Take a Hike Across the Sea

Here I sit; in my own dreams. Somewhere between Our soon to be reserved unto everlasting incorruptible cosmos and the eternity of Our never beginning existence.

"Now that's a mouthful." Jesus giggled to his Father as he sat up a moment and looked around. There remained Gabriel and Michael; 'standing guard' as usual.

And somewhere in the distance, Jesus knew had to go find his stammering disciples muttering through this life, somewhere between the coast of one side, or the other of the sea of Galilee.

It had been a long day. Jesus recollected as bits and pieces of the prior afternoon floated through his memory. The crowds of thousands, baskets of scraps of bread, bits of fish, irritated disciples; as well as his own exhausted flesh.

Jesus thought about Herod and his cousin. Yes John, who'd just been laid in his tomb awaiting the coming resurrection. I'll be relieved when it's over. He whimpered a bit, as he sucked in the fear and wiped his tears.

And here I am; dreaming vague recollections of eternity. Jesus both cried and laughed in the vacancy of his own omniscience.

It's a bit windy on this here mountain side. He thought to himself as he stood up and surveyed the landscape. The clouds scattered themselves across the moonlit sky, as they raced their ever ongoing and never ending cycle of gathering to rain, just as they had ever since the days of Noah.

What a time that both was and must have been? His mind wondered a moment as he stared up at heaven and sighed. Father, how can I both know these things and at the same time not remember? He made a funny face at his own… Adam…ness.

He snickered a moment and slapped his hands over his own face just… sort of to check on the reality of the material world. Yeah, the ever existent Creator of all of this, still has a face. Duh… he giggled at the contradiction of his own eternal mortality.

Another evening of intended intense prayer spent half asleep. He chuckled at the contradiction of the idea of… God resting on the sabbath. "Who's going to run this cosmos?" He snickered to his Father, as he looked around his own presence of an angelic host that never sleeps.

And even the common knowledge of man states: There's no rest for the wicked.

Well that's certainly true of satan. He paused a moment as he looked at Gabriel and Michael. Of all the progression of eternity; even in the Lake of Fire, there will be no rest for the wicked.

Sobering for the mere moral mind to contemplate. The thoughts floated by as he looked around for the tree branch he'd 'borrowed' to hike up this mountain. He spied it laying right where he left it, as he bent over to pick it up.

Eternity sure does 'feel old' in the creaky joints of a mere nearly 40 some odd years of mortality. He pondered yet another ironic contradiction, as he peered down at the branch and brushed away the stray ants that had employed it as another of their own personal mountains to climb, on their way back to their nest.

'All creatures of our God and King….' the vague awareness of poetry yet to be penned by a fellow named Francis, who was to be born in a place called Assisi some thousand years from now… floated through his unconscious awareness.

How is it I can be both omniscient and not remember at the same time? He contemplated another moment. So much of a world I Myself created that is still so foreign to my own experience? Men say that life is filled with ironic contradictions. Well, yet be satisfied that eternity won't be; (filled with ironic contradictions that is). And even for what doesn't make sense now; then, it won't even matter.

Thank You for that assurance Father. He acknowledged as he began to walk. But I still have to get through right now.

More thoughts floated by as Jesus recollected the dream he'd woken from. Walking through a garden, speaking to a bride yet to be realized. She asked him what it was like to be immortal. Yet… how is he to explain that to someone who's not? Long ago he realized Divinity had an existence his own mortal reality didn't even really understand, none the less be able to explain to fallen humans.

In the absence of the experience of struggling with one's own sin; 'Son of man' seemed like more of a mystery to himself than any of them. They'd never even thought to think about that; not to say think that it was an absolute puzzle to his own mortal mind. No Jesus, maybe you better sit down and have a drink of water or something? You make absolutely no sense to any of us.

But of course it made no difference trying to explain that it wasn't their lack of cognitive capacity that stood in the way. It was simply their own sin. Which again, was the chasm they couldn't cross.

Cross… yeah; that's my job… He stopped and gasped a moment.

Father, I'm glad You have more assurance in my accomplishing this…. something that I have no idea how I'm going to get through… He sighed in absence of anything to say, for his thoughts once again had all fled in fear.

Can't accomplish that now…. So what's the next thing in front of me? He sighed as the wheels of his blank mind once again began to churn. Yes, Peter, James and John. I'm coming.

Michael and Gabriel followed as their eternal Creator meandered, tripped, skipped, hopped and kicked pebbles up, down and across the path. He seemed like he was happily entertaining himself; mumbling wordless prayers and thanks for a thankless world.

What an absolute and dire mess the fall had created; yet….. he didn't seem to…. mind? Both Michael and Gabriel sensed. What actually was this freedom that none of them really knew? The two angels looked at each other.

