Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chapter 18

18
ISLAND OF PARANEHO, AMAPA STATE, BRAZIL


Juan came running up the path from the beach, calling breathlessly, "Jesus! Jesus! Come quick!"

The other youth was standing patiently in the bright sun, untangling rocks and debris from the family's fishing net, hung to dry. He glanced toward His friend, laughing, "What can possibly be so important to run on a hot day, Juan?"

"You must come and sit in the shade. I have something incredible to tell You." Juan yelled, still out of breath.

The two of them were almost copies of each other. Jesus was shorter and darker. Juan was a little older and more fully developed, but both were unmistakably healthy and well made young men. Even a few years younger, Jesus had a larger chest and a narrower waist than his friend. Juan, on the other hand, was a slender well proportioned Brazilian youth with fiery eyes and a smile full of blinding white teeth that betrayed his strong native blood.. Neither had ever worn anything but shorts. There was no noticeable winter in the Amapa latitudes.

Now Juan's eyes were really full of fire. "I have something really important to tell You, and I have to be cautious so I can get it done right."

"Jesus, You know I would never do anything to hurt You. Right now, I have to tell You something really important. When I taught You to be a carpenter, it was because I wanted You to help build our boat. When I taught You to read the books, it was because I wanted to do that, too." Juan began patiently.

"Yes, I enjoyed reading 'Extension Service Manual of Edible Flora in the Northern States of Brazil.' very much. I still read it often. But why are you troubled, Juan? Are you getting ready to hurt Me now?" The young Man looked puzzled.

"Maybe. Things are happening which involve You. Many powerful things that You probably won't understand easily. I had a great deal of trouble understanding them myself." Juan was beginning to falter on his mission. He was also beginning to show his excitement.

"Just tell Me everything as if I could understand it, then after that we can spend as long as we want while you explain it all." Jesus answered in His imperturbable calm. "And, Juan, if this hurts me, I forgive you. Besides, no hurt can be too great with you, My lifetime companion, at My side."

"I'll start with what happened to me. Early this morning a strange man approached me. He came to the island in an incredible motor boat. When I saw him on the beach I waved, and he answered by calling out my name. He told me that he was the overseer, watching the affairs on this island, and that an emergency situation had come up. It turns out that the situation has a great deal to do with You, Jesus."

"At first I thought he was from the mainland, You know, like the postal delivery man, Oscar. He asked me to go with him on his motor boat. It was not like anything I have ever seen, fast and smooth, cutting through the waves as if it were flying. He took the boat to the far side of the second rock on the windward side of our island. At first it looked as though we were going to crash into the rocks, then at the last minute a kind of door opened and the boat was suddenly inside the rock, sitting easily in calm water by a dock.

"He led to me to another room with electric lights. It had a kind of windows that showed this island, the houses, our families, even you working on the nets. There were many of these windows showing all kinds of different places on our island. He explained that he was responsible for watching us. He was responsible for making sure nothing happened to us. I asked him why he allowed my father to die. He answered very kindly, and told me that not even he could have done anything to prevent that." Juan's account stumbled on. The young man clearly was overwhelmed with the complexity of his task.

"Is this man God?" Jesus asked.

"No, this man is a servant of another man who is dead. The dead man's name was Senor Robeles. He was very rich and he left money to pay his servant to continue this job after his death. The servant's name is Jorge. Other men work with him to do this job. Jesus, some of them have guns which they are to use to protect us and our island." Juan continued.

"Why have we never seen these windows? Why have we never seen these men, coming and going to the rock?" Jesus asked incredulously.

"The boats only come and go when the watchers can see us in the windows. If there was a chance that we might see the boats, they would wait until they could be certain they could pass out of our sight. The windows I told You about are really machines which watch at one place and show what they see at another place -- down in the rock. They make it possible for Jorge to do his work, to watch us without being seen."

"This is important now because these men with guns will be out around our island in plain sight after today. You will be able to see them on their boats, racing back and forth in the ocean."

"But we must not spend too much

"Just one more question, Juan." Jesus paused, then asked, "Did you know about all of this before? Did you keep it secret from Me?"

"No Jesus. Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine this was happening. Jorge, however, did tell me one thing about all of this. He told me that our parents all knew some of the truth. They also work for the dead man, Senor Robeles. It was their job to be our parents, and to lead the lives they have led on the island. Everything that has happened here since You were born has been part of a plan. Just now, though, the plan cannot be followed. Some things have gone wrong." Juan explained quietly.

"But, ..." Jesus began with another question.

"No, not now. You must listen. Jorge has asked me to explain this to You the way he explained it to me. He hoped that You would be better able to understand everything if the words came from Your friend. Please give me a chance to do what I promised him I would do. Jorge is a good man. He is kind and honest. He is trying to do his best with the work Senor Robeles gave him, but things are becoming very difficult for him. We must try very hard not to add to his burden."

