It was the demons who saw him first.

When his boat was just a speck far out on the water they became agitated, and when the demons got agitated my life became a living hell.

But then, it always was the demons in control. Even as a boy they would seize me and make me do unimaginable things. When I was small, my parents could control me, could hold me down until the seizures stopped, but as I grew older and stronger, so did the demons. At first my family locked me in a storage room and pushed food in through a little window, but I was soon able to kick the door down and whenever I got free I would destroy everything in the house. Every jar, every chair, every garment. Then they tried chains and shackles, but the demons simply broke them, so they tried stronger chains and more chains, and posted guards, but it didn’t do any good. No chain was as strong as the forces within me. No man could restrain me. At that point they drove me out of the village. It took every man in the village to do it. Maybe some of you were part of that crowd.

Do you know what it’s like to live like an animal? No, worse than an animal. Much worse. A naked, raving lunatic, living out in the hills among the tombs, howling at the moon all night, screaming at the top of my lungs all day, raging at any and everyone who comes near. I cannot tell you how many times I tried to kill myself, but the demons wouldn’t let me. I would cut myself with sharp stones and bash my head with rocks, but they would never let me finish the job. Evil spirits were in control of my body and my life. Maybe some of you knew me then, remember what I was like. Maybe you threw stones at me. Maybe I threw stones at you.

Then one day he sailed his boat right up to the shore and stepped out and said something to the demons and suddenly they weren’t raging – they were terrified. They began shrieking and wailing and they made me run down to the shore to him, and then they threw me down at his feet. And then the strangest thing happened: they called the man Jesus, Son of the most high God, and they begged him not to torture them! They begged him! The demons that snapped chains and cast off shackles and broke the bones of those who tried to restrain me groveled at his feet and begged for mercy!

He asked them their name and in a thousand voices they replied, “My name is legion, there are so many of us.” Then they begged him to let them go into the herd of pigs that was on the opposite hill, and when he told them “Go!” it was like every fiber of my being was ripped from my body. But when they were gone, for the first time in my life, I felt at peace. I felt whole. I felt like a human being again. I began to kiss the feet of this man, but he had me sit up, and someone handed me a garment, and then he began to talk to me about the most wonderful things.

Everyone else was watching the pigs running down the hill to the bluff and plunging into the sea, but he was looking only at me; talking only to me. I tried to tell him what my life had been like, but it was like it had never happened. Instead, he began telling me what my new life was going to be like, and it was wonderful.

We were still talking when some of the town’s people came running up to see what the commotion was. They saw me and immediately picked up rocks and stones to drive me away, but when they saw that I was just sitting there, having a normal conversation, you should have seen their jaws drop!

It got ugly after that. When they saw what had happened to the pigs, to their livelihood, they wanted no part of Jesus, Son of the most high God. Some begged him to leave; some even threatened him if he didn’t, so he got back in the boat. I begged him to take me with him. I wanted to serve this man for the rest of my life. I wanted to be his slave! But he wouldn’t let me. He told me to go tell my story, so that’s why I’m here.

I am here to tell you that I was already dead – worse than dead – and he gave me life. He defeated my demons and set me free, and he can do the same for you. He is stronger than whatever possesses you; he can defeat whatever drives you. I beg you, find this man and fall at his feet and acknowledge that he is Jesus, Son of the most high God, and ask him to release your demons.

He did it for me. He will do it for you.

The Song of Ruth

 In my extensive travels in the Middle East, I met many unusual characters, but none more so than the old mystic I befriended in the desert region south of D'Kabeer. At our parting, he thrust an ancient manuscript in my hand and urged me to see that the story it contained came to light. It took me many years to translate the document, as it was written in the lost Q'ab language, which uses only 7 letters and 4 symbols, but I'm certain that I have captured the spirit, if not the essence of the document. Interestingly, it appears to be a fragment that retells the story of Ruth. It begins in mid-sentence.

...day Naomi says to Ruth, “Desperate times call for desperate measures; here’s what we’re going to do. You get all spiffed up – wear that little black number you wore at the wedding rehearsal. Oh, and use the good frankincense. Tonight I want you to go down to the threshing floor – it’s been a good year for Boaz and the party has been going on for a week. But being a respectable woman and all, don’t do what the saloon-hall girls from town do and show up when the party is first getting started. You wait until Boaz has had a lot to drink and can’t stay on his feet anymore, and when he sacks out on the cold, hard threshing floor you make your move.”

