Zadkiel’s wings
Spread miles apart
Three lonesome spirits
Searching for a new start
Ignoring the past
He looked at each heart
… A tear ran down his face

Three lost souls
Sharing one name
Each their own struggles
None were to blame
So very different
Yet so much the same
… He’ll happily create some space

Some cried out
You can’t let them in
Their souls are tainted
Plagued with sin
The angel undeterred
Searched deep within
… He signals to open the gate

Their demons rejected
Kept outside the doors
Along with their journals
They’re not needed anymore
Their thoughts now at ease
It’s the end of their war
… Zadkiel has decided their fate

Three lost souls
Three generations
Travelling together
Evading mans’ regulations
Objectionable thoughts
Merely human translations
… Divine justice for all they abhor

An angel’s compassion
He’s granted a new start
Not for their past
But the size of each heart
God smiles in agreement
His blessing to impart
… They don’t have to struggle any more

Their battles are over
It’s a new beginning
… They don’t need to struggle any more

I had an interesting encounter recently, coming home from a vacation in Mexico. As we sat and waited for the jet to leave, there came an announcement over the intercom that the flight was being held up momentarily because of a missing passenger. After a few minutes that seemed like an hour, a lady came through the door and staggered up the aisle. She was thin, her eyes squinted, and her lips puckered up like a blowfish as she looked at the numbers for each seat. She used a cane to keep her balance and had a flimsy knee brace on; both looked like they were purchased at Dollarama.

She was clearly inebriated as she slurred and sputtered her words while she loudly complained that the flight was leaving early and she was actually on time. I was especially nervous the closer she got to me as there were only two seats left in the plane; one of which was next to mine. I had a sincere sense of relief when she sat down beside two young girls directly across the aisle.

It was obvious that most of the other passengers were disgusted as she snored loudly, stunk of alcohol, spilled her drinks, spoke so the whole plane could hear her, bounced off the seats trying to clean her mess, and eventually wet herself. It was a sad scene indeed and my thoughts quickly went from annoyance to sympathy as I sat and wondered how this woman got to this point in her life. My mind began to recall some of the people I knew growing up and how time had not been very kind to them as well.

I often wonder how it is that some of us are so fortunate while others never seem to get a break. All lives are brought into this world as innocent souls, yet why do some appear to endure such hardship and misfortune. It seems too easy to attribute our destiny to work ethics, values, morals, ambition, attitude, or even religious beliefs. We all know people reared in the exact same environment with the exact same DNA that turned out totally different, with completely different personalities and attributes.

What’s increasing clear however, is that in most lives there are dramatic events and people that play a distinct role in shaping and molding our personalities. Some positive, some negative, some just there for a brief moment; just long enough to set our lives either on or off track. In any event we are who we are for a reason, yet strangely enough; we continue to judge and measure people by the end result.

I wrote “Zadkiel’s Creed” as a tribute to three very important people in my life who were sadly taken from us far too soon. Last August I lost an uncle, a brother, and my son Ryan in the short span of 5 days; three generations of family members gone in a blink of an eye. Though they shared the same DNA, much of their lives were very different. What they did share in common was a rough, often misunderstood exterior, a habit of speaking their mind, intolerance for stupid, quick wit, and a sincere internal empathy for the destitute. Despite their faults, I never thought any of these three were directly responsible for them. They either struggled with negatives from their past, or the uncertainly of their future… they all had genuine reasons for the end results of who they had become.

I referred to Zadkiel because he is the Archangel of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy. As many look for condemnation in their books (most of which teach that anything less than a perfect existence assures a place in hell), I pray that final judgement is made by the goodness of one’s soul. I once heard that if heaven was meant for perfect people, then it’s pretty vacant; I believe that’s very true. None of us are perfect by any means; I just hope there is more compassion and forgiveness after one’s death than there is before it.

As the anniversary of Ryan’s death passes I am left with an empty feeling in my heart and will be thinking of the grandfather, father, and son taken from us a year ago and far too soon. I will continue to pray for their safe journey and be thankful that they have each other for companionship along the way. I am forever grateful for the time I had with each of them, the ability to remember their finer moments, and the impact they had on me and others around them. Most of all I’m thankful for having faith in believing that the God I know would trust an Archangel’s judgement of someone’s soul over that of any human interpretations of his will. I pray Zadkiel sees the same thing I’ve always seen and has welcomed these three lonely souls into his home.