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Show oe THE ZEPHYR/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2003 at once. I mean...I’m flattered that you’ve come to visit me. And yes, I agree. We have so much to talk about. First off, tell me...uh...how should | address you? King of Kings? Prince of Peace? Son of God?” “Just call me Jesus...and how should I address you?” “Well, Mr. President, of course. With this war comin’ up, maybe you should call me Commander-in-Chief!” Bush actually reached over and lightly slapped Jesus’ knee. He felt relaxed for the first time and he noticed his coiled body unwinding. This might just be okay, the President thought. This is just the kind of endorsement I need to shut these anti-war “Christians” up. “Yessir Jesus, I’m mighty happy to welcome you here to the Oval Office.” Jesus nodded compassionately. “I know you’re under a great deal of stress, Mr. President, but in fact, I’ve come here to talk to you about this war and about all wars, and about my message of Peace. I can’t be misrepresented.” “Well of course not, Jesus,” Bush said. “Nobody wants to misrepresent you. Why ever’body knows I’m a Christian. Have been for years. Why I pray to you ever’day for guidance and the strength to go out there and do what needs-to,be done to win the peace. Sometimes, of course, you gotta get a bit bloody in order to win that-peace. You understand that, don’t you?” Jesus sighed softly and stared abstractly for a moment at the thick pile carpet and the embroidered presidential seal. Then he looked up and said, “No, Mr. President. I don’t understand. That is why I’ve come here today.” Jesus stared at icily at Bush. "You will win no argument with me Mr. President, trying to sell the idea of war on economic grounds. You might recall my encounter with the money changers in the temple...1 have little or no tolerance for greed." The President shifted uneasily in his seat and glanced at Ashcroft, who continued to stand Are sentinel at the door to the Rose Garden. “I’m sorry Jesus...I don’t understand what you mean. you sayin’ you don’t support our efforts to rid the world of evil folks like Saddam Hussein? Jesus nodded, “WhatI am saying to you now is what I have always said. My message of 2000 years ago is the same. ‘Love your enemy.’ “Turn the other cheek.’ It’s really that simple.” “Now wait a minute there,” Bush replied. “You can’t possibly be sittin’ there tellin’ me that we should never fight back against...bad people. Why...what would the world be like if we did : something like that?” tried to live “You don’t know what the world would be like because no one on this planet has ever the rule here. by the simple ideas I offered to all of you. But there are no corollaries or exceptions to Mark, Luke No loopholes. I was quoted fairly accurately in what you call the Gospels of Matthew, Forgiveness and John. Repeatedly, over and over again, I tried to convey a message of Love and and...what else can I call it? Non-violence.” pants and pressed his of out wrinkles the smoothed chair, his of out came George W. Bush nervously paced the carpet. He paused at the fireplace, stared absently into the flames and rubbed his forehead. This was beginning to give him a headache. “What you're sayin,” the President finally replied, “Is that you're a...a pacifist?” “The word is derived from ‘peace.’ So yes, that would be fair.” Lord?’” “But what about ‘an eye for an eye’ and stuff like that? And ‘vengeance is mine, saith the good Bush argued. Theology was not his strong suit but he had always felt an eye-for-an-eye made Jesus sighed softly, “My entire purpose in coming to Earth was truly to renounce that kind of thinking. It’s in your Bible, Mr. President. I could not have been more clear. You could change the world if only you had the faith to believe in what I’ve told you. You really can move mountains if you just have the confidence to believe in me.” Bush returned to his chair. He began to have that impatient, bored look that he often displayed at press conferences when reporters kept asking difficult questions. “So...,” he sneered. “We just let the bad guys run over us and we let them rule the world...” “Tell me, Mr. President,” Jesus leaned forward in his seat. “Do you believe in Heaven?” “Well, of course I do.” “Do you believe that if you have been a good person and believed in me that you will live gloriously and happily for Eternity?” “Yes, 1 