JESUS’S TEACHINGS ON HUMAN SEXUALITY–Don Hanley’s blog #85

For about 85 years, I have pondered and worried about being a sexual being. I wanted to know what Jesus thought about it and why priests and sisters don’t marry or have sex. Now, at 92, I’m still dreaming about Jesus and His mother, and the next time I meet them in my dreams, I’m going to find the courage to ask John and Mary about sex. Remember, these are my (Don’s) imaginings, not historical 'facts.’ 

Two evenings later, I sat in Mary’s flower garden, waiting for my courage to arrive. If it were the 20^th century and I were with a group of men, I might share the story of the Jewish guy who yelled at God: “Hey God, you’re giving the Muslims all this oil and telling us Jewish men that we have to cut what? Off our penises?” But now, sitting with Mary, John, and Ruth, I’d need to explain who Muslims are and why oil matters so much, and of course, I’d have to muster even more courage. So I said, “I would like to learn more about what Jesus taught regarding human sexuality because many Christian believers carry a lot of guilt—especially young men.”

John replied, “First, I would say that Jesus viewed the human body – both male and female – as something precious and sacred. And, of course, the body is an extension of the soul and not a separate ‘thing.’ Jesus frowned upon words and jokes about our genitals and lovemaking, as well as all aspects of our sexuality.  I remember thinking that he was a far more joyful and happy person than most, if not all, Jewish rabbis and other teachers. He advised that boys and girls should not engage in sexual intercourse until they are married. Only then would they be able to nurture and care for children born from their union.” John paused, stroked his chin, and added, “Jesus wanted us to nurture our ability to love and connect and not diminish anything that undermines our loving in our thoughts, words, or actions.”

I said, “Would Jesus have condemned those who had sex before marriage? And those who did it out of pure lust?”

“Don, I truly hope you understand that Jesus never condemned anyone. He aimed to guide, teach, and encourage us to be caring and loving individuals who view ourselves and others as valuable extensions of God’s creative endeavors. If we misuse our gifts in a harmful manner, we need to change our behavior and mindset. In a sense, we are all meant to be co-creators and co-artists in God’s creation.” He paused for a moment and then added, “If you’re asking whether it would be sinful to engage with another person simply because we wanted a sexual partner, I’m sure Jesus would say it’s wrong if we used any kind of force, as it would diminish both ourselves and the other person if it were only for casual pleasure. Would that be life-giving, as you like to say?” I nodded. “I understand.”

“During my time as a priest, the sins that young men confessed most frequently were ‘impure thoughts’ and masturbation. What would Jesus have said to them?”

Mary joined the conversation, asking, “What do you mean by ‘impure thoughts’? Does that mean I was only thinking about hurting or condemning someone? What do you and your so-called sinners mean?”

I chuckled lightly and said, “I’m sure my ‘sinners’ were just thinking about sex – whether it’s with a girl, a woman, or someone of the same gender. This raises another question: What did Jesus teach about homosexuality?” I was beginning to relax as we spoke. Both Mary and John seemed quite comfortable, and Ruth was attentive.

Mary sounded incredulous when she remarked, “Are you really telling us that you and others were taught that simply thinking about sex is sinful? My goodness, your culture seems to be moving backward in some ways! I would expect that after 2,000 years, you would be more informed than that. Your teachers or priests sound like a bunch of dumb-bunnies” Of course that wasn't the word Mary used but our angelic translated it as that delightful term - dumb-bunnies."

I chuckled and responded. "Yes they were and many still are. I love your playful words."

"Thank you. Jesus taught me to be much more enlightened and playful with my words and thoughts about sex. In so many ways, he was so much more alive than our Jewish teachers. 

John added, “Regarding homosexuality, Jesus did indeed address that topic when he was asked why he hadn’t married. After all, he was thirty when he began teaching and his public ministry. I remember his response clearly, as I was also older than most Jewish men when they married. Jesus replied, ‘I am not homosexual, for I believe I must now dedicate my time and energy to revealing God’s will that all humans are gifted beings. We are so gifted that each of us can help others become more loving, kind, and connected than we are now. We must learn to appreciate our gifts and support one another and so please our Father. It’s not only about following Moses and other Jewish leaders' rules and laws. We are created to live a loving and creative life for the benefit of all, which includes all living things, not just humans." John went on to say that some men and some women were born to be most loving and sexually comfortable with those who are of the same gender as themselves. And some have a difficult time discovering which gender they are. And everyone, Jesus taught, had the challenge of becoming loving persons. 

