So, I've been reading the manga "Rosario+Vampire." If you've heard of it, it's probably not what you think. The anime of the series is, if my friends and online articles are any reliable source, terrible--ditching the entire plot in favor of fanservice. The manga is quite different. The manga starts out as a simple "harem" comedy, where a perfectly ordinary boy accidentally enrolls in a high school where monsters learn to live in human guise. Like any comedy of the genre, the boy (Tsukune) discovers his one true love, a fetching kind-hearted young vampiress named Moka--who in turn discovers a taste for Tsukune's blood. Despite this rather disturbing taste, and the even more disturbing nature of the monster academy, Tsukune decides to stick it out so he and Moka can be together. Immediately thereafter (and this is where the term "harem" comes in), girls start throwing themselves at Tsukune one after another, trying in vain to wrest his affections from Moka. When they're not trying to beat each other up or hug-tackle Tsukune, the girls help Tsukune and Moka defeat the monster-of-the-week. Hilarity ensues. Aside from the fact that Tsukune is in constant peril and is the only one who can remove Moka's rosario (transforming her from soft-hearted damsel-in-distress into a haughty vampiress whose round-house kick is capable of one-shotting nearly any opponent they meet), the manga is, at first, light-hearted and its contents fluffy--or so it seems. Soon, Moka's trick of rescuing Tsukune from the brink of death with an infusion of vampire blood turns out to have some unexpected consequences, in the form of him being transformed into a ghoul--a soulless killing machine with all the power of the vapire(ss) who created him (and, apparently, none of the vulnerabilities). He gets better (about the soulless part), but the latest issues delve into the backstory and show that much more is at play than was initially thought. Moka (sans-rosario) isn't just a very powerful vampire, she's pretty much the most powerful vampire. Her mom was part of a legendary three-monster team that took down an eldritch abomination of ultimate power bent on destroying the world. Her mom can regenerate in minutes from being cut in half and her own round-house kicks pack more raw power than a bunker-buster. And guess what? Little Moka is heir to mom's incredible powers (not sure about the regeneration, but she's definitely got the power: as a 10-year old she blew a hole 6-foot square through a castle wall with one punch--and she wasn't even aiming at it!). Better yet, that power isn't from genetics, but from blood. Moka is the only one of her sisters (two of which have sadly gone dark-side) to have this power because she received an infusion of her mother's blood shortly after birth to help her survive. And since Tsukune's ghoulish powers come from Moka's blood...yup, there's a pretty good chance that he's the ultimate incarnation of vampiric power there is. The only hitch is that it turns out Moka's mom beat down the eldritch abomination by syncing her power to its, so that it was forced to slumber as long as she kept her powers in check. And since mom's power is Moka's power--yeah, opening the throttle on that awakens the eldritch abomination...and there's a good chance Tsukune's power does that too. So all that time they thought they were just harmlessly curb-stomping the monster-of-the-week it turns out they were actually poking the eldritch-abomination-of-ultimate-horror with a stick. Things look pretty dark, but there's a ray of hope. Moka's mom foresaw this link as a problem and made the rosario to seal Moka's power away (sacrificing herself in the process, sadly)--but she did so deliberately in such a way that only her one true love could remove it. More, she designed it so that her one true love (when she met him) would remove it, because then it would be "time." Time for what? No idea, but the next volume is due out this month!
So you see, what was at the beginning just a comedy of errors is now revealed to be a stroke of destiny, bringing Moka and Tsukune (and company) together on a stage of epic proportions where the fate of the world is at stake...a lot can change when you know the backstory!
I'm betting the same is true in my life. Things seem haphazard and kind of meaningless more often than not around here. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a comedy of errors, but the jokes aren't all that funny and this is definitely not a "harem comedy!" So let me take a step back and lay out the background of my story. Let me see where it all fits in, if I'm able...
In the beginning, and before it, God existed alone, eternally complete, a unified being within Himself: Father, Spirit, Son. Omnipotent and omniscient, He planned the creation of the world and all things and plotted their course, then brought it to pass for His own pleasure. He made all things good. He made the heavens and the earth and all things and beings that within them dwell. He made angels as His ministers, among them Lucifer, a bright cherub, the covering of His throne. He made humans also. He made them to be His image, to have dominion on the earth over all creatures and reflect His glory and nature through their own. He made them a little lower than the angels. He made them male and female, equals, companions, compatriots, lovers, husband and wife. He crafted the first marriage Himself when he brought the two of them--formed with His own hands for each other--together in the garden, where they were both naked and not ashamed.
