fandomhigh | Supernatural Studies, Wednesday, Period 1

"Welcome back," Jack said, clearly more relaxed now that he was on his second week on the job. He deistributed a stack of handouts as the students took their seats. "For our first class, I thought we'd talk about the first supernatural creature many children who grow up in Western cultures on Earth hear about -- angels. In several religions, angels are seen as benevolent creatures who carry out the will of God on Earth. Traditionally they act as messengers, guides and protectors to humanity."

He moved over to bring up a PowerPoint slide. "The modern image of an angel is something like this," he said, bringing up a slide of an extremly cute being in a white robe with wings and a harp. "But that wasn't what the first people to believe in them saw at all. Descriptions of angels in ancient spiritual texts include seraphim, who were on fire and had six wings. Traditional depictions were more like this."

He regarded the image for a moment."It's said they glow so brightly humans cannot look on them. Satan, the lord of Hell, is described as a fallen angel. Another named angel, Samael, brings death; Michael performs acts of justice and power. in the original stories, they are not meant to be especially nice." That point, he thought, deserved some emphasis. "But in addition to seeing angels as warriors for God, early on people began to believe in 'guardian angels.' This is the concept that an angel watches over each of us at each minute. Some early religious leaders believed this, some did not, and it ended up firm in the popular imagination. Even now, people who are not terribly religious may refer to their 'guardian angel' when they feel spared in some way. Other people may say we're all angels for each other -- that sometimes God moves a human to do something angelic."

Jack wasn't sure he believed any of that, but he would admit it was a nice idea.

"That brings us to our discussion," he said. "What do you think about the concept of heavenly beings who intervene in human lives? Is it something you feel you've seen, or a fairy tale we tell children?" He was prepared to intervene if the discussion got too heated, but asking the question seemed safe enough. "Also, the office seems to think I have a second TA. Charley Brewster, come see me after class."

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"There's probably something like angels somewhere," Kate said - though she was personally doubtful. "But I hope it's not in a Caressed by a Seraphim ~~Touched by an Angel~~ sort of way because that's just cheesy."

"Who is being caressed by seraphim?" Lucrezia asked.

Sorry. Still not caught up to the current century, pop-culture-wise.

"The people in this really horrible TV show," Kate said, making a face. "It's all about how they meet this person who just happens to be an angel, and she makes changes in their lives."

She paused. "If there was actual caressing, it'd probably be a better show..."

"I don't believe that's how angels work," Lucrezia frowned. "And the name certainly doesn't inspire confidence. As our teacher said, most angels are warrior creatures. I don't imagine our petty concerns trouble them at all."

"Yeah, the shepherds cowered in fear," she agreed, proving at least some catechism from confirmation class had stuck. "That doesn't seem the type of creature who'd wander around reuniting lost puppies with their owners."

"Not to mention the angels who brought the plagues to the Egyptians," Lucrezia said, shuddering. "I would imagine most seraphim have more pressing chores. And it creates quite disturbing questions. Why did angels retrieve that girl's lost puppy, and not my own?"

"I don't think the showrunners cared about the disturbing questions. They just want something sappy for people who wear angel pins - pins like the first picture not the second," she clarified. "On the other hand, if it keeps the seraphim from bringing plagues, maybe it's a good thing."

"But the second is far more artistic," Lucrezia mused. "It'd make for a better pin."

Aesthetics was not exactly the point, here.

"I can't imagine the plagues being stopped for lost puppies," she added. "One imagines, if a plague were to be needed, the seraphim would quickly come to heel and take their next orders, leaving all the puppies exactly where they were."

Kate snickered. Puppies, heel, that was terrible.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing either pin," she decided. Because aesthetics were the point sometimes darnit!

"And if the seraphim didn't, then they probably wouldn't be seraphim anymore. So..."

"One doesn't imagine the Almighty has much tolerance for dissent," she agreed. "And one wonders what sort of person is appeased by such platitudes. The idea that guardians are protecting our lost puppies, if only one is pious enough."

"People who don't have much faith in themselves?" Kate offered. "After all, if bad things happen only to people who deserve it then they must be good since they found their puppy."

"People who like to believe the world is fair, and good," she mused softly. "That God will not allow terrible things to happen to them, because they are decent and kind-hearted. But even the Bible itself showed good things happening to terrible people, and the reverse."

If one needed proof that life was not kind, that would make a compelling Exhibit A.

Kate shrugged a little. "I don't think that type of person actually reads the Bible," she pointed out. "Otherwise they'd've caught the angel thing already."

Not that she read the Bible, but.

Supernatural Studies, Wednesday, Period 1

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