Faith

Water all around me. For days and months and years. I am surrounded by oceans of water for centuries. This ancient water has surrounded me for a thousand years.
Every little stream joins another and finds its way to the sea and the water surrounds me, body and soul.
I have no staff to divide waters with. I have no staff to cross these flooded rivers. I have no staff...
The flood reaches in through every window, through every chimney but I have no great ship to embark on. I have no ship to pick a pair of every creature and take them along with me. I have no ship...
The great waters come and surround me. They drown me. The horror of the violent waves washes over me. I am trapped in a dark wide ocean. I have to wale to swallow me whole. I have to wale to console me when I live inside it.
Storms. Greats storms for days and months and years. Every breathe turns into a whirlwind and every whirlwind into a tornado. I have no rug to mount on and ride the winds. I have no magic carpet to take me away, to run away from this storm. I have no rug...
There are monsters everywhere. Demons for days and months and for years. Monsters that haunt me for centuries. Demons that torture me for thousands of years. Ghouls attack me from every cavern and from every corner. Demons and monsters sing and dance all around me. Their laughter sounds shrill in my head. And yet I have no magic ring on my finger. I have no magic finger upon whose mere stroke all these horrific creatures would come under my command and no longer bother me. I have no such ring...
Every element is an idol for one who hath chosen to worship an idol. Stones and sticks and bars. Even hearts are idols, souls are idols. Big or small they are chosen to be revered in place of a true god. I have no ax to break them down. I have no ax to smash these idols into pieces. I have no ax to put on the shoulder of the biggest of the idols to make the fools think their idols were murdered in a fate of jealously. Alas... I have no ax.
Fire for days and for months. Burning hot fire for months and for years. My flesh burns and my heart is aflame. My body is tinder for the licking claws of the great fire that consumes me. I have no blooming garden to replace the fire with. I have no green heavenly garden to fill the world with fresh blossoms. I have no garden...
The whole world is rotten. The world cannot hear nor see. It cannot breathe. It is ridden with a terrible illness it seems. I have no holy breath to bestow upon it. I cannot heal the world. No holy breath to calm pains and tend to wounds. I have no breath...
I have no staff. I have no ship nor a whale. Not a rug or a ring on my finger or an ax or a garden. I have no healing breath. How do I survive this life? How do I bear these hardships? How do I...
The journey takes days and months and years. I sail on and on for centuries. I fly for thousands of years.
But then I hear them say! Only the one who can cross all waters bears the staff. Only the one who can thread all fires can turn it into a magnificent garden. The one who fearlessly explores the bottom of oceans finds the whales. He who can ride all winds is the one who deserves the flying carpet. The one who rules over all ghouls and monsters is given the magic ring. It is him who is breaker of the idols who is given the ax and him who heals has been given the healing the breath....
The staff is faith. The ship, the wale, the carpet, the ring, they are the faith. The ax, the garden, the breath! The true faith is in the heart of the man who bears them.