The Test

"What you know is mostly what you feel about knowing something."--Anu.

One day God found the Angel of Death lost in a deep meditation. That was unusual about the angel.

“What are you thinking; you most exuberant of my creations?” God asked.

Shaken from his thought, the Death Angel fumbled: “Master, I was studying how emotions work in human beings.”

“And why this befuddled expression on your face?”

“Father, I learned that emotions in human beings are akin to expressivity. And then I tested them to understand if they have mastered how they express their emotions.”

“I saw your test, my child. Now, tell me what did you learn from it?” God said.

“Lord, when I presented a man with precious he cried bitter tears. I heard him say ‘what have I done that the angel himself has come to me.’ Another time, when I appeared to a woman and took her elder son’s life, she had a smile on her face, and I heard her whisper; ‘my son is in heaven’s gate.’ This is the lesson I learned, Creator that different emotions are separated with a thin layer of wisdom and that anyone is prone to make mistakes in choosing the right one.”

God smiled at this. The Death Angel was left with himself once again. And once again he lost himself in the maze of his own thoughts.