The Owl and the Prince of Peace

Introduction

My friend’s name is Yeshua.

That’s what his mother, father, brothers, sisters and friends called him.

Just like everyone else, he was born into a world that needed him.

Unlike most everyone else, he was related to a shepherd named David

who was chosen to be a king. Perhaps that explains why shepherds and

kings came to Yeshua’s out-of-the-ordinary birthplace –

a stable in Bethlehem, Judea.

The stars at the time were aligned in a particularly striking way.

His cradle was a manger cuddled with the fresh field-hay

shared with cows, sheep and goats.

Heaven and Nature sang.

As he grew, he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a good

carpenter. He is Jewish. He had a special understanding he was

devoted to sharing with everyone – from all faiths, and no faith – of how

we are to live on Earth, with love as the motivation for all our actions

and loving our neighbours as ourselves.

Somehow the religious and political leaders in his time felt

their authority and power was threatened by his simple,

beautiful message.

So when he was only thirty-three,

they sentenced him to death for his ‘radical teachings’.

On the night before he died,

he celebrated the sacred Passover supper with his friends.

At the supper, he gave them – and us – a way to remember him.

He gave thanks to our Creator for all the Life that had given them the food

they were about to eat, and all the Love that had given them the day they

had shared together. He then broke some bread into pieces, and gave

each of his friends a part, telling them that just as the grain in the bread

had given them the gift of its life to nourish their bodies,

so did he give them the gift of his life to nourish their souls.

He then poured a cup of wine and passed it around his table of friends

as a ‘loving cup’, asking them each to take a sip

and share it with the next person.

He told them it was the cup of Love, and Love was the lifeblood

of the new covenant with the Creator.

Then he asked them, as he asks all of us – to share what life has given us,

so we can nourish those who life brings to us.

At supper’s end he promised he would be with us always,

even unto the end of time.

As he had promised, on the day after he died,

Yeshua showed up in ‘the gardener’ to comfort his friend Mary

who was at his gravesite. She recognized her friend Yeshua in the

gardener, by his words and actions.

A few weeks later, he showed up in ‘a stranger’ who joined

two of Yeshua’s friends as they walked to Emmaus.

They invited the stranger to join them for supper.

At the table he broke bread into pieces for them

and offered them a loving cup of wine to share.

Immediately they recognized Yeshua in the actions of the stranger,

and knew Yeshua was still with them – just as he had promised.

Since then, Yeshua has been showing up everywhere in the world,

in every action of love for one another,

and in the selfless giving of the lilies of the field,

the mustard seed, the birds and the trees, the fish and the sea,

and all the Life sharing our Creator’s creation with us.

This is my friend Yeshua, who introduced himself to me through my

parents and family, through my friends and the ‘gardeners and strangers’

he has led to me, and led me to…

and through a rose, a swan, a painting, a book,

an owl, a set of six stars, and crows.

All these aspects of him and his love,

have captured my attention and then my heart,

and have increased my understanding and our friendship.

His friendship is ‘better than it gets’,

and he would like me to share a taste of how it’s been.

Please enjoy these entries from the diary we have kept for you.