Whispers of Mystery

Whispers of Mystery
Unknown source. Please e-mail me if you know the artist.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

In the beginning, part 5

We ended Part 4 with whisper's daunting words: “To love yourself, you must know yourself, Earth human, but to know yourself, you must die.” Now for the conclusion . . . 


While Earth human contemplated his willingness to die, Life-saver continued to wait for Mystery to romance her.  Both were doubtful, but desperate for Mystery to set them free from the power of gravity.  Meanwhile, Earth human continued to think of himself as Dirt animal, and Life-saver continued to live as a second-class helper.

Still separate and in conflict with one another, Earth human and Life-saver nevertheless lived a parallel life, both confessing their distress to Mystery and crying for freedom.

Finally, Mystery presented the two with a glorious tree.  This one appeared to be a perfect mirror-image of another embedded deeply in their memory, one that held tasty but dangerous fruit, one that had brought them knowledge, but also duality and gravity.

Earth human had been longing for a twin tree, one that would bring the glorious complements of the former.  In place of knowledge, duality, gravity, Earth human dreamed of one that would bring wisdom, harmony, and transcendence.  “Could this be that tree?” wondered Earth human.  “It is that and more,” voiced the whisper.  “It is the Tree of Life.”

Was this tree also prohibited?  Could they safely taste of this fruit?  The tree, glowing in a warm, welcoming light, seemed to suggest they were invited to come.  The two walked closer, hoping for a chance to try a bite.

Suddenly, two great Warrior Angels, towering into the heavens, appeared, flashing swords of fire with the might and skill of Great Sword Fighters.  All strength left Earth human and Life-saver, and they fell heavy into sleep for days.

"After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" (Gen 3:24)

Upon waking, Earth human and Life-saver observed that all was still.  The tree stood, but the Warrior Angels had departed.  The two were silent for some time.  “I guess this fruit is prohibited too,” teased Earth human.  “Guess so,” nodded Life-saver, and they both laughed.  In unison, they chuckled, “We just laughed together!” and then they laughed again.  Finally reuniting, the pair locked hands and prepared to depart. 

Just then, a warm breeze passed over them and carried a surprise: a fruit from the tree landed in the pair’s held hands.  Awestruck, they gazed at the fruit and then they gazed at one another.  “Is this Mystery romancing us?” wondered Life-saver.

Taking a bite together, they opened their eyes wide with delight and surprise, and found themselves circling into one.

They said to him, 'Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?' Jesus said to them, 'When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom.'" (Gosp. of Thomas 22) 

The uniting pair was stunned by the miracle of this gift.  They deserved it not and had done nothing to acquire such great wealth other than let Mystery know they were desperate.  Nevertheless, they were gifted with an extraordinary treasure.  Was this Mystery’s way of saying the fruit was theirs to eat?  Could they return for more?

Encouraged by the miracle, the pair took slow, cautious steps toward the tree.  Once again, the great Warrior Angels, girded with sword and fire, appeared.  “Wishful thinking,” sighed Earth human.  Quietly retreating, they took one careful step backward at a time. 

The breeze picked up again and the pair heard the voice of the whisper, “Are you forbidden to eat of this tree?”  Almost coughing at a question so absurd, they exclaimed, “Of course!”  “Who says?” asked the whisper.  “Fire, Sword, and Warrior Angels do,” the two replied.  The whisper answered, “Then confront Fire, Sword and Warrior Angels.”

Confront Fire, Sword, and Warrior Angels?” asked Earth human, astonished.  But the whisper remained silent.

Dumbstruck and terrified, the two slowly approached the Tree of Life and drew nearer and nearer to the Warrior Angels.  With each step, they lost more strength, began to stumble, and finally fell into a crawl.  Their faces were so flushed with the intense heat of the fiery swords, they appeared to one another to be glowing.  Within themselves, however, they felt part sick and part elated.  As intense as the fire was, they found themselves compelled to keep moving toward it.

Meanwhile, the Warrior Angels, fierce and terrifying, raised their swords high for battle.  Earth human and Life-saver looked upon the swords in terror and then saw themselves ungirded for war.  “If these are Warrior Angels,” said Earth human, “then we must go to war!” 

“No,” breathed the whisper, “you must love!”

“Is this how we are to confront Fire, Sword and Warrior Angels?” asked Earth human, “with Love?”

In silence, the whisper sent a cool breeze, refreshing Earth human and Lifesaver.  The pair looked upon one another and spoke in unison, “Then let us go forth in love.”  Hands clasped, they stood upright and took a strong step forward in faith and love.  The faces of the Warrior Angels no longer appeared fierce and terrifying.  Instead, Earth human and Lifesaver saw holiness and love in the eyes of the Warrior Angels.


Even in holy love, however, the Warrior Angels pierced Earth human and Lifesaver with their swords.  The pair was cast down and shattered.

When the sun arose, the pair awoke.  No longer did they see themselves as Dirt animal and second-class helper.  No, they knew themselves to be Earth Human and Lifesaver and they knew they had never been ungirded, for the sword had been with them all along.  But to use it, they needed to love.  And to know it, they needed to die.

They grabbed a fruit from the tree and enjoyed a taste so heavenly, they could never have imagined such a taste.

Some may think their story ends here, “happily ever after,” with endless opportunities to eat more of the heavenly fruit.  But their story is not like this.  Some times, they try to grab from the tree, and they cannot.  Some times, when they eat of the fruit, they taste not sweetness, but bitterness.  They are perplexed that this most delicious, most remarkable of all fruits can still, at times, be evasive and still, at times, taste sour.  But now that they have eaten of this most heavenly of all fruits and now that they have tasted into its delicious core, they can never go back.  Their new journey has begun and the two-become-one will be ever returning for another taste into the very core of this remarkable, delicious fruit of paradox.                                                
 © 2011 by karina.  All rights reserved.  Please use only with permission from the author.