I was disappointed when I disappeared because I had more questions. Now . . . 

Please continue to grow, create, and love. Also, keep thinking, studying, enjoying life, and embracing your gifts.

JESUS AND OUR WAY OF THE CROSS–Don Hanley’s blog #84

As a child, I asked why our church had these small statues depicting Jesus carrying His cross and then being crucified. I was told it was because He died for our sins. As I have said before, that did not make sense. Why would God create us and then send His Son to die in such a horrible way because we were sinners? My earlier visits with John and Mary in Nazareth confirmed my belief that the real reason Jesus was executed was that the Roman occupiers of Judea saw him as a threat to their rule by promising the Jews a better way of life. I wanted to learn more, but at the same time, I didn’t want to upset Mary by asking her why Jesus was given such a torturous death sentence. 

It didn’t take long for me to check it out since I sat with Mary, John, and Ruth in the familiar flower garden that evening. After greeting each other and chatting for a while, I asked Mary if she was open to discussing that terrible day when Jesus was captured by the Roman soldiers and taken away from his friends after what is known as the Last Supper. I also wondered why he was treated more harshly than the common criminals of that time. She resignedly replied, “If it’s helpful in some way.”

John jumped in before Mary could say more, “Mary, let me say a word about that before you share your experience, okay?” Mary nodded, and John continued, “Jesus had gathered a large following at that time. I mean, several hundred Jews began to follow him. Some were clamoring for him to reveal himself as the Messiah they had hoped for, for centuries, to be the one who would establish the kingdom of God, that is, Yahweh, on earth. They knew he would need to raise an army that could even defeat the mighty Romans. And while many were drawn to him, I don’t think they were the majority. They were moved by Jesus’s more peaceful message of caring for and loving one another, which was Yahweh's basic intention in creating humans. Most of these folks loved my friend, Jesus's warmth and kindness, and wanted to be near him. Anyway, the Romans and their Jewish muckety-mucks, the weak-kneed cooperators, thought he was causing too much trouble. Then, they found Judas and paid him to lead them to where Jesus and his closest disciples stayed. I’m proud to say I was among them but was not taken away because I was just a nobody.” He kept glancing to see if what he was saying was upsetting Mary. She had been wringing her hands but wasn’t crying. John stopped his narration and turned to her, “Now it’s your turn if you wish. Okay?”

She softly said, “Don, you mentioned that your Christian churches had small picture statues representing my son’s way of the cross. What were some of these images?” I told her about Jesus picking up the wooden cross and dragging it, falling several times, meeting her and some women from Jerusalem who gave him water and wiped his brow, and then being nailed to the cross.” Mary began to cry almost as soon as I started talking.

After hesitating momentarily, I added, “Oh, and there was one with a small sign above Jesus with the initials ‘INRI’ – meaning Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” I’m not sure how long it took to gaze at each one and silently say a prayer; I suppose it depends on how long each person prays.”

“I believe I told you some time ago that I asked one of the soldiers what he could do to shorten the time for my son to die. He then stabbed Jesus on his side., and blood poured out and hastened his death.”

I nodded that she had. By then, John, Ruth, and I were all crying with her. After what felt like a long while, I said, “Some believers say the reason Jesus was crucified was as you, John, said, ‘That he would die rather than stop loving his fellow humans – even the Romans.’ He neither had nor wanted the power to kill or prevent the Roman soldiers from doing what they had been ordered to do. He even prayed, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’” 

John said, “Of course, every one of us, believers or not, must realize that we humans must learn to love despite the many big and little ‘deaths’ that we experience in our own lives. Rather than become hateful, angry, revengeful, or sour people, we must learn this. From what you have told us, after many centuries, most Christians still have not learned this. I believe that Jesus did not die in vain, even if only a few have preferred loving rather than being hateful or killers.” I nodded and felt both sad and hopeful as I disappeared. Now . . .

Continue to love and accept your big and little ‘deaths’ and ‘resurrections’ and gaze upon Jesus’s way of the cross and own your own journey.

