This is It - Episode 1: At the River

Though he lived alone, he was never alone. Nature was his home, true, but people never left him alone there. They followed him around. It was because of the things he said, strange things, some thought. People wanted to know what he was all about. 

The message was simple, and always the same. It was a message from before time, from before sky and before earth and before oceans. It had formed itself in his mind from a dream he could vaguely remember, from deep in his childhood. As it was so like some of the sayings he had been taught of the prophets, he knew from where it had come and that it was truth. 

The message of the dream obsessed him to the point that it was all he could think, all he could say, all he could do. He knew that he had to give the message away, that he could not keep it to himself. Ultimately, it was this message that made him go out into the world. 

This is it, he said to all within earshot, the dominion is at hand, and you will be judged on your actions, as well as all the thoughts and words that led to them. Regret your thoughts, words and actions that are selfish and immoral; return to the bosom of the most high. Lighten your soul by doing good, being kind, and sharing.

One day, during a rare instance of hiking alone in the wild, he came upon a spring. He felt dirty, tired and thirsty. 

He’d always understood water, loved water. This was so ever since boyhood, when he fell out of a fishing boat into the sea, and suddenly knew how to swim. No one taught him; he just knew how. 

At this moment, he plunged his head in the spring. Water was the way through the muck and mire, the way to be refreshed and renewed. He reveled in the coolness and wetness of the fresh, fresh water. When he rose, the feeling of the soft breeze over his wet face was like a blessing, likewise the trickle of water rolling down his body.

That was where and when he heard the voice. It was not a big voice, but a very small one. It surprised him that he could hear this tiny voice. It said: You are here baptized, for your heart and soul long for goodness in the world. This makes me happy. Share the blessing of your friend, water.

After that, he couldn’t bear to be inside. He stayed outdoors, close to the land and water, where he found sustainable nourishment from insects, berries, flowers, herbs and honey. He wore simple clothes he fashioned for himself. And he talked to the stones and the plants and to the creatures of the wild. People heard his talk, as well, and they followed him, to see what might happen next. Some thought he was crazy; he didn’t care. He knew he had to talk his talk, so that is what he did.

One day, at the riverside, while he was talking his talk to all that would listen, someone asked him, How will the holy one know I’ve changed in my heart and soul?Will you speak for me?

That stopped him short. He fell silent. Surely, he could not speak for others.

Then he heard the voice, again; that one from the spring, the small one. He heard it even in the midst of this noisy knot of people.

Share the blessing of your friend, water, with everyone. As this was the sign for you, it is the sign for them, too – and for me.

So, to the one who had asked, he said, Come, walk with me into the river. 

The person hesitated, and the gathered group held their collective breath. What would happen next?

Do you admit to wrong ways of thinking and speaking and doing, to these assembled people and to the most high?

Yes, said the penitent one.

Take my hand. Come wade with me. Tell us about the bad things you want to turn away from. Then, I will dunk you under the water, and you shall rise up, clean in body, mind and spirit, in thought, word and deed. This is how you let the holy one know, and how you awaken to a new life for yourself.

When that person rose up, refreshed as if new, all could seethe change. And they wanted to be reborn to goodness, as well.

And so, in part, that is how the life of this particular person found it’s bloom.

© 2020 by Elisabeth T. Eliassen and songsofasouljourney.blogspot.com 

A brief note about my literary exploration of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth: I have undertaken this exercise having read, sung (in several languages), meditated and prayed on the contents of the Synoptic Gospels (as well as the Non-Synoptic Gospels) for at least 45 years. In that time, I’ve accumulated a bit of a library (which comes as no surprise to those who know me), and I try to follow modern scholarship. Here is a partial list of the authors and books that come to mind as I write these episodes:

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

The Season of Giving and Sharing Revisited

Well, we are now on that slippery slope that leads to Thanksgiving, Christmas and a New Year. For many, it is either “Ho, Ho, Ho” or “Ho hum”. For some, it may be an excuse to acquire, an excuse to shop, an excuse to spend and indulge, and for some to boost their image. We have, after all, been well trained to feed the capitalist system by spending.