do!” Bush answered. “All us Christians believe that.” “Then why are you afraid to die?” Jesus asked. “Why would you be willing to kill others, supposedly in my name, so you can avoid eternal life with me?” The question played through George Bush’s mind like an old motor with thick crankcase oil, trying to turn over ona frigid winter morning. He tried to digest it, to understand it, and compose a reply. But he couldn't. “I don’t...understand the question,” he finally sputtered. “What Iam saying,” Jesus replied, showing just a hint of frustration, “is thatso many of you cling to physical life and seem so fearful of Death; yet at the same time, you proclaim your belief in me. It makes no sense to me, unless I accept the cold hard fact that you don’t really believe in me at all. When I said, ‘Whosoever believes in me shall have everlasting life,’ what does that mean to you?” “Well,” Bush thought a moment. “It means that if we believe you're the Son of God, we're going to Heaven?” He answered the question with a question like a student in class, unsure of his answer, might reply. “No,” said Jesus. “If you believe in me, you must believe what I say. It’s what I have said that matters. You cannot ignore the words I gave to you. In the months ahead, you will kill thousands of innocent people—children, helpless civilians who merely wanted to live their lives in peace. You cannot justify this killing in any way, Mr. President, and possibly think I would approve of it.” “What if we just killed Saddam Hussein and his family?” “NO!” Jesus exclaimed. “Do you remember the story of my arrest in the Garden of Gethsemanee? When Peter sliced off the ear of the man who came to arrest me? And I healed him? That was the point! You cannot selectively kill the people you think are evil without becoming the very thing you despise.” Bush glared at Jesus with unmistakable contempt. “Ijust don’t get you at all. Why the economic benefits alone make this war worth it. Look at the opportunities that a successful resolution of this Saddam Hussein thing will bring to the people. Think of all the wealth and products that will be available to Iraqis after this is over.” Jesus stared icily at Bush. “You will win no argument with me Mr. President, trying to sell the idea of war on economic grounds. You might recall my encounter with the money changers in the temple. I have little or no tolerance for greed. It is an evil and destructive force...perhaps the most catastrophic aspect of the human condition. Itis wrong and how you can claim to bea believer and then utter such...such painful rhetoric is beyond me.” The President shrugged. John Ashcroft had said nothing since this incredible encounter began but had listened intently from across the room. But finally he cleared his voice and said, “What about World War II?” Jesus turned on the sofa to see the Attorney General. Briefly, Bush looked confused by the question: “What's that John?” “World War IIL,” Ashcroft repeated himself. “Adolf Hitler. Benito Mussolini. The Holocaust. The closest we've ever come to global domination by Forces of Evil in the history of the world. Are you saying that we should have done nothing? Just let Hitler and his henchmen rule the world?” “YES! Of course!” Bush chanted. “What about that, Jesus? Surely you didn’t expect us to just let Hitler have his way.” Jesus rose from the sofa and moved across the Oval Office and turned so he could address both men. “Tell me Mr. President, do you believe people are basically good? Do you think that good will overcome evil eventually?” sense. They hit me? I hit ‘em back harder. Might makes Right. Zw Fpapele Humane Society of Moab} Valley e continued on next page... _O. Box peas 1188 : Moab, Utah 84532 435-259-HUMANE BECOME A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE MOAB VALLEY during our Ist Annual Membership Drive October 6 to 10 Help us give homeless pets a 2nd chance. Visit our table at City Market between 3 & 8pm daily, or call 259.4862 between 10am - 3pm Participate in our low-cost spay/neuter program: Oct 1-15 HOLIDAY CARDS available as singles or sets of 6 www.serenasupplee.com or 435.259.7630 = PAGE]13 UPCOMING ADOPTION DAYS: Oct 11: City Market, Nov 8: Family Drug Oct 25: Family Drug, Nov 22: City Market WE NEED FOSTER HOMES & VOLUNTEERS. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU CAN HELP. THANKS FOR MAKING IT PAWS-IBLE! Sponsored by Smiling Dog Promotions |