MORE ON TRUTH–Don Hanley’s blog #83

Inspired by my blog post “What is Truth?” My blog editor and technology mentor, Patrick Ball, wrote a fascinating article titled “Tapestry of Truth.” Below is a portion of his article that is excellent, helpful, and worth reading. Patrick states that gathering information and truth is like weaving a tapestry; and each of us has a unique tapestry and one that is, hopefully, ever-changing. Please read on.

“When you believe in your worth, you're less likely to compromise your values, including honesty.”

Think of it this way: If our tapestry is woven with threads of negativity, cynicism, and fear, it becomes a breeding ground for deception. When we are constantly bombarded with messages of distrust, we may be more inclined to distrust others and resort to deception to protect ourselves. This can lead to a distorted view of reality, where truth becomes subjective and changes to serve our interests.

Conversely, a tapestry woven with threads of love, compassion, and encouragement fosters trust and honesty. When surrounded by people who value truthfulness and embody it in their lives, we are more likely to internalize those values and incorporate them into our interactions. This creates a framework for understanding truth as a shared value, essential for building strong relationships and a just society.

However, even with positive input, we must be mindful of Confirmation bias. This cognitive bias leads us to selectively absorb, remember, and repeat information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs while disregarding or downplaying information that contradicts them. This can significantly limit our perception of the facts and distort our thinking, making it difficult to arrive at objective truths.

Our daily habits and choices about how we spend our time and energy also significantly impact on our relationship with truth. Do we cultivate habits that nourish our minds and souls, such as reading, learning, and engaging in meaningful conversations? Or do we succumb to distractions that dull our minds and erode our critical thinking skills? Critical thinking is essential for evaluating information, identifying biases, such as confirmation bias, and discerning truth from falsehood.

Look around you now. What do you see? Do you feel that honesty, sincerity, and compassion reflect the times? Or are you discouraged, frustrated, and angry with the misinformation that's being spread?

The tapestry of our world is constantly evolving, woven with the threads of our collective choices and actions. We have the power to weave threads of truth, compassion, and understanding into the fabric of our society. We can nurture critical thinking skills, challenge misinformation, and actively seek out reliable sources of information. We can choose to be a force for truth, not just in our own lives but in the world around us. 

The tapestry of our world is constantly evolving, woven with the threads of our collective choices and actions. We can choose to weave our beautiful tapestry of truth, one thread at a time.

However, be warned: many today are deceived by the allure of wealth and power, promising to help you with all your troubles. These voices often exploit our fears and anxieties, manipulating our emotions to align with their agendas. They prey on our confirmation biases, offering simplistic solutions and pre-packaged narratives that confirm our existing beliefs, regardless of their accuracy. We remain vulnerable to these influences until we cultivate the inner strength to challenge our assumptions, examine the information we consume critically, and seek truth with humility and open-mindedness.

We can be a force for truth in our lives and the world around us. By cultivating critical thinking skills, challenging misinformation, and actively seeking sources of reliable information, we can weave a tapestry of honesty, integrity, and understanding that will guide us toward a more just and equitable future.

If you have any comments for Patrick, follow his blog, On the Fly. Just click the link . . . 

So now look at your tapestry and edit it as you continue life's journey and eat only at the banquet of life, not the menus.

REPLACE OBEDIENCE WITH RESPECT –Don Hanley’s blog #82

Recently, I read that disobedience is NOT the cause of slavery and war—obedience is responsible for these two evils. I believe this is true, but I was taught to obey first my parents, then my teachers, then the priests, and then my bosses. It wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I realized this obedience had stunted my growth as a person—spiritually, educationally, emotionally, socially, and personally. With this in mind, I believe that my church and most religious organizations require some adherence to a set of norms, rules, ‘divine’ laws, and commandments. If we want to reach heaven, achieve promotions, or make more money, we must obey and conform to the dictates of the organizations we choose to belong to.

I was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1964 (and left in l970 - whew!). Although I did not formally take the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience like those who belonged to religious orders, I was expected to follow the ‘spirit’ of these three vows. Reflecting on my life experiences and my understanding of ‘religious truth,’ I recall watching my first movie newsreel that featured a Nazi parade of soldiers and brownshirts. I wondered why thousands of young men were marching perfectly in sync, saluting a mustachioed individual named Hitler - and later after often doing horribly cruel actions, claimed "We were just following orders" - being obedient. I was well into adulthood; before I realized that I had often blindly followed the dictates that I despised in others and too often overlooked that I was doing the same thing.

