SHOWA KING! Sending me, joyfully laughing.
Walking up my street this evening from the bus stop, I looked up and was met with the lovely sight of the doming night sky. Stars scattered across in three dimensions as I listened to Kim Walker sing her heart out, and forgot about pretty much anything else. I quickened my pace as I neared my house, in anticipation of something that I thought would happen: it was the anticipation of meeting with Father God.
I got home, then I put all my stuff down and went to go shower. In the middle of the nightly ritual cleansing, I found myself talking to the King. It went something like this:
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[JESUS dons a European-esque kind of robe, and an ornate, plastic crown. SEAN-JOSEPH approaches, in his mind’s eye, and prostrates himself on one knee, in front of his Lord’s dais. JESUS nods his head, in acknowledgment of his humble subject, with a playful twinkle in his eye, and as vassal and master make eye contact, they also acknowledge their exaggerated role play of King and subject.]
SEAN-JOSEPH: My Lord! (bowing).
JESUS: Arise, Sean-Joseph.
SEAN-JOSEPH: What would thou have-eth me do-eth, lord?
[They both chuckle at the fact this is happening in a shower.]
JESUS: (puffing his chest) It would bring me great pleasure if thou wouldst go over yonder!
[As JESUS points behind SEAN-JOSEPH, the author elaborately embellishes the divine dialogue by claiming that a whole world is created at the pointing, including a medieval castle, a moat, and a rolling English countryside. The author is reminded of playing with his toy knights and castle, and Legos, and the lifelong fascination with all things remotely Anglo-Saxon, especially accents.]
SEAN-JOSEPH: Whither art thou sending me, my King?
JESUS: To thither Forbidding Forest!
SEAN-JOSEPH: Surely not the cheap rip-off of the Hogwarts’ Forbidden Forest?
JESUS: That very one!
SEAN-JOSEPH: Where and for what purpose to this forest do I go, Lord?
JESUS: (now slowly, more serious) The place where the children are. The children without parents.
SEAN-JOSEPH (thinking as he responds): My Lord, where are the parents?
JESUS: They’ve gone away. Go to the children!
SEAN-JOSEPH: O Sovereign of mine, you know that I escaped at much risk from that area. Why should you send me back?
JESUS: Bring back the children!
FIN
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So now, reality hits and I feel like going into mentoring in youth ministry. Leaving the castle, past the moat, over the bridge into the fields, past the pleasant glades, into the wild, winding forest.
I learned to laugh more. I don’t need everything I say or do or think to be that profound…or I’ll end up forcing stuff out. More natural to me is silliness…more natural to me is the divine joy I am marked with as a child of our Jolly King.