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*** My Zriiliant Journey has been interupted by a Christmas story ***
Here is a story that I thought you might find interesting in another perspective. It is indeed different, but I found it opening up many ideas and thoughts. What if..., just what if?
The Mystical Star of Christmas
If it was a boy, they had agreed to call him Samuel, from the Hebrew Shamu'el, "name of God."
The delivery was complicated because the mother, Rachel, had a high fever of unknown origin and the doctor offered little hope for a healthy baby. He fretted more over the mother's survival. The husband, Benjamin, was frantic with worry, finding it hard to stay calm amid the frenzied action in the bedroom. A boy, glowing from the warmth of his mother's womb, squeled a triumpant gasp of life that pierced the tension pervading the place.
Rachel came through her moment of anguished labor and smiled on seeing her new son with his tiny hands and feet flailing in all directions. Benjamin beamed with pride to see his fourth son now out of danger and his loving wife looking so much better.
They had a happy home. Benjamin was a successful merchant in Jerusalem during the infamous reign of King Herod "the great" in the year 16 B.C. He provided well, and already three of his sons were attending the best schools in the region. The new son would continue in this tradition and make his family proud, he predicted.
As Samuel grew up it was apparent to the family that he was a rebellious and unresponsive. He simply did not fit in very well. His troubled parents took him to the temple to seek the advice of the rabbis and physicians. They agreed to keep the boy under their care for a few days and come up with a diagnosis.
When they came to take him home his parents were told that the boy had a genius mentality, but unfortunately he also had an incurable deafness in both ears. His affinity for and love of animals, these wise men asserted, would indicate a career outdoors without people around him too much. Perhaps a shepherd. "Shepherd?" Benjamin interrupted, "my son a shepherd? That's not possible. His destiny is to be a rabbi. That has been my dream for him since he was born."
The physicians tried to console him. They explained that patriarchs, kings and prophets including Jacob, David and Amos, had tended sheep.
"But that was years ago," countered Benjamin. Today it's a harsh, primitive, lonely life fit only for those down on their luck. There must be something better that Samuel can do. We will go home with him now and think it over."
At home matters only grew worse. They hired tutors to teach him and none lasted more than a few weeks. Samuel seemed unteachable, they thought. Bright, yes, but his independent-minded attitude and lack of hearing proved to be insurmountable obstacles. The schools would not take him. Rachel was beside herself with compassionate concern for her growing fourteen-year-old son. Secretly she blamed herself for affliction. Her anxiety over his future made her loving heart ache.
Finally, one day Benjamin took him aside for a father-son conference. "What do you want to do with your life, dear son?"
Adept at lip-reading, Samuel answered, "Father, like you, I want to be my own boss, answering only to myself. I want to be free of teachers and others giving me orders all the time. I'm happiest when I'm alone with my dog and goat. They understand me better than people."
"Son, it's time for you to become a man and start a career. What do you think of the idea of becoming a shepherd? If I gave you enough gold to buy a herd of sheep, would you like that? Many famous men were shepherds once, you know."
Without hesitation Samuel said, "Father, I would love being a shepherd tending my own flock. I know just the hills and valleys in Galilee that would be perfect for them."
Looking sad, and resigned to the bleak outlook for his beloved son's future, Benjamin forced a weak smile, saying, "Then it's settled. You are going to be the best shepherd in all Judea."
Samuel bought fifty sheep. Cutting his own staff from a sturdy tree limb, he gathered his few belongings into a thin blanket and tied it to the staff, now ready and eager to leave home. Rachel was determined to face his departure bravely, but broke into tears. Benjamin hugged his son and whispered, "God be with you!" Samuel kissed his mother gently, hugged each brother, and off he went for an unknown adventure in the wilds of Galilee.
Wearing a crude sheepskin cloak, Samuel headed directly for the Galilean hills. As he traveled with his flock he swiftly realized how inexperienced he was. He became thirsty but had forgotten to bring a water bag. He found a stream and cupped sweet water to his mouth, giving his sheep time to drink too. "Praise the Lord for this precious water!" he crided. It was truly a humbling experience to be out in the wilds without a map or anyone to guide him. Jerusalem was never like this, he mused. Nevertheless, his joy increased with each day; he cherished every moment with his sheep.
His flock wandered over sparse, rocky ground on the fringes of cultivated land. They foraged wherever they could, always on the alert for wolves, bears, jackals and lions. Thieves were not uncommon, either. Samuel had to arm himself in some way, so he fashioned a club with sharp pointed stones embedded in the wooden club head to go along with his homemade slingshot. He vowed he would protect his flock even if they were in mortal danger - a characteristic of most good shepherds.