He made them good and glorious, but He made them free. They were able to choose whether to remain as they were or to corrupt themselves by turning their back on Him and taking their destinies into their own hands. Lucifer took this path. He became a murderer from the beginning and forsook the truth. He became known as Satan, the Accuser, the Father of Lies. He fell from Heaven like lightning, cast out after a great battle among the angels. He deceived Eve and Adam in the garden, convincing them that God was holding back something that would be good for them, the fruit of the forbidden tree. They took their destinies in their own hands. They rebelled. They ate the fruit and they Fell. The penalty was death, and more horrible than they could imagine. Not only would their bodies grow old and return to dust, but their souls would be subject to the full wrath and power of God for all eternity in Hell--the place prepared as the final prison of Satan and his angels, their unending punishment under darkness and in fire. Even as they lived, their lives were cursed by the God against Whom they'd rebelled. The woman gave birth in sorrow and great pain. The man labored in vain all his days. Even together, they had no solace, for the woman longed to control the man and the man dominated her like a tyrant. All seemed lost as their curse spilled out over all creation and their ungodly children multiplied. Their eldest son became a murderer and was cursed to walk in exile all his days. The earth was so filled with violence that God confessed that He regretted making mankind and resolved to wipe them out by destroying the world in torrents of water.
But God had foreseen all this from the beginning and determined already what He would do. From the beginning, He had made some of His creatures, like ungodly Cain, to be hateful "vessels of dishonor." These He hardened and these He consumed in order to show the greatness of His power and justice. Yet He had also made certain "vessels of mercy"--indistinguishable from the others to all but Him, for He had chosen them. These, He choose to save and restore, to show the greatness of His love and mercy, and His power. For these, He sent His Son in the fullness of time, born of a woman, born under the law and under the curse. He assumed the guise of humanity with all its complaints, but He was God and He lived without sin. Then, as He had foretold in scripture and in person, He died an agonizing painful death. He drank down the cup of the Father's wrath to the dregs and thus offered the mercy and love of God to all that He had chosen, to all who were given to Him, to all who came.
So He did destroy mankind and the world with a flood that day, but He also saved alive 8 chosen men and women in an ark He had prepared for them. In time, He chose a man out of Mesopotamia to be the father of His special people. The man was childless, but he believed, and in time God gave Him a son. From that son proceeded a nation of millions. They were enslaved, but God allowed this and raised up their captors only to cast them down again with plagues and miraculous destruction, to show His glory. He led His people out, but they rebelled against Him in the wilderness. He cursed and killed the rebels, but kept alive their children, who lived to see the promises made to their forefather fulfilled. Yet the people continually rebelled. Their hearts were never fully His, and so He sent invaders to punish them. In the end, He destroyed them, but saved a remnant. It was from this remnant He brought forth His Son.
When His Son died, those who put their faith in Him saw the windows of Heaven opened and the Spirit descended on them, giving them miraculous power, and--most importantly--changing them from the inside out, at the level of the heart. Finally, God's plan from eternity was revealed. He was not merely seeking a remnant. He was not seeking His own special ethnic group or kingdom. He was seeking a Bride. These believers, and those He had chosen throughout time, were that Bride. They were individuals united as one, diverse in gifts, unified in heart and purpose. Saved from death and Hell by the blood of the Son, they became His Bride, destined to enjoy His favor, His love, His power, every pleasure He could provide, and unity with Him, beginning in this life and made perfect as they cast off their mortal coils.
I am a member of this Church. I am one of many, but I am loved as if I were the only one. The power and wisdom of God watches over me, to guide me, to protect me, to perfect me in love. There will be trials. Trials grow character. There will be opposition, but Satan is no match for the power with which I am united--the power of the God Who created and damned him. That power, that love, that God will never leave me and I will be with Him forever.
This is my backstory. I may not see how, but around me the hand of this destiny is at work. Everyday situations are trials and opportunities, blessings and gifts of love, or banes from an enemy who hates me but cannot defeat me. All of this is one step closer to my ultimate end, which is to be the Bride, at the side of my God, united with the Beloved forever.
Not so haphazard and meaningless anymore...
So you see, what was at the beginning just a comedy of errors is now revealed to be a stroke of destiny, bringing Moka and Tsukune (and company) together on a stage of epic proportions where the fate of the world is at stake...a lot can change when you know the backstory!
I'm betting the same is true in my life. Things seem haphazard and kind of meaningless more often than not around here. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a comedy of errors, but the jokes aren't all that funny and this is definitely not a "harem comedy!" So let me take a step back and lay out the background of my story. Let me see where it all fits in, if I'm able...
In the beginning, and before it, God existed alone, eternally complete, a unified being within Himself: Father, Spirit, Son. Omnipotent and omniscient, He planned the creation of the world and all things and plotted their course, then brought it to pass for His own pleasure. He made all things good. He made the heavens and the earth and all things and beings that within them dwell. He made angels as His ministers, among them Lucifer, a bright cherub, the covering of His throne. He made humans also. He made them to be His image, to have dominion on the earth over all creatures and reflect His glory and nature through their own. He made them a little lower than the angels. He made them male and female, equals, companions, compatriots, lovers, husband and wife. He crafted the first marriage Himself when he brought the two of them--formed with His own hands for each other--together in the garden, where they were both naked and not ashamed.
