The Christ Message by G. H. Ritz What did Jesus really tell us? There is a version for every denomination, order, sect, and cult in the world, but none has satisfied the yearning of the true heart that searches for meaning in this teaching. To these we offer what we believe to be the true Christ message. Be one. To the fundamentalist who awaits the Second Coming of Jesus (though for what purpose none can clearly say) this must sound like the highest form of blasphemy. Be Christ? Before going on to the gist of this article it would be well for us to clear up some longstanding misconceptions regarding Jesus and Christ. They are not the same, although one became the other. Jesus was a man; Christ is a spiritual state which is correctly identified as the Only Begotten Son of God. Jesus was neither God nor the Only Begotten Son of God, except in the true sense of the connection, which is purely spiritual. But as we have shown in Chapter 12 of The Time of the End, he attained that spiritual state as perfectly as any can, by overcoming himself, discarding old ideas for higher ideals, and Luke [2:52]:"...increased in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and man." Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God is an allegory and does not make any literal sense. To those who insist it does it may come as a shock to learn that there never really was a woman named Necessity who gave birth to a child named Invention. Moreover, the concept of a perfect man also makes no sense in a Creation in which everything is already perfect. What use is there in a teaching, by someone supposed to be so much better than any person can aspire to becoming, containing principles that none can ever measure up to? It is nonsense. The Christ teaching is intensely practical, is available to all who will accept the truth, and is the only key to a happy, prosperous, and fulfilling life. But first we have to get the mumbo-jumbo out of the way. It is incredible that seemingly mature, intelligent people are actually waiting for Jesus to return - because that's what they've been told by the Ignoramuses who know less about God than the average alley cat. These pious, holier-than-thou Medievalists are like children left alone at home while their parents are away, clucking at their siblings who are making a mess of the house, saying, "Wait till Daddy comes home." The biggest problem with the "Second Coming" is that there is no First Coming. The Christ spirit is born in the heart of man every instant, and it usually follows the Final Judgement. It's a personal thing. Jesus spoke to everyman and it is for everyman that his teaching is intended. The notion that Jesus will return to establish a thousand-years reign is the same Uto- pian nonsense that has caused so much suffering in the world already. There is a saner, more soul-satisfying path to follow, and once understood might well lead to a better world if followed by enough people. But first we must take out the trash. And this means discovering, uncover- ing, and discarding the superstitious nonsense that has been the despair of thinking people for so long. Some may ask how we can presume to remark on such matters. This is a fair question and the proper concern of all good souls seeking true understanding. Ours is not the way of confrontation, the powers of evil in the world are yet too entrenched and powerful; the outcome would be a contumelous, rancorous exchange of diatribes, charges and counter-charges. A war of words. Instead we choose the gentler path, that which leads directly to the source of all good in the world: the heart of man. Our is not the way of the Feudal Church that reduced its faithful to grov- elling serfdom, coerced its critics with Inquisitions, and burned it heretics in monstrous auto da fes. This monstrous fabrication of low men in high plac- es, which discouraged free thought and criminalized disagreement, foisted on mankind the crippled notions that God plays favorites, divides His creatures into "true believers" and "heathens", and that there are certain acts of man that God cannot forgive; whose primates (a fitting term), in a political con- clave at Nicea (an "Ecumenical Council" called by a Roman emperor) promoted the man, Jesus, who said "judge not lest ye be judged," to the status of the Son of God and decreed that he would return to, of all things -judge mankind! The contradictions are endless. The motley that define themselves as "Christian" are a breed of animal that Jesus, if he did return to the earth, wouldn't recognize. True Christi- anity died in the latter half of the Second Century AD when the Church set itself up as the intermediary between God and man. Before that time there was a body of faithful who followed the Christ teaching, the main component of which was that any man could have a personal relationship with God. They were called Gnostics, and it is they who worshipped, and lived, in the catacombs beneath the streets of Rome. Peter was a Gnostic, as were the Apostles, and many of the disciples who followed in their wake. But no man of the cloth will ever tell you that; it's not taught in any seminary or Bible college. The ordinary