I wanted to know from my friends in Nazareth in the first century CE if Jesus ever demanded obedience from his followers. I barely formulated my question when I sitting in Mary’s flower garden.  After our greetings, I asked about Jesus and his position on obedience and conformity. John immediately said, “First, Jesus never demanded anything, and he often said that we must respect our inner voices and thinking AND that of others. He said. "As you know, I respect all of you, my friends, and I learn from you, and I know I receive your respect in return. If you, John, think you must be like Peter or James or me, you will be going down the wrong path because you are different from them and me, and if you ignore that difference, you will lose at least some of your giftedness.”

Mary couldn’t wait; she insisted on saying, “Can you imagine what we and everyone would have lost if Joseph and I had demanded that Jesus say and do and think like we do! Thank Yahweh that we did not demand such a thing,” She paused and added, “From what you have said about the history of many of the so-called Christian believers, they have lost much of the true spirit and message of my Jesus. Is that not true?” I nodded and said that I had found that children of all ages (even old ones like me) would be respectful if we were respectful.

Then I was disappointed that I disappeared only a few moments after that, So …

Keep nurturing your giftedness, studying the menus, AND enjoying your pancakes.

TIPS ON HOW TO LOVE –Don Hanley’s blog #81

As I read an interesting article on how to help children become healthy, happy, and loving little individuals who will someday grow into big people, I realized the need to start with the first two ‘A’ words: Attention and Acceptance.

Next, we should also include Approval, Appreciation, and Affection. Every child needs to know that he or she is recognized as a person in the family. This struck a chord for me, as I recall often being overlooked by the adults in our home, especially after my youngest sibling was born when I was two years old. She had been a ‘blue’ baby, and while I didn’t understand what that meant, I sensed that she required all of our mother’s attention. An infant brother and an eight-year-old sister had passed away just a year or two before my birth, leaving both mom and dad very sad and depressed, as well as financially struggling.

Consequently, none of us received the kind of attention recommended by the article. I suppose we were just fortunate to be alive, with little hope of getting the Attention and other ‘A’s highlighted in the article. Still, I planned to share the ideas from the article with John and Mary the next time I met with them.

Two evenings later, I sat with them and Joshua, Ruth, and Julie. Their infant son was sleeping in a basket next to Ruth.  I was reflecting that Ruth and Joshua had really raised their two children with all the ‘A’s engaged. Mary interrupted my thoughts with, “Well, our time-traveling friend, what kind of mischief have you been up to this week?”

“I have been reading about how we can best help our children grow into healthy and loving people and the ideas, I think, could help us become better people, period.  And I thought of you here in Nazareth. The article focused on raising children, but I think it is useful for all ages.  It stated that we need to follow the five ‘A’s – and I described them to my little audience. “Of course, I want to know if you think Jesus would agree with the author.”

John answered first with his own question, “Don, when are you going to stop seeing my friend, Jesus, as the ultimate and maybe only teacher in our world and in history.?” He smiled as if we were playing ‘gotcha’. I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders. He went on. “I remember Jesus asking me how I liked a fellow in Jerusalem whom we had recently met. Jesus was scolding me in his gentle way and said, ‘If you want to connect with the fellow, you need to really see him, but you didn’t seem to do that. You were rather dismissive of him, I thought. I asked Jesus what he meant, and he said, ‘Well, if you wanted to connect with him, you needed to pay attention to him – to know what he thought, felt, desired, and all that.’ Now, John, ‘What do you think?” I think that answers your question about attention, does it not?”  I said that it definitely did.

Mary added, “You know, Don, Jesus, from the time he was a small child, really seemed to notice everything in the world, and particularly, he noticed every person he saw. And he never seemed to condemn anyone or anything as unworthy of being created with us. His attitude was, “If our Father created everything and every person, that creation must be good. And he would ask Joseph or me about the object he was observing. After he traveled to India, he returned with more questions about why some things seemed to exist, such as poisons, harmful insects, and animals like scorpions. You have children and have taught children, Don. What do you tell your pupils about this?”

“I told them about the evolutionary nature of creation and that every living creature evolves over time.” I attempted to describe evolution to my Nazarians and probably did a very poor job of it, but they were very polite listeners and nodded approvingly. Joshua said, “I believe Ruth has done a wonderful job of raising Julie and now Jacob to be inquisitive and happy little creatures.” Ruth added that Joshua was also an attentive father.

