Your Name is Envy

“My name is Justice!” hissed the monster with heaving breaths from his bent and twisted frame.

“Your name is Envy.” Contentment released his arrow.

“Ahhh!!!!!!” screeched Envy as Contentment’s aim was true.

“Your armor is hard but it cannot protect against reality.”  

Pride rushed to Envy as he writhed on the ground in pain.  “Who is Contentment that he can tell you what is true?  He is just weak and evil.  Do not listen to him!”  Pride yanked on the arrow but couldn’t release it from Envy’s chest.  

“It matters not whether I am true or not at the moment.  It matters that the arrow is both true and real.  It will heal you if you let it… but if you remove it before it has released its full dose, it will only leave you more twisted, more in pain and less able to see what is real.”

Self-righteousness quickly stood in between Envy and Contentment.  “Who is he?  Is he any better than you?  No he is only a man, just as you.  Listen to yourself.  You know what your heart is telling you.”

“That is the problem.”  Envy could hear Contentment even though Self-righteousness blocked his view.  “Your heart is telling you to believe yourself.  Yet your heart lies to you.  If your heart was true the dose of reality from the arrow would comfort and not burn.”

Envy writhed in pain.  He pulled against Pride’s hand.  “I want.. No… I don’t… I want… No….”

Pride pulled hard but the arrow wouldn’t budge, “Help me!!’ His face two inches from Envy’s.  Self-Righteousness took hold of the arrow and pulled with Pride.

Slowly the arrow started to budge.  “No…” came the weak reply.  Envy pulled against the two as hard as he could.  Comfort then whispered in Envy’s ear, “You really don’t want to go through this pain.  As soon as the arrow is out the pain will be gone.”

“The pain will only be gone temporarily… and when it returns it will be worse.”  Contentment answered.

“But it hurts so much now and it’s wrong that you have to endure this pain…”  

Envy slowly released his grip and Pride, Self-Righteousness and Comfort removed the arrow.

After a moment… Envy stood, even more bent and twisted than before.  The wound from the arrow already using blood and puss.

“MY… NAME… IS… JUSTICE!!!”  His voice so distorted that the words were almost unrecognizable.

“You are Envy.”  Humility softly and firmly responded.  “Do not think that Justice hasn’t taken note of you.  He will not allow his name to be taken from him.”

His breathing was heavy, full of flem and coughing.  “Who are you and who is it that calls himself Justice?  Have I no right to call myself what I want?”

“You can call yourself what you want…  but you can only BE that which you are.  You are Envy.  Humble yourself and you will see.”

“Who is this that presumes my name?”  Justice towered over everyone.  His appearance as of fire.

Mercy jumped in front of Justice.   Justice brightened so that no one could look at him directly.  Envy’s skin smoldered from the heat, his nerves too dead to feel the pain.

“He knows not what he is doing.  Spare him.”  Justice stopped for a moment.  While looking at Mercy, “Envy, do you really want to meet me?”

Envy hesitated.

“He is an imposter.  You are Justice.” both Pride and Self-Righteousness whispered in his ear.

“Yes! I want to meet him who thinks that he is all Justice and thinks that there is no other.”

“Do you suppose you have words of knowledge?” Wisdom questioned.  “Do you know of light’s home and darkness’s abode?  Can you find their foundation?  Would you annul judgement that you may be justified?”  

Envy halted and was caught by Wisdom’s gaze.  He was still.

“It is only sophistry.  Lies dressed up as profound questions.  The reality is that you know as much as he does.” Arrogance cocked his head and pursed his lips.

Envy limped and dragged himself toward Justice.  Pride and Self-righteousness pushing and pulling him.

“This is your last opportunity.”

Justice stared down as he towered over Envy.  The sizzle of Envy’s skin was audible now.  Pride and Self-Righteousness were trembling now and hiding behind Envy.

“Mercy is right there.” Justice’s hand motioned to his side.  “You can meet him or me.  You chose.”

The silence was long, broken only by the pop of Envy’s skin.  Pride and Self-Righteousness were both in a ball on the floor desperately trying to hide themselves from Justice.

Kindness took hold of Envy’s hand. “Let me lead you to Repentance.  He will take you to Mercy and you will be healed.”

Repentance beckoned desperately with both hands.

Envy ripped his hand from Kindness

“What need have I of Mercy?  You are not Justice.  You will judge me?!?”  The cackle was barely recognizable as a laugh.  ”I am Justice.”

Envy reached out his hand.  Justice took Envy’s hand in his.

The light was so bright that no one could see what happened.

A pile of smoldering ashes stood in front of Justice.  

“I am Envy.”  The voice of the ashes was angry and in pain but it was clear.

“You are Justice.”