vanity of man finds higher expression in collective enterprises of this kind, the babble of blind guides and muddl- ed minds who speak of spreading the "word" throughout the world without fail to see, and have failed to see for centuries, that no effective change can be introduced in the manners and morals of men from without. Such as these speak of saving mankind without ever giving a thought as to whether mankind is even worth saving. As a human body invaded in every organ by malignant tumors is bound to fail, so is the worldly body of mankind likewise doomed to die unless everyman recognizes the Truth, as Jesus saw and expounded it: that we are all cells in the collective body of mankind; if the cells are healthy the body thrives; if some are corrupted the body ails; if too many are malig- nant the body dies. The Christ is an individual expression, a personal relationship with the God of the Universe of Universes. But this relationship must be sought, the Evil in the heart of man must be revealed unto himself that he may begin the arduous process of changing his Inner Being. Or, rather, getting out of the way, that his True Inner Being, the Father which doeth the works, may find expression in and through him. That's what Jesus was taught: "Know thyself." The Christ Message has been preserved intact despite the machinations of the deceitful dunderheads who have tried to tamper with it over the centuries by so simple an expedient as to be completely transparent. By focusing their unworthy attentions on the four Gospels of the so-called New Testament, and editing these to say what they thought these epistles should say, the blind guides who presume to teach what they do not know have failed to see what is plainly visible. Out in the open. Has anyone ever heard of the gospel according to Walt Disney? Of course not - but there is one. Oh, not exactly. It's really the gospel according to Carlo Lorenzoni, penned in 1868; Disney only made a feature length motion picture of it, but few people are aware of the fact - though millions have seen the film! Pinnocchio. There is another, lesser known body of truth cum fiction, which addresses the Christ Message in great detail, the central figure of which represents the soul's quest for fulfillment. Parallel references from the Bible will be cited to illustrate the connection. Western Mythology, developed during the early Middle Ages, containing the Arthurian Legend for one, is a brilliantly conceived disguise of the vital message that the wise ones of the past saw the necessity to preserve against the meddling of fools. It's central figure is the Hero. The Hero is everyman raised to the highest ideals of love, honor, duty, and service. Lancelot, Gallahad, and Gawain of King Arthur's Round Table were such heroes, as was Arthur himself. It was Arthur who drew the sword, Excali- bur, from the stone identifying himself as the True King. It starts with Kingship. Christmas, the delight of children, bane of par- ents, despair of the lonely, and focus of retailers, before it was corrupted honored the birth of Christ the King. The post-Nicene Church narrowed it down to the birth of Jesus, complete with shepherds, Magi, and snow in the desert. The December 25th observance is as false as the rest of the fable as not less than 125 dates have been proposed for this event, including the advice that it may have taken place in 4 BC rather than...what? Year Zero? It's a rather confusing muddle. The quest of the Mythological Hero begins with Kingship too but a little background is needed before going on. Among the many polarities produced by erring Church, certainly one of the most perplexing is the controversy over Creation vs. Evolution. Proponents of the former profess the belief that the entire Universe was manufactured from nothing, in an instant, by Perfect God, the author of Perfect Creation, who wasn't satisfied with things as they were. Maybe things weren't so perfect, after all? This childish folklore has been elevated to the status of Theory by persons who have chosen to ignore the Laws of Physics, Archaeological evidence, and ordinary common sense; among these, supposedly educated men who enlarged it into the pseudo-scientific absurdity that is the Big Bang Theory: philosophy masquerading as science. These Creationists seem to have a problem with the idea than man evolved from apes, as if where we came from is more important than where we are and where we are going. They also seem to overlook the fact that all men start out as squalling, drooling, incontinent, helpless, and babbling creatures who are utterly helpless at first. Actually, baby apes are better behaved and far less trouble. But perhaps the most convincing evidence of mankind's animal origins may be found in the behaviors of contemporary men. Anger, hatred, suspicion, war, homicide, theft, lying, cheating, stealing; all are easily recognized aspects of human nature - our Lower Nature. Moreover, we are the only animals on the face of the earth who have refined the killing of our own kind to such a high art. Rats and sharks also kill their fellows wantonly, but without the aid of automatic weapons, heavy