Julie smiled and said, “I no creature. Daddy.” We all laughed and she looked a bit puzzled. 

John returned to my initial question on how this may or may not have fitted in with Jesus’s message and mission. “I don’t think Jesus talked about theory and the philosophy of child-rearing, but he would tell stories or share experiences about positive and life-giving people with others. He sometimes encouraged us to help one another and to correct the way someone was being treated, He encouraged us to take care of one another. Have you heard of what is called Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount?” I nodded, and he went on, “Well, it was a much larger gathering than we had planned for, and many people came who were very poor and hungry. When Jesus saw this, he mingled among all the people, and in his joyful and loving way, he persuaded the well-off folks to share with those who had little or nothing to eat. That was his way of teaching. Of course, my fellow writers called it a miracle, but I think Jesus would have objected to that if he had still been living amongst us.” 

I glanced over at Mary and noticed tears quietly streaming down her face. We spent many more hours talking about the ways Jesus and his close disciples taught about Acceptance, Approval, Appreciation, and Affection. I was still learning when I suddenly disappeared. Now  . . .

Keep opening your mind and your heart and reflecting on the wonderful banquet of life and the inspirations of many menu writers.

WAS JESUS AN AUTHENTIC PERSON? - Don Hanley’s blog #79

One of my favorite sources of wisdom is Martin Buber, an early 20th-century philosopher and college professor. I first ran across his thinking about 60 years ago, and this story has stayed with me: As a young professor, Buber was asked to be available to students as a personal counselor, as needed. One day, a student, about 20 years old, came to see him. The student was very depressed. Two or so hours after he left Buber’s office, another student rushed into Buber’s office and said the depressed fellow had hung himself – had committed suicide.

Buber spent many days and hours reviewing his hour with the young man, wondering what he could have done differently and perhaps really helped him. He thought he had been an adequately good counselor; he had listened well, had not been authoritarian in his answers to the boy’s questions, and had been friendly and warm. So, technically, he had been a good counselor, but Buber kept ruminating about the boy and his role as a counselor; he was even losing sleep.  Finally, after many days, Buber had an ‘ah-ha’ experience. He may have helped the fellow if he, Buber, had been himself rather than remaining in the role of counselor and professor! It was what he called an “I = It” or a role-to-role encounter rather than a Martin – Joe (or whatever the student’s name was) encounter. It was not what Buber called an I – Thou experience - a meeting of two authentic people.

As a counseling supervisor, I always asked my interns to be authentic when meeting their counselees. Fortunately, I (with my fellow administrators), managed to attract natural I–Thou candidates. I believe we nurtured an I – Thou kind of counseling center. 

I wanted to discuss this with John and Mary in Nazareth and how it fits with Jesus’s message.  And, John gets a bit impatient with me on this, but I still want to know more about Jesus's relationship with Yahweh. If you, dear reader, are a Christian of some kind you think of Jesus as a God - one of the three persons of the Trinity. If Jesus was this kind of 'sort of god-man, then I could not have an I-Thou relationship with him because he could not be like me. So, I wanted to talk with John and Mary about this.

That evening, I arrived in Nazareth and found my three friends enjoying a nice breeze in Mary’s flower garden. The one good thing the Romans had done was to build an aqueduct for Nazareth so that Mary would have water for herself and her flowers. Joshua had remained in their tiny house to watch the children, and Ruth was visiting with Mary and John. I told them about Martin Buber, who was also Jewish, and his ideas on the I–Thou concept and how that might fit with Jesus’s message.

John spoke, “I would say that my relationship with Jesus was an I-Thou one. And I believe Jesus was always his authentic self – he never played a role for anyone.  And, he added, he was NOT God playing the role of a human person. You were here when the Roman soldiers came to this house, right?” I nodded, and he continued, “If Jesus had also been here, he would not have liked the group captain, but he would have been as polite as possible. He would not have screamed like little Julie had done, but he would have been a bit cool toward him. The Buber fellow would not have expected us to have an I-Thou experience with everyone, would he? It takes two open people, does it not?”

“Yes, it does, and the only one I can control is myself. I have worked nearly all my life to be an open and I-Thou person. I hope I have succeeded most of the time.”

Mary surprised me by saying, “Well, Don, you have succeeded quite well. I felt close to you that first time you appeared with us here in this garden.” Hearing Mary say this made me feel wonderfully grateful and joyful. I wished I could have stayed longer, but I could not control my coming and going in Nazareth, and again, I disappeared. Now . . .