"Jesus, do you know whom you were named after?" Juan asked, looking into the eyes of his lifelong friend.

Jesus looked puzzled, but answered with the same facts his mother had told him. "Yes, I am named after a very Saintly Holy Man who lived long ago. My mother and my father gave me this name in the hope that I would try to lead a saintly life myself."

"I need to tell you just a little about the Holy Man. In the story of His life, one part has a great deal to do with you, Jesus. The story of His death says that after He died, He came back from death, was a Holy Man a little longer, then went up into the sky when God called Him and that He is still high up in the sky with God now."

"Years ago, Senor Robeles found out that this part of the story of Jesus' life was not quite right, and that actually, He died and was buried just as other men, just as my father. Senor Robeles paid for people to look for Jesus' tomb, and they found it. Among all the people who had been taught that Jesus had gone up into the sky, a great disappointment and anger rose up. Many of them became discouraged and began to fight among themselves, some of them believing this new story and some certain that it could not be true."

"Senor Robeles was a good man and very devout. He had a dream of helping Jesus come back to the earth. He wanted this because Jesus did so much good for the world when He was here before. In fact part of the story of Jesus' life tells about His coming again. Senor Robeles was afraid that many people would not agree with his plan, so he was determined to accomplish it very secretly."

"Senor Robeles took a tiny part of the body of Jesus that his men found in the tomb and sent it to a very special hospital which he had built just for this purpose. Special doctors there helped to change the tiny bit of the dead Jesus into a tiny person -- do You remember when my mother became pregnant with my sister Victoria?" Juan asked.

"Yes, your mother grew a great belly while Victoria was inside her." Jesus answered innocently.

"That's right. But mother had the baby in her long before she began to grow like that. It was just that Victoria was so small that she didn't show for several months. Senor Robeles made a similar tiny baby from the material he took from the ancient body of Jesus. This material was exactly similar in every way to the tiny baby carried by Jesus' mother which turned into and was born as Jesus so long ago."

"Well, Senor Robeles had that tiny baby placed in your mother, Maria. It grew and developed into a little baby boy, and it was for the sake of that very baby boy that all this island was created. This island was made to be a place where that boy could grow up in healthy innocence and secrecy from the world."

"Juan, do you mean that I have a brother? Where is he?" Jesus asked incredulously.

"No, Jesus, You are that boy now grown to a man. You are both who You now know Yourself to be and You are just as much who that ancient and Very Holy Man was. He said He was the Son of God and that He was sent to this world to help make things work better. When Jorge told me about all of this, many things started to become clear to me. The most important of them was that this explains how I feel about You, the special feelings we all have toward You, the special love we have for You. Even Jorge, who has had very little to do with You save watching over You as You lived on this island has special feelings for You."

"Do you mean that I am a Holy Man, Juan? I can't recall that I have done anything holy." Jesus queried the older youth.

"No, well actually, yes, You are a Holy Man. Jorge explained it this way. You are born in such a way that You and the ancient Jesus are exactly the same person. Jesus said He was the Son of God, and Jorge explained that if the first Jesus was the Son of God, then You are also the Son of God."

"What's the matter, Jesus? Are you alright?" Juan could see the color draining from the face of his friend.

"Juan, wait a minute before you go on with the story. Something strange is starting to happen to Me. I can't say what it is. I feel very, well, happy. I am starting to have memories. Memories of things that never happened to Me. Beautiful memories about a lifetime lived somewhere else, except it is My life. The memories are about My life, My family, My brothers and sisters, but not on our island. I am starting to receive a new understanding about Myself. I , ah, it seems that at one minute I have a question, but then I know the answer. One minute everything is confused, but then I understand everything perfectly." Jesus was still too surprised to be able to carry on a reasonable conversation. He was still looking at his friend, Juan, for more explanation, but He realized he already knew more than his friend could tell Him.

True to these words, Jesus' face seemed to move wordlessly from agitation to a beautiful and abiding calm. Juan saw the clear, fair skin on His cheeks become almost transparent as though it had been catapulted from the robust health of the Jesus he had known into a state of a glowing blush, revealing suddenly the force of a supernatural internal energy. Jesus held up His hand, asking Juan to relate no more of the tale for a moment or two.

From no where a cloud cast the two into shadow, then broke only enough to allow a narrow beam of sun light to illuminate Jesus. None fell on Juan, and the cloud did not move. The whole earth seemed to take in a long breath, and then a great wind came up over the ocean. The wind seemed gentle enough, but both of them could see that it had pressed the surf into a limpid pool. The Atlantic looked as if it were a lake lapping at the coastline of the island of Paraneho.