artillery, guided missiles, fighter-bombers, battle- ships, aircraft carriers, and a nuclear technology that could wipe out all life. Lower animals also do not engage in espionage; we call it Intelligence! And all this makes for a pretty stressful world. Actually, we believe the earth goes by another name: Purgatory. That is, a little bit of Heaven, some Hell, and a whole lot of in-between. And often it gets to be too much for the ordinary man, or woman, or sometimes even child, to cope with. For these we have therapists, insane asylums (called State Hospitals), drugs, alcohol, and, when all these fail, suicide. Actually, in all this, humankind actually resemble lemmings, only with more refined and indirect methods of mass self- destruction. But there are those precious souls who will smile at these words, they are the people who, in total fear, frustration, and blackest despair, have turned away from the world and its legion insanities, and turned to God. For it is such as these who will recognize the truth of these words, for they have been truly reborn and have their judgement. Final Judgement. This does not mean final in the sense of the last, rather it means that the decision to turn to God is irreversible. Christ the King is born in their hearts and there is no going back. But there is a lot of going forward. And the path these follow, whether or not they realize it, is the Quest of the Mythological Hero. And the Kingship symbolizes responsibility. Where once the troubled soul projected his faults onto others and blamed then, or circumstances, for his misfortunes, he now takes full responsibility for his thoughts and deeds. He realizes that it is himself, his old ways of thinking and reacting that are the cause of most, if not all, of his living problems. In Revelation, Chapter Six, the Lord is showing John what it takes to be admitted into the City of Heaven. What man is worthy to open the Book bound with the Seven Seals? When the first is open, Revelation [6:2]: "And I saw, and behold a white horse;and he that sat upon him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." The Hero-King's bow is symbolic of wisdom, not directly but by inference, as the bow is the seat of the arrow launched upon its path. The Latin word for arrow is sagitta, from which the word sagacity (wisdom) is derived. The white horse symbolizes purity of spirit, the horse itself being the symbol of the body - the beast the spirit rides though life. And the newly crowned King is off to conquer... Himself. The second stage in the Hero's journey is the Warrior. It is in this part of his quest that the Warrior-King, armed with the Sword of Truth, sets out to conquer the Old Adam within himself. This is the War in Heaven in which the rising Christ battles free of his old limitations of mind and heart, of his fears and hatreds, and with the Father's aid and guidance finds newer and sweeter expressions of his being. And where the world was once a threatening place, it's people vile and predatory, or weak and contemptible, the King cum Warrior begins to see that the world is what he makes of it, and it's people very much the same as he is, or was. He learns the ways of peace and becomes serene in his outward expression. Jesus tells us in Matthew [5:9]: "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God." And in Revelation [6:3], John tells us, "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see." And the next verse... "And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword." This is the Warrior. The horse upon which he rides is red, the symbol of courage; it takes courage to face oneself in self-examination and to root out the defects of character found thereby. These are fatal flaws, and the Christ Risen must kill them lest they kill him. But he has been given the Sword of Truth and with it he hacks away at the bonds of selfish self-interest, and in time comes to find peace where once there was only conflict, fear, and death. Also, we are told: "He who overcomes himself is mightier than he who conquers a city." Revelation [6:5]: "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand." The black horse symbolizes the lack of color in the sense that Reality colors Truth to make it appear other than what it is, either more appealing, or more frightening. The balance is the symbol of equanimity. The third stage of the Hero's quest is the Lover. Now with the battle well in hand, the Christ Risen finds common cause with his fellows. The fruits of his rigorous self-examination have shown him that those whom he once deemed enemies, oppressors, and persecutors, those who offended him and despiteful- ly used him, or so seemed to, are but spirits struggling with their own lower natures. For these he finds compassion in his heart where he once found only bitterness and cause to retaliate; he does not take offense at their weakness but calmly accepts that they are as they are, responds to calamity with ser- enity, and so helps to bring peace even to the troubled soul before him. The Christ-King-Warrior-Lover is now a full citizen of Heaven, the state of bliss in his own heart, and he has a new constitution to live by: the Prayer of