Now, pay attention to your encounters this week and stay I-Thou. Don’t just think about it; do it.

WHAT IS TRUTH? – Don Hanley’s blog #80

When I was about six years old, I was told everything in the Bible, and somehow i expanded that to all adults and whatever they told me. I believed everything they said or wrote was true. The first biblical creation story was about the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and everything in the Bible was true. I was in college before I learned there were two creation stories. Wait a minute; they cannot both be true, so why was I only told about the Adam and Eve story?

Now I believe it was because it was ‘sexier’ (that is, a more exciting and interesting story). I told a friend who was what I called a ‘bible thumper’ – one who believes that every word in that good book is the absolute truth dictated by God Himself – and she said she didn’t think there were two stories. I asked her to read the first three chapters of the bible to see. Later, I asked her if she found the second story. She nodded but never said a word or ever brought it up again. And I believe most of us prefer to continue to believe what we were told by our beloved early teachers, like parents, grandparents, and other trusted and loved ‘teachers,’ rather than change our minds.

Truth (I believe) means that written or spoken words reflect reality as we see it and/or understand it. Truth is not the reality but reflects reality in words – written or spoken. Most Christians believe that the Bible is a book that reflects reality, and if he or she is a ‘true believer,’ all Bible words are actually part of reality. So, God created the world and everything in it in six days, and then He rested on Sunday. Some believers claimed that the word ‘day’ could also mean an era or any length of time, not just 24 hours. Anyway, I wanted to ask John and Mary what Jesus had to say about ‘the truth.’

I joined Mary, John, and Joshua that evening in Mary’s flower garden. After we exchanged pleasantries, I asked John what he thought about biblical truth. At that time, biblical truth meant only the Old Testament because the book we call the New Testament had not yet been written. John was probably the most literate of the apostles—at least until Paul was accepted into that august group.

He said, “The sacred writers or oracles as most of the pages were passed down through the ages orally as few could read and, of course, the majority still cannot. Anyway, the truth to be conveyed was what they believed Yahweh intended to convey. For example, there are two creation stories, and the basic message is that we are to believe that Yahweh is the one and only God and He created everything and everyone. The most interesting story is the most delightful about Adam and Eve. Of course, it doesn’t make sense that everyone was descended from one couple. And I think the prevailing belief, over the years, is that Yahweh is a benevolent God, and if we are estranged from Him, it is our fault, not His, because he is always positive and wishes us to be good and positive too.”

I responded, “It seems quite unfair to believe that all the good things that happen in our world are the work of God, and all the bad or evil things that are done are caused by us creatures. Did Jesus ever talk about this? And what would Jesus say about his followers saying that some of his words were the ABSOLUTE TRUTH? And–we must believe them to be with him in heaven?” I waited for their responses.

John rubbed his chin, and Mary looked thoughtful. John finally said, “I am sure that Jesus DID NOT want anything he said to be considered the ABSOLUTE truth and more than thoughtful guidelines. I suppose some ideas come across as true and seem to be true, and now, I‘m trying to remember if Jesus ever talked about it. I believe in Yahweh's goodness and can’t imagine Him creating evil. Right now, I can’t remember ever discussing this with him.” John turned to me and added, "You know Don, you bring up ideas that I don't think we ever even talk about around here. You should have been with us when we visited the Greek philosophers. Now they did talk about a lot of these things and, now that I mention them, I remember Jesus saying that he thought that they should spend more of their time figuring out how to live in a more peaceful and caring world. I guess he wasn't interested in  philosophy.

Mary, still looking thoughtful, added, “The only thing I can remember Jesus saying about the deepest beliefs was that it was all a great mystery, and the clearest things he ever said that I heard are what he said from that horrible cross; "Yahweh, why have you forsaken me?’" And then, Father, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” I guess he and we will have to live with the mystery of all this. I’m satisfied with the truth that there is one true God, and he is our loving Father. If we love Him and one another, we will be with Him for an eternity. And I don’t know what eternity is – only that it is blissful and wonderful. I like that TRUTH. And I hope you do also.” 

I loved what Mary said, and I took a deep breath and disappeared. Now . . . 

 Keep your mind and heart open, and do not merely ponder the written or spoken words but stay connected to your family and friends.