The Heart of Paradise: A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a boy who was born by a river. His world was small and the river was life. It's muddy banks, swirling waters, and raucous roar marked his daily existence. But his imagination, which was great, always dreamed of the course beyond the bend, and though he never ventured onto the river, he often waded downstream until his feet no longer touched bottom.

But the river wasn't his only source of happiness. Across it, high atop a strong beautiful mountain, stood a white tower that ascended into the clouds. Emerald ivy grew along its contours and a wall protected it from outsiders. The boy sometimes went there and played in the garden within the wall. He told others of his discovery, but though he had always found the door in the wall open, they would call him a liar with a look. The door was always locked to them.

A Bit Of Humor

Some time ago, I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine who was discovering the martial art of Aikido. Aikido, as some of you may know, is a martial art that uses the force of the opponent against himself. My friend explained to me that the Atonement might be seen in the light of Aikido. Jesus, he pointed out, used the power of Death against itself in order to defeat it. Aikido, in a sense, was like "Jesus Karate", the way of the perfect Master.

Going home that night, the phrase "Jesus Karate" kept stirring in my small brain, and as it stirred, flashes of insight enlightened my feeble mind. A script, as it were, appeared in letters of flaming gold, and I quickly transcribed the vision I had seen pass in front of me. This is what I recorded: