He also wondered if God did this same thing, rested high on his perch and watched from a distance, not knowing their names and not really caring, either, depending upon his mood. Because the act of salvation was, sometimes he thought, more of an ego stroke than an act of mercy, and more often than not Jack was stroking himself but wearing the hair shirt at the same time.

Did God do the same thing? Look at all I have created, now watch as it destroys itself, I will observe from far away and if I get the whim to intervene I shall, otherwise, let the fools kill themselves and each other.

Jack knew this wasn't his own creation, and he knew he'd intervene no matter the circumstance, and he didn't think that God sat around and punished himself for his occasional lack of caring, really caring.

He was not God, although he found himself acting like him sometimes, he thought.