Centuries ago in a police state far away, a group of people got together to challenge the authority of church and state. They saw no advantage to themselves or mankind in general in living quietly under the dual yoke.
Posters appeared on walls. Posters that spoke of a better, more free way of life. Word spread at the wash troughs and market places. There was excitement in the air. A great demonstration was planned to take place in the capitol city.
People flocked in from the countryside and the church leaders implored them to stay away, to remain meek and obedient to the archbishops and generals. Most of the young and some of the old laughed and turned away.
``There is no stopping us,'' they said, ``a new age is dawning.''
On the day of the great demonstration the army surrounded the capitol city and they killed hundreds of people. Some were demonstrators but many were quiet ones with no wish to be involved. Thousands were arrested and thrown into containment compounds where there was no room to lie or sit and no toilet facilities except the river that contained them on one side. A hundred at a time were taken out and tried and shot.
``How can we save ourselves?'' the detainees asked each other.
The next morning when a hundred people were marched out to the court room and convicted, a prisoner spoke up.
``Before we die we must pray to god for forgiveness,'' he said.
The judges conferred among themselves. It was agreed that since the court represented the church as well as the army, it was advisable that the prisoners be allowed to pray.
And so the captives started praying. They prayed in words they prayed in song. They prayed all day and they prayed all night and they never allowed their voices to fall silent. Their executioners have long grown old and died and their children and their children's children down through a hundred generations. And the government they represented long ago softened and dissolved and was replaced with other chaos.
Those who prayed are long gone too, but as their voices failed and faded the river took up the sound.
The river prays on.