The Madman took out his old brain and replaced it with a new one.
“I am worn out.” Said the old brain, and it asked 2 watchers nearby to deal the Madman some knowledge.
“Is it he who will be known as the Madman?” They asked.
2 The Madman sat upon a rock smiling not remembering that the old brain was his. He looked in great wonder at all the beauty around – the corner shop, the drunk, the overweight unemployed mum, the sky.
3 The old brain grew wings flew away and will not be seen again.
“Please listen dear Madman. This is Earth. You have a brain that is totally new.
It will store within it information that you need. Often you can learn by listening and asking questions. This message comes from your old brain.”
“My what?”
“It will not talk to you again. You have surely given it an ache.” Said the 2 watchers.
4 Soon the two watchers insisted they drop the Madman off. “We cannot bare the weight of his many questions.” They said.
They saw some passing strangers. “Excuse us, our friend here has just acquired a new brain. He knows nothing. We were wondering if you could help teach him?”
The gathering crowd agreed and the 2 watchers departed so fleet of foot the crowd remarked never before had they seen such speed.
5 “What can you tell me about this place?” Said the Madman, to the crowd.
“It is called Earth. It moves at 67 thousand miles an hour but you would never guess so. Where did you come from Madman? Surely you are crazy if you choose to have a brain that cannot remember your past?”
“Do I come from around the corner?” Said the Madman.
“No you come from your mother’s belly.” They said.
“A belly like yours?” Said the Madman.
“Yes.” Said the crowd.
“That is small I am large.” Said the Madman.
“Yes you was once small. Smaller than a fingernail.”
“Could you explain to me please?” Said the Madman.
6 “Everything on Earth is made of atoms. Some things grow. A tree was once a seed.” The crowd said.
The Madman asked, “Can you show me this thing you call growing?”
The crowd gathered bricks and placed one upon the other until the size was great.
“This is how things grow. Each brick in our example is an atom. Anything that grows has more and more atoms arrive to join together. They are the building blocks of life.”
The Madman got excited. “Behold behold I know how things grow.” Then he hesitated. “Excuse me where do atoms come from; around the corner?”
7 “Atoms do come from around the corner but it is a very difficult corner to explain. Science tells us that atoms were made around 14 billion years ago. They built the Earth 4 to 5 billion years ago.”
“So the atoms traveled 14 billion years to make you and me?” Said the Madman.
“That is one way of saying it.” They said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the atoms for making me. That was very kind of them.” Said the Madman.
8 A crowd gathered around the Madman. They spoke. “The Madman is dim witted so innocent is he. He thinks atoms are kind. When all they really do is stick together.”
“Sticking together is a good thing isn’t it?” Said the Madman.
9 The Madman begun to walk and talk. Upon his travels he saw a woman upon her knees. “What is this?” He asked.
“They are praying.”
“What is praying?” Said the Madman.
“Here on Earth people pray to give thanks for their very existence.”
“To the atoms?” Said the Madman.
The crowd sighed. “People pray to God. Because God made the atoms God told the atoms to make all things.”
“Behold behold, blessed is God for having made the atoms that made me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank every atom in my body for listening to God.”
10 The Madman held a phone. “I will ring God and thank God for making atoms that made me. What is God’s phone number?”
“We cannot phone God. You must pray.” Said the crowd.
“Dear God,” said the Madman, “when I turn the next corner please tell the atoms to make a pathway for me to walk upon.”
The crowd said, “We do not pray for walkways if we did we would spend all day praying instead of walking.”
11 The Madman stood amongst the crowd. “Where does God live?”
“God lives in Heaven.” Said a man.
“God lives in the heart.” Said a woman.
The Madman said, “Where in this Universe is Heaven? Is it on your sat nav? If God is in our hearts why do you pray to God if God is so close?”
“God was taught to us by us parents.” They said.
“Who taught them?” Said the Madman.
“Their parents.” Some people pointed to this or that religious book. Or this or that particular man.
The Madman said, “Does that mean a woman cannot tell me about God as well as a Man?”
“No it is just that God chose man more often when it came to telling us about God.” They said.
The Madman did a strange thing. He got to his knees and prayed aloud. “Dear God send a long line of women that next time they do your bidding.”
12 THE BUS
“It seems to me that if I want to know something I should ask a human. For when I ask God I do not get a reply. Is God’s voice quiet?”
“What did you ask?”
“I asked what time the bus will take me around the corner.” Said the Madman.
A woman who did not believe in God said, “God cannot tell you the answer because God does not exist.”
Another woman who did believe in God said, “God does exist but God will never answer such a question.”
“Why?” Asked the Madman.
“It is too trivial . Bus times and routes are at bus stops or on your phone.”
13 UNLUCKY FOR SOME
“So what can I ask God that God will answer me?” Said the Madman.
The Woman who did believe in God said, “I cannot answer your question.”
A Religious Man said, “Not all questions can be answered but I believe in God.”
Then a female student from university said, “I am studying to finish my PhD it is the highest type of study. I do not believe in God I only believe in what has been proven.”
So the Madman said, “Well if you only believe in what has been proven why do you believe there is no God? For no one has yet to prove God does not exist.”
END OF PART ONE