And Ruth, being the upright and honorable girl she is does what her mother-in-law tells her to, and when the lights are out, slips under the covers at Boaz’s feet. In the middle of the night, she says “Knock Knock.”
    Boaz is startled awake and he says, “Who’s there?”
    “Ruth.”
    “Ruth who?”
    “Ruth who is willing to marry you if you like what you see. I mean, if you think that’s a good idea.”
    Boaz says, “Halleluiah, my prayers have been answered. Look what I found in my bed!”
    And Ruth says, “You know, it’s a little chilly down here, Boaz. Mind sharing some of that blanket?”
    And Boaz, says, “Sure. You being a respectable woman and all that, just crawl under the covers here. We’ll have a prayer session and discuss improving local outreach, or what we can do to help community relations.”
 
So this respectable pair spends the night in chaste prayer and meditation, and just before it gets light, Boaz says, “Being a respectable woman and all that, you might want to slip out the back so no one sees you and gets the wrong idea about what we’ve been doing here. Oh, and before you go, here’s six measures of barley for your mother-in-law and tell her, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” So Ruth, being a respectable woman and all, slips out the back and pretends she’s coming home from an all-night Tupperware party.

Meanwhile, Boaz is thinking, “I’m in a bit of a pickle here. What if Achmed the Closest Relative wants to marry Ruth, and seeing as how I just spent the night with her in prayer and meditation, I might have some ‘splainin to do. Let’s see, I think I’ve got an idea.”
 
So Boaz beats it to the city gate and he’s there waiting for Achmed the Closest Relative when he comes into town for his morning Latte.
    “Achmed, old pal, old, buddy, old relative of mine! Take a load off and let me tell you what’s up. You know that land that belonged to Elimalech and his boys, may they rest in peace? You know, the creek-front property overlooking the community wine press? Well, Naomi wants to liquidate and she sent me to tell you, seeing as how you are the Closest Relative and all.”
    “Naomi wants to sell? She hasn’t said anything to me about it. I didn’t see a ‘For Sale’ sign when I passed by there this morning.”
    “No, no. This just came up last night. So she sent me to tell you, being the Closest Relative and all.”
    Achmed is thinking to himself, You know, I could subdivide that, or better yet, wait a few years and flip it for 10 times what I paid.  “I’ll buy it!” he says.
    “Good,” says Boaz. “Naomi will be happy to hear that. Oh, and there is one other thing, but of course I don’t have to tell you about the Law and that Moabite woman.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “You know. If you buy the land then the Moabite woman comes with it. You know, the woman who grew up worshiping strange gods and has allegiances to who knows who? But that shouldn’t be a problem for you. And there is that matter of course, of her sons becoming your heirs.”
    “Uh, you know Bo, the truth of the matter is I’ve already got my will made out, and you know how expensive those suckers are to change. Plus, there’s likely to squabbling among the kids when I’m gone, what with some of them being half – well, you know. Now that I think about it, I think this might be a better deal for you than me.”
    “Really? You think so?”
    “Yeah, you go ahead and make the deal.”
    “Well, if you really think that’s what you want to do. Let me just ask these ten elders I conveniently have standing around here. Help me out guys. Did you hear what he said?”
    And all the elders said, “He said, no, Bo.”

At that Achmed has his shoe off so fast that he nearly lost a fingernail and slapped the shoe in Boaz ’s hand and shouted, “Deal!” And off goes Achmid, hippity-hop, one shoe on and one shoe off thinking what a close call that was! Meanwhile Boaz sets off to find his blushing bride-to-be, and in due time the happy couple named their first-born son Obed, which has no relationship to where his Daddy first got to know his Mommy really well, and Naomi got a tee-shirt that said “Ask me about my grandbaby” and started carrying a pocket full of photos, and all the neighbors said, “You know, somehow this reminds me of Tamar and Judah, but that all turned out well, and we hope this does too. Mozeltov, you guys. Mozeltov.”

Gabriel’s Message

The anxiety that had gripped him – all but consumed him – since he had received his instructions held him motionless before the small village. “This can’t be right,” he thought. “This backwater village in this backwater region can’t be the place.” He almost thought, “There must be a mistake,” before he caught himself. No, there was no mistake, but that didn’t ease the sense of despair, the dread that had overwhelmed him since he had been sent on this mission.

He thought back to his summons before the Throne. There, before the Most High and a small group of angels, the Word had told him that He was going to leave heaven and go to Earth as a human, to become the King of the wayward and rebellious people and turn them back to the Father. He thought at that moment the heavens would fracture and they would all fall into the abyss, but that was just the beginning. The Word went on to explain how He was going to become human, and who His earthly mother would be and that he, Gabriel, in his role as messenger was to go and prepare her. He had already carried out a similar mission six months ago by appearing to Zechariah, the priest and foretelling the birth of a son. He chuckled a bit at having left Zechariah speechless. But that was different; Elizabeth was just old and childless. This… this was something altogether different.