St. Francis; "Lord, make me a channel of thy peace, That where there is hatred, I may bring love, That where there is wrong, I may bring the Spirit of forgiveness, That where there is discord, I may bring harmony, That where there is error, I may bring truth, That where there is doubt, I may bring faith, That where there is despair, I may bring hope, That where there are shadows, I may bring light, That where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort Than to be comforted, To understand, than to be understood, To love, than to be loved. For it is self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen." There are no words more moving, no phrases more eloquent, no thoughts more golden than these. They state the case, define the changes, and reveal the formula by which the spirit is reborn. It is a formula for living that would transform platoons of infantry into symphony orchestras; shrieking, cursing voices into sopranos and tenors; destroyers into builders, and all manner of old demonstrations into newer, brighter, and happier expressions. And this miracle is not confined to one day, or a single season, but one that happens every time a soul turns to God with the miserable wreckage of a tragic life. The soul is reborn, Pinnocchio becomes a real boy, and there is rejoicing in heaven! And it all begins with the Final Judgement. Recovered alcoholics and drug abusers call it "hitting bottom." The final stage of the questing Hero-Christ is the Wizard, or Magician. It is in this state that he appears to perform miracles, but in fact he is the channel through which his Father's healing spirit can demonstrate these acts. He says to one and all, "The Christ in me salutes the Christ in you." And to those who hear and understand strength flows in where there was lately weak- ness, peace where there was once conflict, order where once there was chaos, and life where there was only the shadow of death. Revelation [6:7-8]: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." This is the most difficult of the four passages to interpret, thus we will give a little space to it. First of all, the term "earth" refers in all the teachings of Christ to personal external experience. It does not mean the planet upon which we live, thus the statement in the Lord's Pryer, "Thy king- dom come, thy will be done, IN earth..." which is so often mistakenly substi- tuted by ON. This destroys the whole meaning. The horse in the passage is pale because it is fading. The power that was given to them over the fourth part of the earth does not mean that power was given to Death and Hell; they already had the power, and still do as the six o'clock news so eagerly reports every evening. No. The "they" are the first three riders; the King, the Warrior, and the Lover. And they are given the power to kill the Old Adam with the sword (Truth), hunger, which refers to fasting: that is, abstaining from the temptations to act out in the old ways; and with death (of the self) and with the beasts of the earth. This last item refers to a spiritual truth that deserves to be mentioned here. Stated in simple terms this truth is: You become what you hate. Resentment is the result of placing importance upon any material thing or person in the earth. When this happens the object of the soul's attention is empowered by the spiritual energy focused upon it. And it immediately goes wrong. When offended by some passing person or circumstance, that power impresses the hurt more deeply into the psyche. If left unattended this poisonous influence becomes obsession to the point where every thought of that person or state of being revives the feelings of pain and injury anew. The hurt is re-sent into the moment. But there is another side to the issue. The soul also becomes what it loves. This is an often overlooked aspect of projection, but it is as true as its gloomy twin. By killing with the beasts of the earth, the Christ Risen, by taking no offense causes the power of the offense, if any, to be reflected back upon the offender, thus the old saying that the best revenge is to succeed. By not absorbing the heat, the reborn soul causes it to burn the spiritual arsonist who lit the blaze. Calmness frustrates rage, in other words. That the Christ path and the quest of the Mythological Hero are the same may be seen to explain one quotation from Matthew that has puzzled Biblical scholars. That would be Matthew [10:34]: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword." In the Arthurian Legend Arthur identifies himself as king by withdrawing the magic sword from the stone, after many otherwise strong and able men were unable to perform the feat. But for our purpose the case is either made or it is not. Now we consider the aspects of character and demonstration that mark the Christ. There are three; messiah, savior, and redeemer. These three roles which have erroneously been cast into global, universal terms are truly meant to be expressed at the personal level. The messiah who tries to carry the message of God to people who don't want to hear it is a fool for failing to recognize that his efforts, besides irritating his unwilling audience, will serve