Christians

It was 4 a.m. on August 7, 2000. I was lying on a futon in a friend's house in the city of Kawasaki, Japan, suffering jet lag and finding it hard to sleep. Finally, I dozed off. That's when I had the dream. Some of this is what I saw; some is my reflection on what I saw. I dreamed I saw Jesus in downtown Toronto. He was looking at all the buildings with crosses and church signs. He pointed to one and asked, "What's this one?" "That's a Roman Catholic church," I said. "They have a pope named after your friend Peter." "And this one?" he asked. "That's Baptist," I replied. "They are famous for baptizing only adults, and they have great Sunday schools." "And this?" "That's Anglican. They don't preach very well, but they do a wonderful job of Communion." "How about this one?" he asked. "That's United Church. They are strong on social justice and human rights." "And what about this one here?" he asked. "That's Presbyterian," I said. "They have lots of elders, and they pride themselves on their preaching. They also think committees can solve everything." "And they are all Christian?" he asked. "Oh, yes," I said. "And there are lots of other kinds, too. Would you like to see them ?" "No thanks," he replied.

As he moved on down the street, I heard him whisper a prayer: "Father, I pray that they may all be one ... so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Next, I saw Jesus down at the corner of King and Bay streets. He watched as hundreds of people hurried in and out of huge office buildings. His attention was drawn to a man sitting on the sidewalk, half-asleep. A dirty hat in front of him contained a few coins. Jesus sat down on the pavement beside him and started talking to him. "Where do you live?" he asked. "Here, on the street," the man replied. "Why?" asked Jesus. "Because I have no home. I had an apartment, but they raised the rent and I could not afford it. Now, since I have no address, I can't get welfare, so I sit here and ask people for money." Jesus talked with him for awhile, then got up and touched the man's shoulder and wished him well. As he walked away, I heard him say: "I was hungry and you gave me no food ... I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me." Next thing I knew, we were standing on the steps of the provincial government buildings at Queen's Park. He was impressed with the beautiful architecture, and asked, "What do they do here?" "They make laws and spend tax money," I answered. "So," he said, "they will do something to help that man and his friends who live on the street."

"One would hope so," I replied. "But, today, they are lowering taxes, cutting back spending on welfare, housing and the environment, and approving a big, new building project on the waterfront." As we moved on, I heard Jesus muttering under his breath, "Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." The next thing I knew, it was night-time. And there was Jesus at a huge, all-night party. It was a rave in a big warehouse. The music was loud. Thousands of kids were dancing up a storm. Jesus joined a group on the floor. They thought his floor-length outfit was cool, and his moves were pretty good, too. During the break, he talked with them. "Why do you come here?" he asked. "This is where it's at, man," they said. "The action, the music, the fun, the friends." "But it's Sunday," Jesus said. "I suppose you go to one of those big churches uptown, right?" They looked at him as if he were from outer space. (How little they knew!) "You've got to be kidding! Why would we go to church? The music sucks, and some old guy gets up and talks on and on and on. Besides, I don't think we would be very welcome with our pierced eyelids, tattoos and funky clothes!" As Jesus said goodbye to them, he had a pained look on his face. I heard him say: "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them ... If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones.. it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea." Next, we were standing in a nursing home. In one bed, an old woman was curled up in a ball. Jesus went over, touched her forehead and said "Hello!" She looked up and smiled. They talked for awhile. He asked if she had many visitors. "You're the first one in months," she said. As he left, I heard Jesus whisper, "I was sick .. and you did not visit me." We went to a few other places. We stopped at a food bank where some mothers and children lined up for food. We walked through Rosedale where Jesus admired the beautiful houses and gardens and the imported cars in the driveways. He wondered what the rich people did with all their money. Then we stopped by the beach at Bluffer's Park. He was interested in the sign that warned "No swimming. Water is polluted." "When we created the heavens and the earth," Jesus said, "I thought we told you to take good care of our creation." Finally, he stopped. I asked him if he wanted to see anything else.'No,'he said."I think I'll go now." "Go!" I exclaimed. "Won't you stay and help us straighten out this mess?" He looked at me and said:'You have my word, you have my story, you have my body and my blood. What more do you need?' And he left