Now Gabriel stood in the dark on the road before the little village of Nazareth, a collection of mud houses nestled on a hillside in Galilee, one of many such villages, none notable. Some of the houses seemed piled on top of others against the hill, mud roof of one becoming the courtyard of another. Some were white-washed; most were not. At the end of the street a few awnings stretched across poles marked where the vendors made a market each day. The market was empty now, as were the streets. All of Nazareth was indoors.

Gabriel strode quickly to the house. Pausing before the door, he tried to muster as much angelic aura as he could, but aura – and almost everything else – had been sucked out of him. He pushed the heavy curtain aside and stepped into the room. She was alone, as he knew she would be. She was startled at his abrupt entrance, but not as much as Gabriel was. “A child!” he thought. “She’s just a child.” He knew the way of the humans – the betrothals at a very early age, the arranged weddings – but to actually see her just confirmed all the dread he felt. “What was He thinking? This skinny girl cannot be the mother of the King of Israel!”

Pushing aside his misgivings, Gabriel set to his task and exclaimed in his most angelic voice, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.” He was chagrined at the weak and trembling way the proclamation actually came out. He cleared his throat.

Mary stared at Gabriel in shock. She was startled, but there was nothing to be afraid of in Nazareth. Certainly there was nothing threatening about this man, stranger though he was. What troubled her was his greeting. Mary was a non-person in Nazareth; hardly anyone ever spoke to her at all, least of all strangers, and this was certainly not what a stranger said to you – not even a stranger who burst into your house unannounced. This wasn’t even a greeting that the Rabbi would make – not that the Rabbi ever spoke to her – but this… this greeting made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Gabriel, aware that he had startled Mary, quickly said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.”

Now Mary was afraid. First, this stranger knew her name. The neighbors didn’t even know her name. Then he said he knew something about her that she didn’t know – and what he knew came from God. Deep down, the first tiny spark of knowledge of who this stranger was and what was happening snapped into being. Yes, now Mary was very afraid.

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Mary heard the words but they didn’t make sense. Then she began to process them, first the part about having a son, then the part about her son being given the throne of David. The little spark was burning white-hot now. Then she went back to the beginning – the part about being with child. Yes, she was engaged to Joseph, and they would marry soon, but something told her this was not what was meant. She lowered her eyes for a moment, then raised them to Gabriel and said, “How can this be? I... I’ve never been with a man.”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. That’s why the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Gabriel saw the flash of terror pass through Mary like a lightning bolt. She turned her head away, but Gabriel had seen her eyes wide with alarm. “It’s too much for this child,” he thought. “She can’t handle this.” He sought some way to comfort her. He said gently, “Your cousin Elizabeth is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary looked at the angel, for she knew full well now that this stranger was from God. Her heart pounded as if it would leave her body. Her mind raced from one thought to another. God has chosen me… What will Joseph say…? It’s not possible… Nothing is impossible with God… What will mother say…? The Messiah – at last…! This can’t be happening to me… Me! God has chosen me…! Why me…? What will father say…? There’s an angel standing in my house… What will the neighbors say…? What of the shame…! Mother of the Messiah…! What will Joseph’s family say…? What…?

Gabriel was stunned. He felt the emotional turmoil, sensed the burning questions as they caromed through her consciousness. He was certain she was going to bolt into the street and he positioned himself squarely before the door to stop her flight when it came. The whole future of creation hung on the answer from this child and he was powerless as to its outcome.

Slowly, the Spirit calmed her mind, softened the trip hammer of her heart, and brought stillness to her thoughts. She looked at Gabriel a long time, then bowed her head and said. “May it be to me as you have said.”

Gabriel blinked once or twice, trying to decide what to do next, but there was no next. His work was done. There was nothing more to say, so he just turned and stepped back into the street. He paused in the dark passage, thinking about what had just happened. He had delivered a preposterous message to a totally improbable girl and she had received it in stride – and was prepared to act on it. Smiling to himself, he set off to find Joseph.

The Visit

The anxiety that had gripped him – all but consumed him – since he had received his instructions held him motionless before the small village. “This can’t be right,” he thought. “This backwater village in this backwater region can’t be the place.” He almost thought, “There must be a mistake,” before he caught himself. No, there was no mistake, but that didn’t ease the sense of despair, the dread that had overwhelmed him since he had been sent on this mission.