only to solidify the opposition to his campaign. The many splintered factions of religion make this point clearly. People will believe what they are willing to accept, but the conditions in the world are in such painful disarray pre- cisely because there are great numbers of people who are not so willing. The world as we know it has a name: Purgatory, and when viewed from this point it becomes clear that all men, spiritual beings in a material condition, are all at different levels of awareness. No meaningful change in this regard can be introduced from external sources; only when men reach the "end of the rope", their own Final Judgement, hit bottom, can any worthwhile change come about in the person and, ultimately, in the world at large. But it starts with the individual. The Messiah. The word means deliverer, of a word or a good. Every person is a messiah in one form or another. Jesus was a messiah, the message he delivered was one of love, kindness, compassion, and brotherhood. Adolph Hitler was a messiah; his message was of hatred, intolerance, violence, and death. Jesus spoke of the Father, Hitler of Providence, but their messages were worlds apart. Given the choice of these alternatives alone, it is easy to guess the path decent people would choose. But each expressed his inner being, and that's the key to understanding. One cannot lead where one has never been, teach what one does not know, and can only give what one has. But there is a difference between giving and im- posing, as missionaries do. The true Christ, as messiah, is a Giver only. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "What you are shouts so loudly I can't hear what you're saying." The true messiah, cheerful giver, demonstrates his being in the acts he performs, instead of performing acts to define his being as the hypocrites do. And for the most part, he doesn't realize what he is doing, is largely unaware of the effects his ministrations have on others, and that is as it should be. The Christ has nothing to prove. Charlatans speak from lofty pulpits, perform what charitable works seem appropriate, and then present the bill. A good done with the expectation of a return is wasted; the Christ does not await compensation or applause but goes his way quietly, knowing that the gift he gives in one place, and in one instance, will be returned to him many times over, in another place, at another time. Messiahs are largely anonymous and may only be detected by their works. What person has never arrived at an impasse in life? been stuck in place for want of money, or some good, or a better idea? And how many times in such an instance has not a person appeared on the scene, bearing the much-needed good at precisely the right moment? How about when that delivered is a perfect stranger, who gives and then goes on his way? But many of these act of giving are so simple that they go largely undetected, or are not seen for what they truly are. Many years ago a man was found wandering the streets of New York in an ex- cited state, babbling unintelligibly, and appearing somewhat deranged. Taken into custody, the man was interviewed by psychiatrists who declared him men- tally incompetent and he was committed to a state hospital. There he remained for seventeen years, resigned, sedated, forgotten. And still babbling all the while. One day the man had an appointment with a doctor off the hospital campus and, so, was accompanied into town by two attendants. While the three sat in the waiting room the man started uttering his strange intelligence one more. The attendants, used to hearing these meaningless sounds paid no attention. But they came quickly to attention when a woman, sitting across the room ans- wered the man in the same babble! He wasn't crazy, after all, the attendants quickly realized; the babbling was an obscure Eastern European tongue which, as the man spoke no English, was his only means of communicating. The man was quickly released from bondage. Who can doubt that the anonymous woman was, in that moment, the man's mes- siah? She probably never realized what she did, but freeing the man after 17 years in a mental hospital is quite an accomplishment. How many messiahs have you encountered? There will be more. But there are many wolves in sheep's clothing, so beware. If you encounter someone who is sure you need to hear what he has to say, offers much unsolicited advice, answers questions that you aren't asking, and generally knows what's best for you, and possibly for the world at large, then remember some important thing you have to take care of and leave as quickly as possible. But if you come upon someone whose presence puts you at peace, whose words and demonstrations quicken your spirit, light up your soul, and raise your mind to the level of a higher ideal, then you have a real one! You might try your hand at being a messiah yourself. If so, there are three tests you may apply to any word or deed you may contemplate doing. Ask your-self; Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Don't be too surprised at what little you may have to say. The Savior. We are sure that all will agree that it is much easier to save