A mist seemed to rise up over the sea, drifting inland even though it was in the height of the day. The wind subsided as quickly as it had come, but the mist lingered. It was a cool wet cloud that hung on the ground where Jesus and Juan were sitting.

Juan's mother, Juanita, poked her head out the door, sensing something unusual. She looked at the boys, clasping her hands in a gesture of surprise and concern.

Jesus spoke again. "Does this mean that I am something special? Something different than what I always thought I was? How can they do this to Me?"

Juan pulled his net knife from its holster at his waist. Jesus looked on, puzzled. Juan took the knife and cut a long slice into his forearm. Jesus winced.

"Jesus, place your hand over this wound and heal it." he said softly. "I don't pretend to know how that is done, but it will be a sign that what Jorge said is true."

"Juan, for some reason I now know that there is a far greater truth within Me than what came from the mouth of Jorge. But this, I don't seem to know, or remember, anything about doing this. Hold up your arm." He commanded of his friend.

Jesus looked at the wound and at his friend. He gently took Juan's arm and was preparing to place His hand over the wound, but the wound was healed before He could touch it. Only  the dripping blood was left. A moment later, only the drying blood from the deep slash which had been there just a moment before remained.

Juanita and Juan's sister, Victoria approached them now, almost reverently. Knowingly, Juan's mother asked no one in particular. "Finally, is it over?"

Juan answered, "Yes, mother. Jorge from the rock has told us everything. I have been explaining it to Jesus, but He seems to be understanding faster than I am explaining. Victoria, look at my arm! I cut myself only a few minutes ago. Jesus healed me!"

"What do you mean, Juan? Don't fool an old woman." Juanita said crossly.

"That is what we have been doing here all these years. Jesus really is Jesus -- in body and soul. Jorge told us, and I couldn't believe him. But look. Look at Him!" Juan motioned to his mother, pointing at the still surprised face of his friend.

"Maria! Maria! Call Jose! Come quick!" Juanita Gemarro needed no further convincing. In a moment she now understood all the secret plans of Robeles. In this moment she saw an unmistakable revelation of the old man's dreams. In this moment she saw the halo around the head of the son of her neighbor.

The old woman dropped to her knees and crossed herself, something that had been forbidden by her agreement with Senor Robeles. "Praise God. It is Him!"

Jesus seemed to be lost in His thoughts. Finally, He spoke to all of them. "Senor Robeles did the right thing. His decision to have all of us on the island gave Me a chance to grow up, to have a normal life. I had a chance to live with My family and My friends that would have been impossible had I known who I was."

"I'm glad you see it that way. I am very glad you see it that way, Jesus." Jorge's voice boomed from behind them. Jorge and Jose were approaching along the path to the shore.

Jose kept calling, "Maria! Maria! Come quick!"

Finally she appeared in her apron coming from the garden. A uniformed man with a carbine over his shoulder was at her side. The group collected where Juan and Jesus had been sitting.

"As time goes on, I can remember more and more. I can understand more and more. I have a great sadness that I don't know what I am to do." Jesus confided mostly to Juan, but in general to everyone.

"Things seem to be moving too fast for Me to keep up with them. There is no means to explain what has happened to Me in the last few minutes. I understand everything now, but I must pay attention lest I become confused between this day and another one twenty centuries ago. The world is suddenly different to Me." Jesus seemed to have trouble standing at first, then He steadied Himself, looking in turn to each face of the people He had lived with for a lifetime.

"Maria and Jose, I love you just as if I were your Son. You have given so much of your lives for the plan of Senor Robeles and for Me. You could never have known what child you would raise, but likewise, you could not have given a greater love than you have. We have always been a family poor in things, but we have been the richest of all in love. I knew that before this tumultuous day, and I am saddened that I haven't told you of My great appreciation for that love more often."

Turning to Juan, Jesus continued. "You, My friend, are blessed among all men not because of anything I can do, but because you have been a blessing to Me as My companion and brother, always by My side as the days passed in My life."

"Juanita and sweet Victoria, you have always been My family. Since it turns out that I am not related to those I thought, it makes little difference that I am not related to you. I will always remember the hours of kindness you and brave Prospero spent with us boys."

The man with the carbine approached and bowed deeply. "I am Matteo, Your Highness. Please bless me and my family!"

Jesus answered sternly. "I am no Highness. I am Jesus and I am the Son of God. Dear Matteo, I can add no greater blessing to you and your family than the lives you already have. They are the gift to you from my Father." Jesus hesitated, then approached the man, giving him a long hug. Thinking for a moment, He proceeded to give everyone present a similar hug.

Jose was, perhaps, the first among them to come to his senses. "How long do we have before they arrive, Jorge?"