days later with a large box and a note attached to it.
"You are fighting an evil that has political correctness in Babylon, he has established his throne upon the lives of the people. His great authority comes from the acceptance of his existence and he won’t be dethroned easily."
Like daybreak, understanding of his foe flooded his mind like would light on an horizon. He could see it now. This was an evil planted deep in social norms, whose roots are firm in the society of Babylon, its branches growing into every aspect of life and the living. This tree bears the fruit of bitter sadness and hopelessness, causes poisonous isolation, drains joy and contentment, leaving fear. Eating Babylonians from the inside out, putting their mind at war against them, trapping them anxious restlessness. The enemy had taken his time, planted his seed amongst man’s seed, it had grown, devoured all other plants giving him access to everything that pertains to man.
Sally now knew what to do, he opened the box that contained a crossbow, lots and lots of arrows, two guns, and dozens of bullets. It wasn’t a possession as he first thought, it was a plague, a parasitic relationship that seemed symbiotic. His target isn’t the parasite anymore, it’s the host. The people of Babylon are where the devil gets his authority, their silence, their fear, their torment, their acceptance. They were the host, he needed to make them inhospitable.
Sally geared up, girdle his crossbow of Goodness and arrows of Hope, firmly strapped his guns of Truth and bullets of Persistent Hope. The enemy’s name is דִכָּאוֹן, popularly known as Depression. His strategy is endorsed sadness, self-inflicted loneliness, and excused anxiety. And his plan is to steal peace, kill joy, and destroy hope.
Sally took off at high noon, stood on the tallest tower in Babylon where he could see the whole city and its people. From there he rained arrows on those who walked by day and shot those who walked by night, for seven days he did this.
On the seventh day, hope was only the thing Babylon knew. The job was done and it was time to leave, he had achieved his goal, weaponized the poeple with Hope. The battle is for the Babylonians to fight, they only had the power to dethrone the devil. As he walked down the street he could hear people arguing Hope in their minds persistently, few unconsciously slashing at the branches of depression in their lives with daggers of Truth, it was a wonderful sight.
"You think you have won? These people are unstable, undisciplined, easily swayed by the next popular thing. They have misplaced understanding and value the wrong things, they feast on each other’s weaknesses and accommodate grudge. They are their own enemy, planting my seed and establishing my throne wasn’t hard as they are worshippers of perishable things. Leave and they will forget your good works, I will bring up a new vibe, a new trend to steal their attention."
Sally responded, "just like you have planted, I have too. My seed is Hope, it is persistent and joyful, it doesn’t know how to give up, and as long as Babylonians have life it will produce fruits. These fruits are Patience and Truth, and with Truth comes freedom."
The devil knowing his end is near roared, "Who are you?! Who made you an authority in Babylon?!"
Sally responded, "I’m Salvation du Seigneur but my friends call me Sally. I have authority everywhere I’m called. The One crucified and resurrected is the authority of my license, the license to Save. You have been beaten. Go back to hell which you came from."
The Devil disappeared and Sally left Babylon feeling victorious.
