Orthodixie

[Meditations are intended to be read sequentially, from 1 to 33.]

On the Way …

The blood doesn’t stain us. In fact, it seems to wash us. The fruits from the Garden are washed away by the Fruit of the Hill. The tree that we bear is our defense against the enemy, the evil one. We used to think him beautiful.

We now know … better.

Knowledge. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Much of the experience of the Garden is knowledge. Where did it get us? Deeper into the Wilderness, farther from the Light, in the opposite direction of the Hill.

“Satan,” they call him. He is very beautiful. Very sincere. Very attractive.

Very disguised.

And the fruits? They’ve been there always … in the Garden. The Tree, however, is not that of Life. For, the Life-giving Tree is on the Hill. The Tree in the Garden is the same one that tempted Adam & Eve. The same Tree tempts us all. For the Tempter can always be found thereon.

They are not actually “fruits” at all … but, seeds.

Seeds of evil.

When planted within us, we bear fruit. We, too, are trees.

[Meditations are intended to be read sequentially, from 1 to 33.]

On the Way …

A new path. The Wilderness reversed? The Garden is now to our right, the Hill to our left. We have turned around. We are following.

He did live. He did die. He now lives. We follow him … out of the Wilderness.

We can go back to the Garden anytime.

We might be found under the Tree on the Hill from time to time.

He has warned us that the Garden leads to death. The beautiful creature is Evil Incarnate and a liar.

The Hill, though resembling death, leads to Life.

As we follow him, we are not alone. Others have gone on before.

Something is holding our hand. Or … are we holding it?

A cross. It is a cross. Although comforting, it is never familiar.

(The cross is never familiar.)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

O Lord God of hosts, O God of our salvation, O God who alone workest wonders: Do Thou look down with mercy and compassion upon Thy humble servants and, out of love for mankind, hearken and have mercy on us. Look with mercy, we pray Thee, O Lord, upon those of our sons and daughters who now serve in our Armed Forces and who in obedience to their superiors have, for our sakes, placed themselves in harm’s way. Grant that those who request the protection of Thy right hand may be overpowered by no adverse force. And may the invited defense of Thy mighty power shield Thy faithful sons and daughters. Watch over them, O Lord, and bring them back safe to those who love them. Grant courage and steadfast faith to them and to those who long for their return. Bring a quick and bloodless end to these conflicts, and spare the lives of the innocents. Grant no increase to the numbers of widows and orphans, and relieve the privations of the bereaved and wounded, whether wounded in body or in soul. Restore peace in our day, O Lord, that Thy truth may go forth unhindered; for Thou, O Lord, art the Prince of peace and art ever glorified with the Father and the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Remember, O Lord, Thy servants: (names of those in service)

[Meditations are intended to be read sequentially, from 1 to 33.]

In the Garden …

We’re here only for a brief stay — just till we can clear our head and move on.

In the Garden, things make sense. In the Garden, all is rational, relative. We know that the dead don’t live. We are smarter than that. Sure, we seek the truth. But truth must make sense! Truth should not — does not — contradict knowledge. Rational.

The fruit is particularly tasty today. The color is a deep dark red. In fact, the fruit of the Tree looks like blood.

For a moment, our minds reel back to the Hill. We see OUR fruit in the palm of HIS hands. Nails!

We see him. We are no longer in the Garden.

[Meditations are intended to be read sequentially, from 1 to 33.]

In the Wilderness …

Once again, we’re uncertain of our location. We were on the Hill, preparing to enter the Cave, when all of a sudden our surroundings became hazy — clouded judgment?

A voice behind us says “Turn back! You are lost!”

Ahead we hear, “Come.”

“He died. He never lived ….”

The familiar thoughts, doubts. We see a man dressed in white. He is very beautiful. “Whom do you seek?” asks he.

“The man. The man on the Tree …..”

“He died. He died. He died. He died. Dead.”

As if he, too, could hear our legion of doubts, he replies, “Why do you seek the dead among the living? He is not here. He lives.”

No.