Hope

A running DOTA fight in between towers. 5vs5, -ar, mid-game and the first blood's just been called. Drow ranger, treant protector and Omni are defending against lich, Axe, Mortred and Shadow fiend, but are being pushed back due to the ranged frost attacks of the Lich and superior numbers on the Scourge side. Treant protector uses his last bit of mana to activate shields for himself and Omniknight while Drow ranger holds off the Lich with her arrows to cover the retreat. They are halfway back when suddenly words appear onscreen "Zeus and Chen missing watch your back" The two aforementioned heroes, Zeus the Lord of Olympia and Chen the Holy Knight burst from a clump of trees and bear down on Lich, and Shadow Fiend. In a second, Chen converts a group of creeps and Zeus brings down Lich and Axe to half health. Mortred has disappeared and shadow fiend is retreating. The tide has turned.

**

Seeing 2 out of 3 go wrong isn't bad, but when you're writing case notes for a SHO in the emergency room, you really do want to get all the patient's details down. I've sat with the patient and got as much info out of her as I thought I should need, but when the doc asks me, I am struck dumb. Why didn't I think of that? comes to mind fairly frequently. Humbled, I go ask the patient a few times more before getting an "OK" from the SHO who then, to my uttermost surprise, proceeds to discuss the case with me and how she should be managed. Finally, he types out a prescription and hands it to me. "Er.." I hesitate. "Go on, she's your patient isn't she?" the SHO says with a wink. Wow. He must have remembered what being a medical student was like.

**

Down in the beleaguered city of Gondor, knights cowered in fear as flames broke out through the city. Only a few were left shooting at the massed ranks of orcs surrounding the city. Even as more siege towers were hauled into place, the ancient creature's head, Grond, was being brought to bear on the city gate. Fire burned in its mouth, and cave trolls wielded it. They swung once, but the gates of iron and the posts of steel withstood the blow. Then the Witch-King uttered words from some long-forgotten tongue and Grond swung again. The gates shivered and fell at the third stroke. Under that hallowed archway, where no enemy had passed for over a hundred years, rode the Witch-King. In the courtyard, a single figure awaited. Gandalf upon Shadowfax, who alone of the Free horses of the world could stand the terror that awaited. As the Witch-King raised his hand to strike, a cock crowed from some nearby henhouse, caring nothing for the war, but only welcoming the breaking of day. And at that moment, as if in answer, horns blew wildly and fiercely in the east. Rohan had come at last.

**

Huddled in an upper room not far from Gethsemane, five dishevelled people tried to make sense of what had just happened. They'd just been woken from sleep to see their master being arrested and taken off. Peter was the only one to put up a fight, but even then, Jesus had stopped him before he did any real harm. Only now did they recall Jesus' words when he said he would be betrayed and handed over to his enemies. They looked back to the last dinner they had together, and shuddered when they recalled Jesus talking about 'his body being broken'.

Later, as they were told about Jesus and how he suffered at the hands of the soldiers, some struggled to make the connection. Didn't he just come into the city yesterday where the crowds welcomed him like a war hero? Others were slightly more optimistic. "Maybe it's one of his miracles. He's going to save himself somehow, and make all the authorities look silly as usual. You wait and see."

Everyone was shocked, however, when they heard from Peter and John that Jesus was really dead. Peter could hardly speak, it was obvious he felt guilty, but John sorrowfully gave his account. Everyone flinched as he described how the soldier thrust his spear into Jesus' side at the end, to make sure of his death. There was a stunned silence when John finished speaking. No one really knew what to do after that. A few thought of going back to their former jobs, but the rest were still in shock.

The next morning, everyone tried to muster up the strength to eat something. Some had already left during the night, but most of the disciples were still there. Someone said "You know how he would always pray every morning, all by himself?" Then the door burst open and 2 excited men came running in. In breathless tones they described how they'd been talking to a man who'd explained the Scriptures to them, and who they thought was Jesus!

'While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." Luke24:36-39

**

In the midst of studying for my exam(which i really should be doing, and will get back to soon), i thot of writing about hope, so often understated in a world where pessimism seems to be gaining the upper hand, and where a hope for something better seems more and more a child's pipe dream better left behind as one gets older.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1Cor 13;13

*from a fictional game of DOTA, a posting to the ER, a book called the Lord of The Rings, which I had no time to find the original text of(don't sue me please), and the Bible with my own modifications on what the disciples might have done.*