Lent: Journey with the Third Jesus

"At that point the Spirit sent him out toward the desert. He stayed in the wasteland forty days, put to the test there by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and angels waited on him." - The Gospel of Mark

"I can resist everything...except for temptation." - Oscar Wilde

I strain to see through the descending twilight. "How much farther big brother?" Jesus of Nazareth turns and smiles "just a little more." Then he holds up his hand, motioning for me to stop. He lowers himself to the ground, moving dirt away from the three big stones with his hands. "What are you doing" I ask. His head pivots before he rises and he whispers, "I'm making the path visible." "Man, I could have ran into them!" "How long have they have been here?" "From the very beginning" he shares. "Why are they they here, obstructing the path, do they represent something?" Jesus assures me they are symbols of challenge that everyone will encounter. I ask him to explain what they mean. "The first stone represents the temptation to believe one is responsible for fulfilling his or her physical needs rather than trusting in the universe to supply what is essential." "The second stone represents the tendancy to look for one's identity in power and wealth rather than in one's humanity and gifts." "The third stone represents the desire for acclaim and fame rather than being happy and at peace with who one truly is." "Can you just lift me over them?" Jesus smiles and slowly shakes his head back and forth, responding "you must find your way, no one can take you over or around them, you must walk the path."

Darkness envelopes us. Stalled, I'm unable to figure a way around or over these damn stones. It is cold and eerie. I shiver in the night air. Jesus returns with several pieces of wood. Again he drops to the ground, soon a blazing fire warms me. He wraps me in his cloak and softly touches my cheek with the back of his hand. Next he takes embers from the flames and creates a circle of burning light around us. I ask him why. He responds that the circle represents God, the Self. He smiles, sharing "one is always warm and safe in the embrace of the divine." I share that I'm hungry but he assures me it will pass - "people do not live by bread alone." And then there is electricity in the air. Strong wind gusts burst through the trees, the fire surges and a threatening stranger stands just outside the circle. I ask Jesus who the stranger is,. There is a whispy, ghostly quality about him that spooks me. "The tempter" he responds." I ask Jesus to do something, "get rid of him " I scream. Jesus smiles and assures me that this is something I must do, he shares that he is here to support me. He takes my hand and we walk to the edge of the circle. Squinting through the darkness, the phantom figure takes shape. It is a ghostly phantom who looks like me - it is me. I ask Jesus what this is all about. "Who is this figure who looks like me?" "It is your ego my brother" Jesus whispers." I respond that we must get rid of it, I tell him the ego is "bad." Jesus smiles and again shakes his head no. He assures me "the ego is not bad, it has it's place, it's purpose." " You simply need to acknowledge it, be aware of it and it will lose power over you and you will find freedom of movement again." "Its all about awareness, consciousness" he assures me. I slowly extend my hand beyond the safety of the circle, inviting my ego to take hold. Two hands connect, a hand of flesh and a mystical hand of mist. I draw the ego into the circle. Jesus whispers into my ear. I nod my head, look the ego in the eye and smile. Then I place my arms around the phantom figure and embrace it. The ego figure smiles and then slowly and mysteriously vanishes. Jesus and I are left alone, the sky turns to light, I'm no longer cold. We walk beyond the confine of the circle to the place where the stones were once embedded. They are no longer there. Nothing to hold me back now as we make our way out of here.

On the walk back, I ask Jesus what we just experienced. He smiles and explains that I have chosen to find my identity with soul and not ego. He said it is the beginning of learning to trust in the spiritual rather than in the material. I swallow hard and a sigh is emitted from within. "Its over then" I express with relief. Jesus smiles a final time and shakes his head again. "It is just beginning little brother, in a few weeks we must face Golgotha and you must learn to carry a cross." "Can't I just help Simon of Cyrene carry yours?" Jesus laughs and puts his hands on the back of my neck. He leans into me and kisses my forehead. "My cross has already been planted - the great portal through which the self passes to the Self." "You must learn to carry your own." " Trust me, trust in the universe." "You will know when its time." "Always remember little brother, I have overcome the world - I have made the path visible". "Visible to you, visible to everyone who dares to trust in the power of love." He concludes "many have tried to hijack my message, always remember, my true message is one of transformation, one of love." We walk toward the sun, his arm around my shoulder, his peace within my heart. Losing ourselves, together. Losing ourselves in the Light.

Love, Greg