But, I sometimes wonder if we are really fulfilled by the excesses of Holiday spending. Does spending give us a feeling of power? I know it place stresses on us and our society that are difficult to overcome: financial burdens, obligations, waste creation are but a few of such stresses.

My observations of today’s society is not a happy one for me. I see that there is a great deal of existence and experience that is extremely shallow and solitary, if not outright alienating. Polar extremes of opinion keep people from thinking and acting toward a via media that might prove to make life better for more people. The greed of the top 1% percent, as well as that of those political leaders who are charged with the responsibility of overseeing the general welfare of all citizens, is all too transparent; not a day goes by when there is not some new scandal having to do with public money being misused.

Growing up, as I did, within the roiling foment of the 1960s, it is hard to see that we fulfilled those needs we peacefully marched for. While there is greater parity, there are now even greater divides and millions more examples of small-minded thinking to overcome. We may be created equal, but there is no equal treatment to be had.

Growing up, as I did, in a time of seeming plenty, I look around now and see that current events and trends have people afraid for their financial and personal security. Our natural resources are being consumed at ever greater rates, often expended for the sake of cheaply manufactured items that all to easily become broken and toxic trash. While we pride ourselves for our recycling efforts, but the truth is that much of what America recycles is sent to be processed overseas. While vast amounts of money are spent on maintaining the status quo of toxic and endangered energy, not all that much is spent to develop new technologies that might turn our recycling into more localized business that creates or renews energy.

Knowing this, one thing we can do is conscientiously work to reduce our waste.

During the great SpendFest of the 1980s and 1990s, we were taught that catalog purchases meant we could have anything at anytime. All well and good, but the waste of packaging materials and fuel used in shipping can add irresponsibly to our environmental dilemma. The avalanche of catalogs, themselves, add to our landfill! One of the most egregious examples of such catalog purchasing happens when people order perishable foods, such as steaks, and have them shipped to the giftee—think about the giant box with the additional Styrofoam insert box, dry ice and other materials added just to send a couple of steaks that, let’s face it, aren’t worth all that effort and waste. Much better to send a gift certificate for a lovely meal at a fine restaurant local to the giftee. 

One thing is very clear: More than ever, people need each other, we need to share what we have, pool resources and avoid unnecessary waste.

Here are a few ideas for sustainable, seasonal or year-round giving:

* Buy locally made items – support local business, Made in USA and Union Labor

* Support your local Food Bank and/or Animal Shelter with a donation

* Give gift certificates presented in handcrafted cards

* When there is a two-for-one sale, particularly on food items, take the deal and donate the second item to the local Food Bank or Soup Kitchen

* Re-gift quality items from your home that you no longer need

* Likewise, your local second hand shop is a local business where you can find treasures less expensive but every bit as good as new retail items

* Before running them to the thrift shop, consider donating old, but still useable clothing or new underwear and socks to the local homeless shelter

* Play, Movie or concert tickets make and unexpected wonderful gifts

* Make a home cooked meal or prepare baked goods or jams or candies for friends

* Repurpose baskets with gifts of canned delicacies or crafted items

* If you know do-it-yourselfers, gift certificates at auto parts, hobby shops, craft supply or hardware stores might be just the thing

* Rather than a once-a-year donation to local shelters or food banks, consider a monthly contribution—these concerns don’t just need money at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but all year long!

* Comic pages from the Sunday paper make colorful and compostable giftwrap!

* These ideas may just have given you an idea or two—or twelve!

Obviously, a lot more could be said in this article. The short of it is that we can find new, creative and thoughtful ways of responsibly sharing and caring and celebrating with each other this year. It might mean an investment of more time and thought, but the results can only make you feel good about what you are doing—leading to less of that post-holiday let down.