He made them good and glorious, but He made them free. They were able to choose whether to remain as they were or to corrupt themselves by turning their back on Him and taking their destinies into their own hands. Lucifer took this path. He became a murderer from the beginning and forsook the truth. He became known as Satan, the Accuser, the Father of Lies. He fell from Heaven like lightning, cast out after a great battle among the angels. He deceived Eve and Adam in the garden, convincing them that God was holding back something that would be good for them, the fruit of the forbidden tree. They took their destinies in their own hands. They rebelled. They ate the fruit and they Fell. The penalty was death, and more horrible than they could imagine. Not only would their bodies grow old and return to dust, but their souls would be subject to the full wrath and power of God for all eternity in Hell--the place prepared as the final prison of Satan and his angels, their unending punishment under darkness and in fire. Even as they lived, their lives were cursed by the God against Whom they'd rebelled. The woman gave birth in sorrow and great pain. The man labored in vain all his days. Even together, they had no solace, for the woman longed to control the man and the man dominated her like a tyrant. All seemed lost as their curse spilled out over all creation and their ungodly children multiplied. Their eldest son became a murderer and was cursed to walk in exile all his days. The earth was so filled with violence that God confessed that He regretted making mankind and resolved to wipe them out by destroying the world in torrents of water.
But God had foreseen all this from the beginning and determined already what He would do. From the beginning, He had made some of His creatures, like ungodly Cain, to be hateful "vessels of dishonor." These He hardened and these He consumed in order to show the greatness of His power and justice. Yet He had also made certain "vessels of mercy"--indistinguishable from the others to all but Him, for He had chosen them. These, He choose to save and restore, to show the greatness of His love and mercy, and His power. For these, He sent His Son in the fullness of time, born of a woman, born under the law and under the curse. He assumed the guise of humanity with all its complaints, but He was God and He lived without sin. Then, as He had foretold in scripture and in person, He died an agonizing painful death. He drank down the cup of the Father's wrath to the dregs and thus offered the mercy and love of God to all that He had chosen, to all who were given to Him, to all who came.
So He did destroy mankind and the world with a flood that day, but He also saved alive 8 chosen men and women in an ark He had prepared for them. In time, He chose a man out of Mesopotamia to be the father of His special people. The man was childless, but he believed, and in time God gave Him a son. From that son proceeded a nation of millions. They were enslaved, but God allowed this and raised up their captors only to cast them down again with plagues and miraculous destruction, to show His glory. He led His people out, but they rebelled against Him in the wilderness. He cursed and killed the rebels, but kept alive their children, who lived to see the promises made to their forefather fulfilled. Yet the people continually rebelled. Their hearts were never fully His, and so He sent invaders to punish them. In the end, He destroyed them, but saved a remnant. It was from this remnant He brought forth His Son.
When His Son died, those who put their faith in Him saw the windows of Heaven opened and the Spirit descended on them, giving them miraculous power, and--most importantly--changing them from the inside out, at the level of the heart. Finally, God's plan from eternity was revealed. He was not merely seeking a remnant. He was not seeking His own special ethnic group or kingdom. He was seeking a Bride. These believers, and those He had chosen throughout time, were that Bride. They were individuals united as one, diverse in gifts, unified in heart and purpose. Saved from death and Hell by the blood of the Son, they became His Bride, destined to enjoy His favor, His love, His power, every pleasure He could provide, and unity with Him, beginning in this life and made perfect as they cast off their mortal coils.
I am a member of this Church. I am one of many, but I am loved as if I were the only one. The power and wisdom of God watches over me, to guide me, to protect me, to perfect me in love. There will be trials. Trials grow character. There will be opposition, but Satan is no match for the power with which I am united--the power of the God Who created and damned him. That power, that love, that God will never leave me and I will be with Him forever.
This is my backstory. I may not see how, but around me the hand of this destiny is at work. Everyday situations are trials and opportunities, blessings and gifts of love, or banes from an enemy who hates me but cannot defeat me. All of this is one step closer to my ultimate end, which is to be the Bride, at the side of my God, united with the Beloved forever.
Not so haphazard and meaningless anymore...
This post is SOOOOO COOOOOOL and very eloquently written, sir! God has a plot for the whole world! If The Great Author had no plot in which to place His characters, their lives would be chaotic and meaningless! Thanks for the reminder that our lives DO fit into His plotline in a very specific way to bring His purposes here on the earth and bring Him glory! Thanks! :D
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