Historical setting: 563 C.E., maybe, a beach in La Coruña
We‘ve found a stick to mark the sandy beach with a timeline of history while we are waiting here at La Coruña to look at horses.
“Laz, obviously a single timeline fails us. You’ve added all these branches for so many philosophies. But what if history comes at us not aligned like an army of ants moving evenly in a single direction, but more like waves of sea? What if events and understandings rise and sink in importance like swells on the ocean? One appears essential, then another even greater rises in another place, only to sink back into the churning current; or maybe it all dissolves into the great smooth calm.”
“Yes, that does seem the more likely pattern. I’ll just scratch out our useless timeline with all these specific years.”
“Well, I thought it might help us clarify your strange memory problem. But now Laz, I’m more curious about this budding heresy starting when all varieties of mysticisms were rising to the surface one on the next like waves on the sea.” He interrupts my breath to answer. “Wait don’t tell me, Laz; let me guess. This heresy of mysticism started when people began noticing the invisible nature of Spirit so the old idea of believing only in tangible things and things seen becomes the anathema. I mean, what would be more heretical than not noticing the invisible nature of God? I guessed right, didn’t I Brother Lazarus? Once people learned to be mystical, denying the invisible became everyone else’s heresy!”
“Oh that you were right, my friend.” Dear God, thank you for the company of this strange old soldier of simple perspective. Amen. “But if believing only in the material nature could be considered heresy everyone would be a heretic at some time in every life. We all so easily believe that the only reality is visible and tangible. It’s a normal human perception.”
Nic’s imagination keeps turning. “It would be so fine if you and I were the bishops declaring the heresies. Then all Creation, even Jesus would be the physical sign for the spiritual reality. And anyone who doesn’t think the Heavens and the Earth and all Creation and every creature living is actually Holy Spirit is anathema!”
“Sure Nic. Write your ideas in the sands that change; just don’t carve it in stone, or write a creed of it because all life ever grows new. Ideas come and go, and flatten and rise like dunes in the desert.”
“… or waves on the sea.”
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 