-Let us make man in our own image.

-What is man?

-Man is an animal.

-But haven’t you used most of the fifth and sixth days declaring that all sorts of animals fill up the “seas” and that patch you call “land”?

-Well, not exactly all.

-What do you mean?

-All these things you see I have been declaring into existence, I have done it for my own glory but also for a special being I had in mind before the beginning.

-My interest is piqued.

-See I have been thinking. . . All we ever do is just chill out with the angels. We know everything and there is hardly anything surprising anymore. The pearly gates have always been the same pearly gates. Our splendor and power is at its peak. We have done practically everything there is to do. Why not try out something new?

. . . and this so called “man” is supposed to change this? How?

-The plan is actually to form and sculpt a special animal out of mud.

-What is so special about that? Last time I checked, that was less magic than actually declaring things into existence.

-I want to be personally invested in this man. I want that species to grow up and fill the entire world I created. I . . . I . . . I . . . want him to have free will.

-What! You do realize that that is too much in our own image. You will have lifted this animal even above the angels who have been loyal to us unconditionally.

-That is exactly it. Don’t you ever wonder? Doesn’t it ever prick you that they are loyal only because they have to. We have forced them to love us and they do not even know it. I can’t have that anymore. Their love is not really borne in itself. I need a different kind of love, not that of a master-servant. I need something that grows in its own self. Totally “un-nurtured.” I want something more solid, something that I do not directly control. 

-Now you are going to create an entirely different species whose motivations and desires we haven’t programmed and let them lose in your playground just because of some fantasy you desire?

-It is not a fantasy! Why won’t you just think about it? To know that there is one soul out there that just loves us because they love us. No control, no making them do it, just free will and pure adoration. If there is even the slightest chance of that happening, a one in a trillion chance it would happen; wouldn’t you take it.

Well, I would try.

Now you are talking.

Will they worship us?

I am not sure because they will have free will remember.

Not sure; the words themselves sound impossible and alien. Alien . . . and exciting too. We know everything and frankly it is becoming bland. However you do realize for sure that we are going to need exactly that trillion souls in order to have just one that would love and worship us just like that. Not because we offer blessings or protection or provision, but just because of pure love. How do you plan to fit a trillion souls in that small piece of rock?

Do not worry. I have the perfect plan for that.

And what could that be?

I will encapsulate all the souls we create in time.

You omniscient God, please converse in a language I understand. Now what is this time thing?

Time is a concept I have created for the universe I have created. I can’t give you all the details now but it basically works to push things forward.

Like a conveyor belt?

Spot on! I plan to start with just two souls which I will insert into time. We will create rules within time that cannot be interfered with unless the situation is absolutely pertinent to our glory. Everything must occur in an action reaction format in the time sphere. This will create environments that we cannot foretell and therefore nature the actions of these souls.

Why just two if we are shooting for a trillion?

Actually the souls will recreate themselves and complete my grand plan. How two souls pair up for recreation will be left entirely to prevailing factors and current environment just like everything else in the time realm.  All will be left to the permutations that be, as long as we have more and more souls. As is clearly evident, my rock can only handle a few billions, but my time will help move them along as we sift out the souls that worship us in truth and spirit.

What happens to the other souls?

We simply take back their free will and turn them into more angels.

Sounds like a plan. What are you waiting for? Let us make man in our own image.