Yet, Mike and Gabe trotted dutifully along; half absorbed in their own corner of gratitude.

As they reached the cragged peek and began to descend down the other side; the storm that had made its presences known across the sea hung heavy in the air of the humid night. Jesus pulled his cloak up around his body, wrapped his tallit around his head and tossed its end over his shoulder. Both Michael and Gabriel took note, as the moisture collected upon their Lord; steadily dampening his descent down to the shore.

"Often wondered." Gabe chuckled.

"Huh?" Mike peered behind him; only half paying attention to Gabe's ponderings.

"The labor of simple moving life exerts all of the time." Gabe answered. "What does it feel like to get rained on, to sweat, to get tired, to be hungry?"

"I don't know?" Mike answered nonchalantly, as their attention was suddenly drawn to an exasperated yelp. "But I'd have to say, I'm also grateful for the things we don't experience." He commented as he gestured toward Jesus; who was now laying further down the hill a bit irritated by the mix of mud and bruised hands he now proudly owned.

"Are You OK? Do You need help?" Michael and Gabriel hurried along.

"Don't think so." Jesus mumbled as he sat up and wiped his hands on his cloak. "My hypothesis hath again been fully proven." He declared in dry humor that certainly didn't represent the wetness of his current physical state. "Gravity still works." He shook his head attempting to shrug off his frustration, as he held his hands up and the two angels pulled him to his feet.

"I'm sorry." Gabriel apologized. "We never had to pay attention to these things prior to Your incarnation."

"Well…. neither did I." Jesus flashed Gabriel a stupid grin before he burst out laughing. He then pulled his tallit off and shook it out, before hopping across a puddle and scampering through the brush toward the shore.

Jesus stood for a moment staring out across the sea as he wrung out his prayer shawl before he peered up into heaven and held his hands out. "Yeah?" He sucked in a breath.

"Dear Lord I'm sorry to keep pestering You." Gabriel thoughtlessly interrupted, as he followed Jesus to the bank. "But I'm still wondering what does it feel like to be a mere man?"

Jesus paused and looked at Gabriel. "I don't know." He gave an honest shrug; turned and… stepped onto the water.

"Well I guess that answers your question?" Michael nudged Gabriel as they stood on the shore watching the very same Lord who'd they'd just witnessed fall down the hill.

"And there He goes; walking across the sea." Gabriel replied.

The hollering wind tossed the waves about as Jesus could feel the water slap against his ankles and squish between his toes. He thought of the great abyss. The Lake of Fire that soon would never be able to swallow those rocking adrift on the sea of judgement. He pondered a moment as their ship came into sight.

"What is that?" He could hear the panicked cries floating through the angry air.

"Is it a ghost?" One inquired of the others.

"I don't know!" They shrieked in fear.

"Have comfort and courage!" Jesus called to them above the noise. "It is I. Don't be terrified."

"Lord, if it's you?" Peter's hesitant voice yelled back. "Call me to come to you…. across the water."

"Come." Jesus motioned his reply.

He watched with a certain interest as Peter climbed down out of the ship and set foot on the sea. How daring of faith will a Jew get? He pondered as the strange irony between these disciples who'd walked with him for some time now; contrasted with recollections of absolute heathens who dared to believe.

A cosmos full of ironic contradictions. He noted as hosts of the faithful, the fallen and the watchers looked upon Peter; with all of wonder and satisfaction, as well as contempt.

Pete was a bit surprised and pretty well pleased with himself, as he struck out upon this adventure.

Wow Jesus, of all the times I've…. been on this lake…. The thoughts of Peter's soul seemed to echo through time, as he picked up his pace in order to transverse the wet landscape a bit quicker.

Alas though, it wasn't long before the storms of life had distracted Pete; leaving him screaming for help.

Flashes of Adam's first breath passed somewhere through Jesus's eternity and all of humanity's proverbial vain attempts flashed before his mortal eyes; while he instinctively reached out and seized upon Peter. He pulled one wide eyed, momentarily arrested of life itself, condemned man next to him. "You of such fleeting faith." Jesus declared a profound and simple truth. "the second round of wavering". He amended; of both Peter's doubts as well as Adam's failings.

Peter's only response was a dumb stare that gratefully pleaded his relief at being rescued.

Jesus smiled; caught somewhere between eternally pleased and humanly amused.

Come on. Jesus motioned as Peter maintained a death grip on his arm while they walked.

By the time they'd reached the ship; the wind had…. died and the sea was calm. Although it was not simply calm, but eternally 'deadly' calm!

Jesus climbed up the hemp stairs into the ship.

There he… (or rather He) stood; surrounded by men who'd fallen down before Him.

And somewhere in this earthly event; Jesus could 'see' eternity!