our father wishes this. He told me that the task in Ephesus was very important.” As usual Jesus spoke with great clarity.
“Jesus, I am very happy. Then we can go to the theater together.” Joshua was delighted beyond belief.
“Yes, Joshua.” Jesus refrained from telling Joshua that it would be over two decades till that time arrived. Perhaps Joshua would have forgotten about him by then, for he was not going to have an easy life in that city. He had witnessed this during his vision in the theater, which he naturally had not told Joshua or the others, and did not wish too, either. He suddenly felt very tired and asked Joshua to leave. They would see each other again tomorrow.
The last couple of days have been the worst in my life. Father, I ask you from the depths of my soul: Will I be crucified? Will I have to undergo all that pain? If yes, do I really have to take on this mission? I can already sense your answer, while I am writing these words. Why can't I just lead a normal life like everybody else?
Father, please help me and think it over again. I can't write anymore today since I am feeling too weak today.
Over Mount Tabor
The Santinian Tai Shiin stood above Mt. Tabor with his spaceship as always and observed what was going on in Nazareth via his numerous screens, especially the activity of Jesus and Joshua. Tai Shiin was glad that the last couple of weeks following the theater visit had gone by in greatest joy and harmony. Joshua, Jesus und Rachel spent a lot of time with each other again. Jesus taught Joshua how to play the flute and Rachel enjoyed being together with both of them.
Tai Shiin could still recall the evening at the theater well. Unfortunately it had not been possible to avoid that visit to the theater. Jesus had to endure that pain for the good of his soul development. The intensity of those feelings would diminish in time, but Jesus had to be made aware of the significance of his mission repeatedly while he was still young. The hierarchy of the heavens had ordained it so. However since he, Tai Shiin, did not possess as dense a material body as people on earth, he felt Jesus' pain nearly as strongly as Jesus himself. Silence had enveloped the spaceship while Jesus was witnessing the performance in the theater, for all of the crew members of the great holy lineage of the Santinians were aware of what he was going through and felt empathy for him.
Tai Shiin was just about to cast an eye on Samuel, who was on his way home and had just found shelter for the night in an inn in Samaria. A few more days of respite for Joshua, then the farewell from Jesus would be imminent.
As he was thinking about Joshua, Ashtar Sheran entered the commando room. Ashtar Sheran was the commander over the entire space fleet of the Santinians and also the respected spiritual leader of their mission to watch over and protect Jesus while he dwelt on planet earth.
“How is the situation? Is everything going according to plan?”, he asked.
“Yes, everything is proceeding with the greatest peacefulness and harmony. The quiet period will be over soon for Joshua. His father is already returning.”
“Yes, I know, Tai. It will be difficult for him, however the time in Ephesus will also become very important for his soul. A city with many impressions. However there are also many abysses in that city, and therein lies a great danger for him. It would be all too easy for him to depart from his original and truest path, forgetting all about Jesus and his words.”
“How true, Ashtar. The farewell from Jesus will break his heart. Hopefully he will recover from that shock well.”
“Alas, the earth simply isn't a paradise like Metharia or our space station.”
Tai Shiin smiled. Ashtar was right about that. Even this space station had paradisiacal qualities, one could even say it was like another Metharia. The Santinians had evolved to a point where they were able to manifest their environment into whatever form they required, just from the energy of the cosmos around them. A spaceship sucked cosmic energy and free atoms into itself and projected them into whatever new arrangements were required for the material elements of their life in the cosmos.
And the new generation of spaceships and space stations looked quite different then those that were in use 5.000 years ago. In those days technology was still predominant. But in the meantime the Santinians had reached the conclusion that the best kind of technology was the kind that was hardly recognizable as such anymore but rather showed the natural environment as God would have created it. And God would most certainly have created a space station for space farers that allowed for all kinds of enjoyments considering they were stationed so far away from their home. Hence the interior of the space station resembled the green parks found on Metharia. The most beautiful trees and flowers grew in the space station, even birds and butterflies were present to brighten the atmosphere and reduce the feelings of homesickness among the space farers. The vital elements air and water were created via the use of atoms from space. Everything was just like home, it was in fact an independent miniature planet. Only the commando room and the rooms of the medical facilities still had a somewhat technical appearance. naturally everything had to be as sterile as possible when dealing with health issues, and even Santinians had to undergo routine medical checkups. And the entire spaceship was controlled from one commando room, where the most important developments on earth were tracked. Communicating with a bird or a declaration of love to a flower which shared its sweet fragrance would have been too great a distraction and would have disrupted the high level of concentration required there.
Tai Shiin observed Ashtar Sheran, who had meanwhile settled down in the seat of the commander. The seat was raised, not in order to enhance the exceptional position of the current commander, but rather in order to lend him a greater overview of whatever was going on in the commando station. Nearly twenty Santinians were employed in the commando station.
Ashtar Sheran was the absolute leading personality of all Santinians. He was also their saviour, for he had saved the Santinians a long time ago in a similar way as Jesus was planning on doing for the inhabitants of earth. Ashtar Sheran was a world teacher the likes of which had become very rare indeed. He radiated something that caused every Santinians to feel joyous as well as concentrated and at ease, as well as feeling great respect for his soul. Tai Shiin enjoyed one obvious benefit in this regard: in this lifetime he was the son of Ashtar Sheran and thus could utilize a rather familiar relationship to him.
The door opened once more and Setun Shenar entered. “You deserve to take a break now, Tai. I will take care of things here for the next eight hours.” Setun Shenar was the oldest Santinian on board and everyone felt a sense of fatherly comfort in his presence.
“O, is it already time? Time seems to go by so quickly when I have to deal with earthly affairs.” Tai Shiin smiled and utilizing telepathy reset all screens to their basic setting, as was standard procedure when control of the commando station was handed over to another space farer transfer.
“Ashtar, let us visit our wives and play Cyran with them.” Tai Shiin bade Setun Shenar farewell and looked forward to the social game, in which the main goal was to induce as much joy as possible in the other players. Laughing together and enjoying oneself was the purpose of the funny holographic game. Even the Santinians needed some time off now and then to recuperate from the demanding mission they had taken on.
Arrival and Departure
Late in the afternoon, shortly before the Sabbath began, Samuel finally arrived in Nazareth again. He and his donkey were spotted from afar by the children, who quickly spread the news throughout the village. The women, who were just gathered at the well and talking amongst themselves, also saw him coming from afar.
“Your husband is approaching, Sarah“, she was informed by Elischeba, the wife of the potter Jacob.
“Samuel is already back?” Sarah turned around in disbelief. Now she too saw her man appear on the top of a small hill close to Nain and ride down the curvy path in a trot. It would still take him a little while to reach the well. Sadness mingled with the joy which she had been allowed to experience the last few weeks. After all life without