He needed to eat, so he bought olives, fruit, cheese and bread from nearby villagers. He mentally mapped his territory, noting where the caves were located, how to protect himself from the sun's glare, how to construct a makeshift tent and other essentials. With each day his expertise grew and so did his confidence. His survival in these harsh hills depended on his guickness to adapt. He never failed to thank his God for each new lesson. He was humble and full of gratitude for divine guidance.
Sleeping in the open fields most of the time with his flock, he became fascinated with the magic of the night sky, the moon and especially the stars. He studied the stars every night until he fell asleep. His dreams were about stars, until he literally became the stars in his consciousness. Lately, though, he noticed something odd going on. At first he thought they were shooting stars. The more he observed them, he was sure they couldn't be stars. They seemed to be skillfully propelled, but by whom? Who drives these fiery chariots in the sky? Samuel was greatly puzzled.
One night he was awakened by a blinding light surrounding him and his flock. he leaped to his feet, trying to shield his eyes from the glare and checking on the sheep at the same time. There, less than a hundred paces away, a glowing disk-shaped object had landed from the sky. Filled with fright by its bizarre intrusion, he watched two weird-looking figures exit the disk and walk toward him. They had large ovoid heads with immense black eyes and small, fragile bodies. Samuel readied his slingshot to hold them off when suddenly a burst of hot light knocked his smoking slingshot to the ground. They did not talk, just peered benignly toward him for a few minutes. Then returning to their chariot, they flew swifter than any bird into the black void.
Shaken and befuddled by this strange encounter, Samuel's head throbbed from the excitment. Does this make any sense? Who are they? What kind of weaponry was this? Or was it all a dream fantasy? He picked up his slingshot and noticed that it was scorched black and warm to the touch. Now he knew he was not dreaming; it had really happened!
Night after night he scanned the mysterious stars from his pallet. These fiery chariots with flashing multicolored lights were becoming more frequent and obvious. The queer-looking creatures kept popping into his mind. Why would I, a simple shepherd, catch their attention? Were they created by the same God that brought me forth? If they were, why are they so much different from me? Didn't father teach me that everything in the whole universe came from God, including the invisible things? The Great Void father stressed, was one vast nothing materially, but all things potentially. So Samuel decided these creatures had to be the children of God, too. They should be treated with love and respect despite their woeful physiques and sickly complexions that make one's hair stand on end.
One night during a heavy rainstorm he found refuge in one of his caves. His small fire was dying out and he was almost asleep when a soft white light permeated the entire cave in an instant. He jumped from his pallet and was startled to see a towering man enter the cave. The light emanating from him was like a traquilizing wave, and Samuel instinctively sensed that the stranger was not a threat. The cave became warmer and drier after the visitor sat down in a lotus position and began talking in a kindly voice.
"Have no fear; I come to you in love and peace. I will come right to the point. You, Samuel, have a glorious destiny awaiting you a short few days away. Your humble spirit, always mindful and grateful to God, has prepared you well for this coming event. I know who you are, and since your birth I have watched over you unceasingly. I do not have wings, but I am proud to be your guardian angel." Oddly enough Samuel, who could not hear the spoken word, understood everything the angel said with utmost clarity.
"Your father, Benjamin, taught you well about the unlimitedness of the Void," spoke the angel, gesturing with a wide upward sweep of his expressive hands. "You were wise to conclude that those beings you met from space were worthy of your love and not to be feared. For they too have a soul and were created by the same loving God as you here on Earth. If you see them again, and you will, use the ancient holy smybol of the triangle to connect you to them. They revere this triadic sign, and it will be your surest entree to brotherhood with them. Just act like the God you are and they will treat you like one; act the victim and they will treat you like a victim. It is that simple."
"These beings are extremely intelligent. They operate on thought alone. They do not talk or hear. You noticed they were without ears. They do not laugh or cry. They are completely emotionless. They possess quintessential intellect. They read your mind and know what you are thinking or conniving. So always, when you are in their company, keep love in your mind and heart. These interstellar beings come from the Seven Sisters in the Pleiadian system. Their bloody-orange craft have been exploring outer space for eons. These fragile beings with the great black eyes and bluish gray skin are fabulous, timeless entities. They are beautiful in a different way, as are all God's children."
Listening to this enlightening discourse, Samuel, trance like, asked, "If they're so intelligent, why would they find interest in a shepherd? You would think they would be more at home with wise rabbis and philosophers or the like."
