Miami Beach, FL, May 1, 2022 --  

The wickedness of mortals is defiling the beauty of Miami Beach.

The vengeful Old Testament God was displeased. What was this abomination of hubris before Him?

For many weeks He watched with growing agitation as mortals toiled to create this display. They hauled in wooden posts and beams, and planks. They brought huge machines to move the earth and assemble a great wooden structure.

Trampled Beauty / Photo ©2022 David G. Young

As it neared completion, they brought in crates of intoxicating libations. Armed centurions sporting golden badges on their breasts arrived to stand guard.

Finally, they brought in the animals. Hundreds of horses, housed in stables also built to accompany the great structure.

Yet this was no pasture. This was a strip of beautiful white sand along crystal clear aquamarine waters. One of His most beautiful creations in the tropical world. Why would those mortals being horses, one of His other beautiful creations, to where they do not belong?

Then the mortals began hauling in the dirt. Huge machines carried dark brown soil from afar then spread it over His sparkling white sand. They placed barriers atop this soil and made the horses jump over them. Then many more mortals came to bear witness as they changed the grounds for a game called polo. The mortals drank the intoxicating libations and cheered at what they saw.

But this was a pristine beach! A precious rare place of His creation! He had created ample fields, steppes, pastures, and savannahs covering much of the earth for horses to be roam. How dare these mortals forsake the fields of His creation and instead besoil His pristine shoreline.

And why? Out of hubris! A humble mortal may jump stallions in a field. But this abomination could only be done by a mortal with a large purse filled with silver, a man in possession of large machines, a man who commanded leagues of other men. Only a wicked and wealthy mortal dared defile a pristine beach of His creation in as a crass display of earthly power.

His Son was also displeased. The Son had long been concerned by the decadence in this place mortals called Miami. Velvet ropes separated commoners from men deemed “very important” based only on money. The poor could no longer afford shelter because the wealthy came from afar bid up the land in search of empty prestige.

Yet the Son was not as bothered as the Father by the festivities on the beach and suggested mercy. Had the Son not turned water into wine to please party guests as His first miracle?

Perhaps so. Yet the Father was still angry. He had long ago laid waste to Sodom and Gomorrah with sulfur and fire for this kind of wickedness. Should He have mercy on the wicked mortals of Miami Beach? If He does, what abomination will they possibly get up to next?

Author's note: While not a believer in an Old Testament God, I could not help but consider what one might think as I watched workers build the Longines Global Champions Tour jumping field and Beach Polo World Cup grounds on Miami Beach in April 2022.