In honor of Easter I thought I would share this little thought experiment I performed on behalf of Jesus. FYI, I did not have his consent, so I am liable. I wrote the following poem when I was nineteen years old, fresh in the thick of my initial studies of the world’s religions and spirituality. While I certainly don’t fancy myself a Christian, sorry to both my grandmothers — it’s just the way it is, I have always been inspired by Jesus and his teachings, particularly the more mystical ones found in the Gnostic Gospels. Anyone who knows me knows I have serious issues with organized religion, as reflected in the following piece. With my mind opened up to a whole new world of spirituality and potentiality, I decided to write a reflective letter from the perspective of a human Jesus as if I was him watching what religion had done in my name. This is what came out:
To my fellow brothers and sisters,
I’m sorry to declare a failing on my part,
Sent to bring a peaceful path,
I leave with much guilt in my heart.
It seems my message’s fallen short,
Of those above me’s expectations,
With you I leave a heavy burden,
For the next hundred generations.
Sent to save and lead the way,
Came with turmoil – instant fame,
I brought happiness along with corruption,
I am much to blame.
Honest truth be told,
It was healing I attempted,
Left a scar on humanity,
And many empty handed.
I was told it was too big a burden,
Naive I was I must say,
But strong and optimistic,
I took on the task anyway.
For what I did was surely brave,
Against all odds I preached to save,
All for not my truth was lost,
Tainted with lies in days.
I apologize humankind,
I am sorry for what’s been done,
Left behind big shoes to fill,
Hoping you’d follow the chosen One.
Saddened by the aftermath,
I surely shake my head,
I never knew it’d go so wrong,
Minutes after I was dead.
So here it is a final note,
My letter to mankind,
This weight is far too heavy,
As your messiah I resign.
If you want to know the heart of Jesus, study his teachings not The Bible.
- JMB