someone or something, if we know what it is we are saving and why. The first point we will make in this part of the presentation is that there is a saying of low-mined cretins which must be immediately discarded. That saying is: I'm not my brother's keeper." The True Christ is his brother's keeper, but in a very special sense. It follows from the understanding that man evolved from wild animals, and that there is a certain wild-animalness in most everyone. Read the newspapers or watch the six o'clock news, and that message will ring out clearly. The messiahs of madness spare no effort in telling you how sick we are. This is what we call our "lower nature." A little story will make the point. Once there was a young man whom we will call Jack. He was the owner of a small business concern that employed twelve people. The business was still in its growing stages and Jack put in long hours to get the business on a sound footing. An industrious person, committed to making his business a success for his employees as well as for himself, he took every opportunity to learn more about the business; he felt that every hour was a precious resource that could never be recovered if lost. The association with which Jack's business was affiliated brought a two- day seminar to his city. He attended and while there made the acquaintance of a Mr. Knosho, the owner of a very successful business in an allied field. The two men engaged in a conversation over coffee during a break in the program, and soon discovered that there was a joint venture they could undertake that could be very profitable. It seemed the opportunity Jack was looking for to put his company solidly in the black. This happened on a Wednesday. "Let's do this," Mr. Knosho told Jack. "A week from tomorrow, Thursday of next week, let's get together for lunch. Don't schedule any appointments for that day, and after lunch we'll sit down and hammer out a deal. OK?" "OK!" Jack replied enthusiastically. On Wednesday of the following week Jack called Mr. Knosho's office to firm up the luncheon engagement for the following day. "Mr. Knosho?" his secretary said, a hint of apology in her voice. "Why he went out of town Friday afternoon and we aren't expecting him back until Sun- day night or Monday morning." Jack was dumbfounded. How could he do this to me? he muttered to himself after hanging up the telephone. Jack threw the pen he was holding across the room in a sudden outburst of hurt and anger. Jack thought of the time wasted, time he had set aside for "that son of a bitch, Knosho!" Time he could have put to more productive pursuits. How often does something like that happen? We might hazard a guess but it would probably be too low, or far too low. Knosho stole from Jack as surely as if he'd robbed him at gunpoint and taken his money. Money can be replaced, but time, never. We can easily understand and sympathize with Jack's plight, we've all been there at one time or another. But now, let's suppose that Jack's phone rings on that Friday. It's Mr. Knosho. "Jack? Gosh, I'm glad I got a hold of you. Look, something came up and I have to be out of town for about a week, so I won't be able to make it for lunch Thursday." "But, look. I'll be back the following Monday morning. I'll call you, or if you don't hear from me, call me, and we'll set up another date for lunch." What a difference! Mr. Knosho in this scenario displays the true meaning of the Christ message. He is a savior in that, by doing unto Jack as he would have done to him were the situation reversed, Mr. Knosho saved Jack from the assault of his own lower nature. The raging animal had no cause to stir. Simple? You bet. The Golden Rule, practice it and save your own brethren from the assaults of their lower natures, and they'll probably love you for it. And your own animal will die of boredom, finding fewer occasions himself to stir. The Redeemer. If you were asked where the greatest number of redeemers might be found on any given day; what would your answer be? Church, maybe? Perhaps, but we can think of better places to look. Pawn shops. That's where people purchase their pledged material goods out of the bondage of surety, repaying the amount advanced to them plus interest. There is a spiritual commerce that works very much the same way; souls which are bound up in material concerns often find themselves encumbered by doubt, fear, depression, grief, and the many other costs of misplaced faith. They are not at fault; they just don't know any better - yet. Such as these are alone with their misery, knowing not which way to turn, and may be in danger of their very lives. And they are everywhere. The Christ as Redeemer undertakes the responsibility of offer a hand to their suffering brethren, and we will offer another little story to illustrate the point. A man we will call Francis had made his final judgement and was somewhat aware of a change within himself. Still somewhere between the Warrior and the Lover he was learning to listen to his Inner Voice, and to pay attention to the details of his life. Though at one with God and at peace with the world most of the time, there were still occasional skirmishes with