By Bryan Hebert
My day began with sadness as I mourned the loss of a relationship, but in a sudden mystical moment I began to be uplifted. You could call it a holy encounter with Christ. It happened when I was driving. The traffic light had turned red, and my absolute favorite spiritual song came on Spotify. And there I was happily singing along to “I’ve Just Seen Jesus” by Sandy Patty and Larnelle Harris. They recorded it in the 1980’s, so it was an old song, but I always loved it.
I found myself daydreaming, looking out the passenger front window of my car. Right in the middle, when the lyrics “I’ve just seen Jesus” came up, a homeless man, hot, sweaty, dirty, carrying a plastic bag, and looking very hopeless, walked into my line of sight. In this moment I realized I was not looking at a sad homeless man. With the song about Jesus playing, I got it! I was looking at and I did just see Jesus. Time and space seemed to stop and fall away for a moment which felt like eternity, and I saw the Christ. I was looking at the truth of all Truths in this simple homeless man. I was instantly filled with gratitude for what I was seeing. My eyes filled with tears. I was looking at Jesus.
The light turned green, and I drove forward. I could not help thinking about this spectacular man and what kind of a society allows him and so many others to be poor and hungry. There is more than enough food and money on this planet to end world hunger and world poverty if we choose to do so. Yet we mostly do nothing because it will not turn a profit. As I drove away, despite the sadness this day had brought, I was grateful for this holy moment in my car. I had seen through this veil and this dream of life and into eternity.
From the Bible comforting words come into my mind from Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me.’ ”
And there is more reassurance from A Course in Miracles. “My resurrection comes again each time I lead a brother safely to a place at which the journey ends and is forgot. I am renewed each time a brother learns there is a way from misery and pain. I am reborn each time a brother’s mind turns to the light in him and looks for me. I have forgotten no one. Help me now to lead you back to where your journey was begun, and make another choice with me.” [CE W-Re.5.In.7]
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Vision will come to you at first in glimpses, but they will be enough to show you what is given you who see your brother sinless. [CE T-20.VII.9:8]
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