"No, Samuel, they seek out the simple, humble ones, those who possess little or nothing materially to clutter their open minds. These are the ones they wish to connect with," the angel replied. "They see into the future, and already knowing about your imminent destiny, want to play a part in this momentous event. You are marked for further adventure with them. They are your brothers after all, so trust them without fear or doubt in their next visitation. Just remember to reverntly make the triangle symbol on their approach. With that you will have mutual trust and love at work. I must leave you now; God be with you always."
The light vanished and the cave was once again dark, cold and damp. The angel was gone as abruptly as he had first appeared, like a ghostly specter. For Samuel it seemed impossible to even think of sleep. He thought about his boyhood experiences with his happy family and how much he missed his mother and father. He now yearned for the comfortable tranquility of home during this hectic moment in the cold cave. His brain was hard pressed to assimilate all that the angel had related and the mystical meaning of the prophecies of the days soon to come. What did all this mean?
Sunrise soon peeked into the cave opening. he shrugged off his quandary and headed for his flock to face a new day. After a quiet day in the hilly pastures Samuel was very tired, having had no sleep the night before. As darkness came he laid back on his pallet, looking again at his cherished stars. Just as he was drifting off to sleep a dazzling star aroused his curiosity. He had never noticed any star positioned anywhere near Bethlehem like this one. It seemed too unreal. He fell off to sleep thinking about the many weird things occurring in his life lately.
He woke up the next day and observed the same star still shining brightly in the full Sun - in stark contrast to normal star behavior. Another strange happening occurred as he passed through the village to buy provisions. He became aware that he could read the minds of passersby's and the shopkeepers. Being deaf, his new psychic ability made communication much easier. His angel, he marveled, had awakened this power within him. His cup of consciousness was overflowing with all these topsy-turvy incidents. However, he had learned from an early age to depend only on himself and his inner knowingness. He had the healthy habit of looking inward for his inspiration and knowledge whenever pressed for answers. Anyone would laugh at him if he told about his experiences, so he knew how to keep these events to himself.
Another day, while his sheep were grazing, he glimpsed three men riding camels who were coming his way from the east. As they drew closer he noticed that they were not ordinary travelers. They had an aura of wisdom and splendor about them. They dismounted before Samuel and introduced themselves, "We are the magi from Persia and Chaldea, philosophers and physicians. I am Caspar, and this is Melchoir and Balthazar. We are bringing gifts for the Christ child born in Bethlehem. Can you direct our way? We've been guided most of the way by a beautiful star, but it shines only at night."
Samuel respectfully adked, "Don't you see the star up there? It shines all day long around here." They scanned the sky and shook their heads. Samuel wondered, could it be that only I can see this mystical star? He showed them the shortcut to Bethlehem, but before they remounted he asked them why it was so important to journey such a distance and why gifts were necessary.
"My friend, it is the highlight of our lives, if only to see him for a few precious moments of adoration. Our gifts are but a small gesture of our love for the holy child who is to change the course of history, as the earlier avatars or Christs have done." They thanked the lad and proceeded to Bethlehem on the last leg of their arduous pilgrimage.
The shepherd seemed quite impressed that these distinguished magi would cross dangerous deserts and make such a scarifice of time and energy to pay homage to an infant they call a Christ. he pondered, what is a Christ, anyway? Then he remembered his father once saying that a Christ was any man or woman who reached the apex of their spiritual evolution; it meant God / man / woman realized. Samuel resolved to see this newborn Christ, but with only sheep and one lamb, what kind of gift could he offer him?
Night came, and while sitting on a rock he focused on the glistening mystifying star of Bethlehem. It had an unearthly essence to it; and the shepherd convinced himself that he had to unravel this enigma by visiting Christ's birthplace. He surmised that somehow the star and Christ's birth were magically connected. He now felt irresistibly drawn to go to Bethlehem and decided to arrange with another shepherd to watch his sheep for a day.
He tethered his lamb to his pallet to avoid its being trampled on in the dark night, then fell into a deep sleep. He was awakened by the frantic lamb crawling and scratching at his face. he jumped up with a start and saw his sheep being stampeded by a wolf as they all raced toward a precipitous cliff. His heart sank as he stood in paralyzed terror watching his entire herd plunge off the cliff into a deadly heap far below. His beloved sheep were gone and he felt devastated in his desolation.
