Ch 09 – The Good News … (04/11/11 – day 2, part 2)
“And this is eternal life: to know you, the ONE,
and the Christ whom You sent to reside within us.
I glorify You on Earth by engaging the Work
that You have enabled me to fulfill.”
~ Jesus Christ (John 17:3-4)
Having renewed my resolve to become a more pure messenger of the selfless Way, I was bounding down the road once more – this time impervious to the hunger pangs that were needling me from within; unmoved by the fatigue that had previously addled my moral guidance.
It is truly amazing what a little selfless intention and a smile will do …
It wasn’t long before I noticed an unusual house perched atop a hill to my right. My intuition was strongly encouraging me to walk up its driveway and knock on the door, so that is what I did …
I knocked … several times …
No one was home.
Normally, this would be met with a shrug of my shoulders and a return to the road, and yet there was something different about this time. This time, I somehow knew that I was to remain there for some reason.
So I looked about and saw a broom leaning up against the porch wall. I also noticed that someone had recently started sweeping the front porch, and had only partially finished the task. That was good enough for me … I picked up the broom and started sweeping. At the very least, the homeowner would come home to a clean porch.
I don’t know exactly for how long I swept, nor how long the homeowner had been watching me do so, before he came out and greeted me with a hesitant “What’s going on?” I was more than a little startled by his presence, and yet wasn’t really nervous (a trait of all those who are engaged in deeds of selfless Kindness, by the way). I simply told him that I had come to ask for a glass of water, that thought he was away, and that I was cleaning his porch for him before intending to depart.
He was more curious than impressed, I thin but we did strike an amazing conversation – one that covered all the juicier themes: the imminent end of the world, the “rapture” that would follow, the fate of those “evil folks” who are committing various moral & economic atrocities upon the weak & the powerless, and finally our call to simply be Kind to those enemies “and let God sort it all out”. I don’t know what came of this little chat, but Carl (that was his name) seemed appreciative of the company, and at least a little bit buoyed by my positive, loving approach to our species impending doom. He then brought me two cheese sandwiches and sat with me calmly while I ate them. Then he wished me well, we hugged briefly, and I was on my way once again.
I stopped shortly thereafter and pulled the following “random” quote from my bag:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He as anointed me to bring Good News to those in fear. He has sent me to proclaim forgiveness to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind; to let the oppressed go free; to proclaim the acceptable time of the Lord’s favor.” ~ a more accurate translation of Isaiah 61:1, 58:6 & 61:2 [quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19]
Interesting, especially considering the fact that the “Good News” Jesus relayed was an unconditional Love for all, and that God’s “acceptable time” for anything is always right here, right now …
I didn’t make it very far thereafter when I woman (Sherry May) called out to me from behind her yard-sale table and asked me where I was headed. Needless to say, the answer “southern Florida” was enough of a surprise to inspire her to call me over and offer me even more food – this time some canned beans with fresh jalapeño peppers. I was actually already pretty full from Carl’s cheese sandwiches, but I knew that one of the reasons for walking this Pilgrimage was to give others the opportunity to experience the Joy that comes from selflessly giving, and I couldn’t very well offer that joy to Sherry without eating the food she was offering – so I did.
We chatted quite a bit about life and whether or not it had any real purpose. Then she asked me what the title on my smock meant. I told her that “numinous” meant “the Light of our Spirit that shines forth from us through every deed of Kindness” – just like the one she had just offered me.
She looked at me for a bit and then responded with a voice as smooth as glass:
“I don’t know much about the Spirit, but that Light is aaaaaallllllll mine.”
Amen, sister Sherry … Amen.
;