Tall and of red beard and hair, and of noble bearing;
Yet there was much more than this which set Him apart from all others.
wherein sat two fishermen mending their nets.
And He called to them saying, “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
And straightway they laid down their nets and followed.
men to follow this unknown stranger?
Perhaps the answer to this was in the hearts of these two men.
Perhaps it was an inward knowing that superseded any material
desires or instincts to remain with the known things of their life.
were vindicated in this apparent madness
And they saw many miracles wrought and great Truths spoken.
And many fell by the wayside, for they could not meet the one simple
requirement which must be fully met with – to give freely of themselves.
one among these few who would soon sell himself
and the others for thirty pieces of silver.
And for this in his great sorrow he would hang himself on the thorn tree.
that always men must turn upon those who love them the most?
How often it is that those Great Souls from the Higher planes
have asked Themselves this same question.
Yet surely They must know the answer – for indeed it is,
Theirs’ is a never-ending quest
And in this quest, finding one and then another who has goodness and virtue
And can give freely of himself – for there in this mystery lies an answer
Sought by all yet found by so few, yes, even after thousands of years
of turmoil and strife among themselves and with their selves
They come not upon the answer; and their cries of despair
are heard in the higher places.
of Light to lead these few from out their darkness
For in the Infinite Mind all things have been conceived,
And in this conception the fruit of Wisdom
is always borne from out the womb of time
Wherein all men suffer until the day of their delivery.
who brings it forth into the darkened regions of these earthly worlds.
Yet greater even it is to hold this same Light; even tho those He
came to help would set upon Him like ravening beasts
For as each man is born, truly it is that he
liveth not until he liveth for all men.
by Ernest L. Norman
Excerpt from The Anthenium