The Sermon in the Park
2.
For most people are at work or in schools at this time, which is exactly how I have wanted
things to be, exactly what I have planned for.
3.
I don’t want to start things off with a bang you see. Well, at least not with a very
public one.
4.
I proceed to roam around the park myself for a while, until I notice that the young
couple, who have inadvertently become my first disciples, have gotten somewhat bored and
are getting quite ready to abandon me anytime now.
Oh, ye of
little faith.
5.
At this moment, I choose to head towards the
central fountain of the park, jump on its edge and turn to face the crowd that immediately
begins to gather around me, expecting something
different, I guess, something amusing that would break the monotony of the day, a Saturday
of all days, a Saturday. Well, I shall not disappoint.
6.
“Gather,” I say. “All of you, gather around me and pay heed to what I have to say. For
my words shall change your life, and it is not often in life that words can have this
effect.”
7.
I say this then I stop and wait. When more people have gathered around me, drawn by the
sheer animal magnetism I am continuously, and
wholly inspite of me, exuding… I continue.
8.
“My words are not necessarily those of wisdom, but those
of a wizened man, wizened by the haunting
experiences of a short yet rich life.
9.
“My words shall ring true in your ears, for they come
straight from the heart, and which words can ring truer than such words?”
10.
And after another short interval of golden silence and diamond expectations, I continue
with my sermon. For as I have said, I am not
here to disappoint, rather… (The Noble Friend declares Himself a messiah)
11.
“I am here to be rejected by the multitude and embraced by
the few, as it is indeed my due as your brand new messiah.
12.
“I am here to please
some and anger many; I am here to cause souls to quicken and minds to
shudder; I am here to inspire love and hate, rage and sympathy, cruelty and forgiveness; I
am here to build and to destroy.
13.
“But above all, above all, my friends, I am here to annoy.
And there is nothing more annoying than the simple telling of long forgotten truths. (The Noble Friend declares the irrelevancy of God)
14.
“Shall we
start by a simple discussion of the existence of God? But what is there to be discussed,
my friends? What is there to be gained from such a futile discussion? When in history has
such a discussion ever proved fruitful to
humanity? When did it ever bring a greater understanding of the universe? Of ourselves?
Has it ever brought peace into our lives? Has faith in God, or the gods, ever brought
peace to humanity?
15.
“I tell you this my friends. I am not here to speak about
God or the gods, I cannot tell you what to believe or not to believe in this regard. I
don’t think it matters really. No, I don’t think it matters. What really
matters, and history has continuously showed it for anyone willing to see, is this:
16.
“when humanity fails to care for herself, when she does
not show any compassion to herself, she suffers, she pays the price, and the price is
high; and while her suffering is clear and visible to anyone willing to see, there is no
tangible evidence that there is anyone out there who cares or is willing to help when she
really needs help.
17.
“We are alone in this world, my friends, alone for all
practical purposes. So if we don’t care
for ourselves, for our common well-being, there is no reason for us to believe that there is someone out there who will. Such belief
might prove psychologically useful to those of use who are desperate, but it is
practically useless.
18.
“There might indeed exist a god out there, but what really
matters is the god that exists in here, in our hearts, minds and souls, in ourselves - our
conscience, my friends, yes, our conscience,
if it is indeed still alive and conscious. That is what matters. That is what really
matters.
19.
“This god that is inside is a fully human god, a naturally
fallible god, but it is the best god we can ever have. Can you understand this? Will you
at least begin to understand?
20.
“If this god is not enough, then no god can ever be
enough. If this god is silenced, then the words of all other gods can be nothing more than
jargon. If this god is shoved aside, then all other gods turn to demons.
21.
“And what does this god, what does your conscience tell
you regarding the treatment of your fellow human being? Well, we
have all heard of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you will have them do unto you. (The Diamond Rule)
22.
“Now, I remind you of the Diamond Rule: right and wrong can never be
equal, proceed with the doing of what is better, then behold him, between whom and
yourself there is an enmity, as he becomes a good friend.[1]
23.
“In other words, the true measure of your goodness depends, most of
all, on how you choose to treat your fellow human being.
24.
“That is it. My words are clear. I shall not use parables. I want you
to understand me, I want you to understand the implication of every word I say. I
do not need to hide my real message in symbols.
25.
“No, I don’t. For, you see, I do not fear your reaction. I know
what your reaction will be, still I do not fear you reaction. I am beyond fear now. I am
finally beyond all fear, though I remain completely and utterly human. (The Noble Friend insists on His “full” humanness)
26.
“And if you want to know more about the implication of my full and
utter humanness, among other things, follow me. Simply, kindly, follow me.”
27.
I
say these last words of my short sermon as I stand on the edge of the fountain and gaze
into the onlookers’ eyes. I know, I can tell, I really can, that many of them
have been much more amused than enlightened by what I had to say.
28.
Still…still,
I notice some looks of intrigue and revived interest in certain eyes, and that suffices
for me, that really does. I know I have gained some followers. (The first “official” disciples)
29.
So
now, as I leave the park on my way to some other hapless part of the city, I am followed
by: the young couple, still rather bewildered by the whole scene yet also more drawn to me
than ever; a Baccalaureate student who is obviously skipping class today and is obviously
quite enchanted by what he has heard, not to mention my naturally theatrical mannerisms; a foreign diplomat who lives in the
area and whom I have seen before, from a distance, (bear in mind in this regard, that I am
not a messiah for the Syrians only, I just happened to be a Syrian messiah, just another
Syrian messiah); and, finally, one of the guards who works in the park who, frankly, looks
much more urged by anger than any other emotion to follow me. 30. Against whom will he direct his anger, or rather, in the interest of whom? I wonder. I really do wonder. When it comes to anger, all sane people should wonder.
[1] The Qur’an (41: 34).
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lust for salvation, Brother, as though it were a woman, and I - a man.
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