All were lost except the one lamb. He wept the whole night through. Long before, it had bothered Samuel that this deafness might someday expose his sheep to danger, particularly while he was sleeping, because he would not hear their bleating sounds of warning. But he never imagined a tragedy like this. Now he blamed himself and his affliction for this pitiful loss. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he prayed, "Oh God let my shackled hearing be healed so I can protect my sheep. I want so much to be a good shepherd. So be it!"
After praying, he glanced up to see standing over him the two silent creatures of his recent encounter. He slowly made the sign of a triangle while they stoically scrutinized him. He was aware they wanted him to board their chariot. He followed them without fear and with as much love as he could muster under the circumstances. Once aboard, the beings fitted him into an eerie garment to help him offset pressure changes. This he understood from reading their intentions.
Next they strapped an oxygen container to his suit and a transparent globe like helmet over his head so he could breathe oxygen and needed nothing in the way of paraphernalia. They blasted off at tremendous speed on a pathway of light. They explained to Samuel through thought that their craft could appear or disappear at the pilot's whim, and they are beyond light, distance and time and can go beyond the Sun in a moment.
After flying around the Earth whilst studying their young passenger and reading the awe and curiosity arising in his mind, they thought, he's in an absolute state of wonderment. He seems expecially interested in the star over Bethlehem. We must satisfy this yearning. They turned around and were over the Bethlehem area in seconds. They slowed to a hovering approach and Samuel wondered why they were so deliberate and cautious. We are approaching the mightiest ship in the whole universe, and we must be careful and keep a respectful distance away, came their thought reply.
Samuel gaped through the aperture at an enormous object filling the sky for many leagues. This unbelievable behemoth, a massive domed triad in shape, was dominating the sky directly over Bethlehem. What an awesome sight! Samuel was numb with excitement.
You were granted a special privilege to view this spectacular wonder at close range, the beings explained. Normally it stays invisible to all prying eyes.
The entities staffing this magnificent ship are the lords of the cosmos, the most evolved species in the universe. They differ from us in many ways, but we consider them our brothers in God. They are over seven feet tall, blessed beings with golden complexions and truly marvelous physiques. More importantly, they have always loved the human race and have even interbred with you throughout ancient history. They have protected Earth and humanity since the beginning of creation. They are rightfully your brothers in blood kinship. They have been your overseers for civilization upon civilization.
They come from beyond the North Star, the region known as Andromeda. Among them are angels and archangels. Inside the mothership you are viewing, ride the archangels Michael and Gabriel and legions of lesser-known angels. They are all congregating to participate in the celebration of the new Christ born in a stable on Earth below. It is truly a momentous episode for all life in the cosmos. That star manifestation you wonder at comes from the bottom of that mighty ship and its superb lighting system.
To give you an idea of the phenomenal light power of this ship, with a touch of a button its illumination would exceed the light of the Sun ten thousand times. These remarkable brothers have ingeniously fashioned and ornamental star in honor of this auspicious occasion to guide the many pilgrims trekking toward the birthplace.
Now, that is enough learning for this day, shepherd. We must get you back to your hungry and thirsty lamb, who needs your care without delay. To avoid radiation contamination, they landed a safe distance from the shepherd's pallet. They took off his spacesuit and left him to his Earthly chores.
Naturally overcome by his bizarre experience and new enlightenment, Samuel comforted his lamb with food and water and collapsed into an exhausted slumber. He dreamed of his coming to the stable to see the Christ child. Would his gift of a single lamb be approapriate? Since it was all he had left in his world, it would have to do. On awakening he took the shortcut to Bethlehem with the lamb across his broad shoulders. the glittering star pinpointed the stable, giving it a celestial golden glow that gave it an aura of reverence all around. Within, Mary and Joseph were smiling at the divine infant chortling in the crude crib. Samuel's friends of the day before, the three magi were kneeling at the cribside. There were many priceless gifts that lay beneath the tiny cradle.
As the young shepherd approached the crib, he knelt down to better see the infant Jesus. He reached out and touched his hand gently. A surge of power entered his body; a feeling of ecstatic bliss flowed through him from head to toe. His lamb, still on his shoulders, began to bleat. Lo and behold! For the first time in his life, Samuel heard sound! And what a sound! - the feeble bleat of his beloved lamb. He placed the innocent lamb before the crib, prostrating himself in humble thanks. He now read the mind of the Christ child who gave him a message of love and endearment:
Behold God! The kingdom of heaven is within you Samuel. Your Spirit within has opened your ears. So be it!
William L. Heinz
P.O. Box 686
Rainer, WA 98576
(360) 446-7711
Namasté!