He thought back to his summons before the Throne. There, before the Most High and a small group of angels, the Word had told him that He was going to leave heaven and go to Earth as a human, to become the King of the wayward and rebellious people and turn them back to the Father. He thought at that moment the heavens would fracture and they would all fall into the abyss, but that was just the beginning. The Word went on to explain how He was going to become human, and who His earthly mother would be and that he, Gabriel, in his role as messenger was to go and prepare her. He had already carried out a similar mission six months ago by appearing to Zechariah, the priest and foretelling the birth of a son. He chuckled a bit at having left Zechariah speechless. But that was different; Elizabeth was just old and childless. This… this was something altogether different.

Now Gabriel stood in the dark on the road before the little village of Nazareth, a collection of mud houses nestled on a hillside in Galilee, one of many such villages, none notable. Some of the houses seemed piled on top of others against the hill, mud roof of one becoming the courtyard of another. Some were white-washed; most were not. At the end of the street a few awnings stretched across poles marked where the vendors made a market each day. The market was empty now, as were the streets. All of Nazareth was indoors.

Gabriel strode quickly to the house. Pausing before the door, he tried to muster as much angelic aura as he could, but aura – and almost everything else – had been sucked out of him. He pushed the heavy curtain aside and stepped into the room. She was alone, as he knew she would be. She was startled at his abrupt entrance, but not as much as Gabriel was. “A child!” he thought. “She’s just a child.” He knew the way of the humans – the betrothals at a very early age, the arranged weddings – but to actually see her just confirmed all the dread he felt. “What was He thinking? This skinny girl cannot be the mother of the King of Israel!”

Pushing aside his misgivings, Gabriel set to his task and exclaimed in his most angelic voice, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.” He was chagrined at the weak and trembling way the proclamation actually came out. He cleared his throat.

Mary stared at Gabriel in shock. She was startled, but there was nothing to be afraid of in Nazareth. Certainly there was nothing threatening about this man, stranger though he was. What troubled her was his greeting. Mary was a non-person in Nazareth; hardly anyone ever spoke to her at all, least of all strangers, and this was certainly not what a stranger said to you – not even a stranger who burst into your house unannounced. This wasn’t even a greeting that the Rabbi would make – not that the Rabbi ever spoke to her – but this… this greeting made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Gabriel, aware that he had startled Mary, quickly said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.”

Now Mary was afraid. First, this stranger knew her name. The neighbors didn’t even know her name. Then he said he knew something about her that she didn’t know – and what he knew came from God. Deep down, the first tiny spark of knowledge of who this stranger was and what was happening snapped into being. Yes, now Mary was very afraid.

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Mary heard the words but they didn’t make sense. Then she began to process them, first the part about having a son, then the part about her son being given the throne of David. The little spark was burning white-hot now. Then she went back to the beginning – the part about being with child. Yes, she was engaged to Joseph, and they would marry soon, but something told her this was not what was meant. She lowered her eyes for a moment, then raised them to Gabriel and said, “How can this be? I... I’ve never been with a man.”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. That’s why the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Gabriel saw the flash of terror pass through Mary like a lightning bolt. She turned her head away, but Gabriel had seen her eyes wide with alarm. “It’s too much for this child,” he thought. “She can’t handle this.” He sought some way to comfort her. He said gently, “Your cousin Elizabeth is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary looked at the angel, for she knew full well now that this stranger was from God. Her heart pounded as if it would leave her body. Her mind raced from one thought to another. God has chosen me… What will Joseph say…? It’s not possible… Nothing is impossible with God… What will mother say…? The Messiah – at last…! This can’t be happening to me… Me! God has chosen me…! Why me…? What will father say…? There’s an angel standing in my house… What will the neighbors say…? What of the shame…! Mother of the Messiah…! What will Joseph’s family say…? What…?

Gabriel was stunned. He felt the emotional turmoil, sensed the burning questions as they caromed through her consciousness. He was certain she was going to bolt into the street and he positioned himself squarely before the door to stop her flight when it came. The whole future of creation hung on the answer from this child and he was powerless as to its outcome.

Slowly, the Spirit calmed her mind, softened the trip hammer of her heart, and brought stillness to her thoughts. She looked at Gabriel a long time, then bowed her head and said. “May it be to me as you have said.”

Gabriel blinked once or twice, trying to decide what to do next, but there was no next. His work was done. There was nothing more to say, so he just turned and stepped back into the street. He paused in the dark passage, thinking about what had just happened. He had delivered a preposterous message to a totally improbable girl and she had received it in stride – and was prepared to act on it. Smiling to himself, he set off to find Joseph.