Old Adam. Not serious matters for the most part, although there was the occasional major onslaught, Francis was slowly coming to the awareness that he had a tendency to stray from the path. Being a professional man who enjoyed a fair degree of success, Francis at times saw his fortunes diminish drastically. He recognized that, at these times, he was led into new situations in which he found himself functioning at a much higher level of grace and wisdom than was his normal course. The thought that sprang into his mind at these times was "taking the kingdom of heaven by storm." It was as though God had commandeered his mind and body and turned these to some higher purpose, always involving another human being to whom Francis could be of some service. At one of these times Francis found himself in need of some instant money. Turning to his Inner Leading the thought occurred to him to go out and buy a newspaper. He did, and when he opened the paper to the classified section his eyes fell upon a particular ad. Calling the number listed there, he quickly got the directions to the office, which was quite nearby. Arriving there he realized that the office manager was an old friend. Francis explained his situation to the man. "You can come to work here anytime," the office manager told him. "But you wouldn't get a check for two weeks - and you need money now." With that the manager made a telephone call and in a few moments returned with a slip of paper in hand. Directions to a man "who might be able to help." Following a quick succession of very unusual events Francis found himself, the very next day, selling household goods over the telephone from his own home. And the money started accumulating almost immediately. Pleased at the turn of events, yet puzzled as to why a man of his education and background should find him- self a telephone salesman, Francis found that he actually enjoyed what he was doing. Then he placed the telephone call that he later decided was the whole purpose of his vocational dislocation. The young woman who answered was obviously greatly distressed, barely co- herent. Francis had always known that a smile and good spirits could carry over telephone lines; now he suddenly realized that pain and grief could likewise be transmitted. He thought the girl's emotional state was as if she had just learned of the death of a loved one, possibly a parent. Momentarily non-plussed, Francis was struck with the inappropriateness of his usual cheery greeting. Instinctively he began to say the correct thing in the circumstance. "I'm sorry," he said. "I seem to have called at a bad time." Having said that he felt himself suddenly possessed by the warm, wise, loving power that he was coming to know. "No, wait!" he interjected urgently. "Maybe I'm calling you at the perfect time. It sounds like something terrible happened to you, and I know all about grief and tragedy." "And one thing I do know," he added with a new gentleness, "is that right now you need a friend. You don't know me, and never will; I don't know you, and never will, but none of that is important." "What is important is that I'm here now, and I'll stay with you for as long as you need me; if you want to talk, I'll listen; if you want to listen, I'll talk. Whatever it takes. Because I care!" It was as if Francis had been taken over; he was scarcely aware of what he was saying until was said, and he was surprised at this. Could he have actually said that? he who so lately emerged from the darkness of selfish self-centeredness? His astonishment was quickly replaced by a delighted sense of renewal. Yes! He had said that, had reached out in love to a suffering human being placed in his path. The girl stayed with him and the ensuing conversation lasted for at least a half hour, during which time he sensed a lightening of the spirit on the other end of the line. The crisis passed and the young woman thanked him, and so ended the conversation. Sitting alone after hanging up the receiver, aglow with the feeling for which there are no words to describe, the thought occurred to him: I was a redeemer. And indeed he was; not by saving the whole world, or dying for the sins of the world, but simply by taking the time to minister to a wounded soul. And it worked! Need we say more? In closing, may we say that the new vista we have described is as close as your next thought. Your next experience. An you need not descend to the lower reaches of Hell, as most have, to achieve your Final Judgement. You can turn your life around at any point, live according to your own Inner Leading and you'll soon discover that you are living in God's Will, not as an automaton being controlled but as a grateful heir to the Kingdom. God's Will is a liv- ing legacy, the way to peace and happiness. A golden crown is yours simply for the asking. Take up you sword and face life with a new conviction, a new resolve. And when given a cross to bear, chop it into a million pieces, a toothpick for everyone you meet. "I have come that they should have life, and more abundantly," said the Master of Life. And for all eternity, we might add. Eternity is always, and there is another word for it. Now.