Up North

Up North

       For my final project I want to explore the concept of salvation through a work of fiction. I am going to be writing a short story about the Second Coming of Jesus. 

When you die, provided you’ve done the right things and avoided the wrong ones, you go to heaven, up in the clouds with God, your soul ascends. However. there is an even greater kind of salvation. One that comes to the followers of God during the End the Times: When Jesus Returns. It is likely you have heard some mention of the “Second Coming” also known as “Jesus 2: The Reckoning”.

 In essence, Jesus returns to save the good peoples of this world and to punish the sinners and defeat the Devil in a glorious war for humanity and the Universe. Although human civilization does burn, Jesus ultimately wins and all is well. For a thousand years or so before the Devil returns for another bout of destruction…it’s kind of his thing.

 You would think the “End of the World” would frighten most people. But Christians have nothing to fear, for they believe that when the world comes to an end they will be saved through the rapture, a biblical event in which God takes his people into Heaven to avoid all the nasty apocalypse business. Jesus’ return is, more often than not, seen as a wonderful event, one to be looked forward to instead of feared. When Jesus comes, the good people of the world are ultimately freed of the pain and trials of life and are brought up to heaven where they are given eternal peace and happiness. 

With “Up, North” I want to explore what happens to the United States when Jesus comes back. The celebration and the panic. I want to show how the people who have spent their whole lives anticipating this event react and to show nonbelievers questioning everything. I also want to tackle the different ideas of what salvation means and perhaps even explore why there are some people who might not even want salvation when it comes; people that might go in the opposite direction. A Brief Synopsis: 

With the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, everyone is going to Juno, New Mexico to be saved. But I’m going in the opposite direction. I’m going through a sea of religious insanity. I’m going Up North, to see her again. 

In Up North young college student Felix Follows finds himself traveling across the country as everyone goes to be saved, but he’s going to find his younger sister, the one person he ever got along with. She ran away from home years ago and they haven’t spoken since. And to find her he must travel in the opposite direction, away from Jesus, away from the promise of eternal salvation. Felix finds himself up against against crazed parties, righteous militias, terrified nonbelievers, and the greatest migration in American history. He also faces a crisis of faith as he wonders if Jesus really has returned and if going Up North is really the right thing to do. 

I really want to tackle this event from the perspective of someone that is not a part of it, someone who is actually fighting against it and illustrate what that might be like. I will likely be taking some creative license but given the figurative nature of the good old Book of Revelations I think it will be okay. There is a good deal of this story I have yet to figure out but I am very excited to explore these subjects and relate them to up and hope that this goes well

https://www.pinterest.com/AltenInk/rain/

https://www.worldslastchance.com/biblical-christian-beliefs/the-second-coming-part-1-triumphant-reunion.html

http://blackmanwithagun.com/386-survive-riot-happens

http://www.nuwaycarcenter.com/blog/stay-safe-on-the-roads-this-fall-with-these-driving-tips/

http://projects.aljazeera.com/2014/arizona-border-militia/