I was doing
some reflecting recently and found myself once again going to the messages from
Judas which were received by Hans Radix in 2002. One of my favourites is the message on Faith, Knowledge, Understanding and Trust -
January 30th 2002. In
this message Hans quotes a poem from Kahlil
Gibran – How I became a Madman. As I
reflected upon the words in this poem I began to see many parallels with
walking the Way to God. Here are my reflections on this great work.
First – The Complete Poem.
HOW
I BECAME A MADMAN
You ask me how I became a madman. It happened thus:
One day, long before many gods were born, I woke from a deep sleep and found
all my masks were stolen,-the seven masks I have fashioned an worn in seven
lives,-I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting, “Thieves, thieves,
the cursed thieves.”
Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their
houses in fear of me.
And when I reached the market place, a youth
standing on a house-top cried, “He is a madman.” I looked up to behold him; the
sun kissed my own naked face for the first time. For the first time the sun
kissed my own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for the sun, and I
wanted my masks no more. And as if in a trance I cried, “Blessed, blessed are
the thieves who stole my masks.”
Thus I became a madman.
And I have found both freedom of loneliness and the
safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in
us.
But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a
Thief in a jail is safe from another thief.
………………
How it fits with Walking the Way to God – my interpretations.
You ask me how I became a madman (how I came to look at the world differently and how I began to be
seen as ‘mad’ by those with a mind closed to truth). It happened thus: One
day, long before many gods were born (before the world placed many interpretations upon God) I woke from a deep sleep (from a life that I was living unconsciously) and found that all of my masks were
stolen ( my masks are the façades that I had created in order to cover over my injured self),
- the seven masks that I had fashioned and worn in seven lives (the different ways I present myself to the world according to who I am
with and what side of me I want to present – partner, children, family, friends,
work colleagues, church or religious associates, strangers) – I ran
maskless through the crowded streets (revealing my real self for the
first time to everyone around me) shouting “thieves, thieves, the
cursed thieves” (afraid and exposed I want to blame others
for the flaws which are now revealed for all to see).
Men and women laughed at me and some ran into their
houses in fear of me (they could not understand how someone could
be so exposed and allow themselves to be seen as they truly are. They laughed at what they themselves are
afraid of in order to cover their fear, and hid more carefully behind their façade
masks).
And when I reached the market place, a youth
standing on a house top cried, “He is a Madman” (people don’t
want to be confronted by error and imperfection and generally consider those
brave enough to begin to ‘tear away their masks’ to be mad. They don’t understand courage and prefer the
safety of the herd mentality where it is easy to remain hidden amongst those
who are the same as they are).
I looked up to behold him; and the sun kissed my naked face for the first time (it is only when I am willing to drop my façade and expose the
nakedness of my soul, with all of its blemishes and imperfections, that the
love of God can kiss my soul). For the first time the sun kissed my
own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for the sun and I wanted my
masks no more (the Love of God is so powerful, so magical,
that when I dare to drop the façade and expose all of my flaws and open up my
soul to God’s Love and Grace; only then, can I not imagine a life without God’s
Love. It is like a drug and I constantly
seek to have more of it – this healing Love that helps me to see and know the
real me). And as if in a trance I cried, “Blessed,
blessed are the thieves who stole my masks” (because now I
realize that it is my masks, my façade that prevents me from knowing God and
feeling Her Love embrace my bare soul).
Thus I became a madman (no longer a part of
the herd mentality but willing to learn to be my real, authentic, unique self –
the self that God created).
And I have found both freedom and safety in my
madness (the freedom to be myself and safety in God’s loving
embrace); the freedom of the loneliness (happy and
content to be by myself with God)
and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something
in us (understanding implies that from this point onwards I
will remain the same; but my goal is to continually expand and grow, to change
and discover new aspects of myself and God’s universe. I don’t want to be
understood so much as to be known for who I truly am and I want to know you too).
But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in jail is safe from another
thief (pride is the opposite of humility and humility is what
is needed if I am to walk maskless in this world. I want to get to that point
in my progression towards Love and Truth where, like Judas, I can say “now for
me it is no longer a question of believing or not believing, now I simply know.
I have felt the sunbeams of God’s Love on the naked skin of my soul.”(page 137)).
…………………
So now the questions I must continually ask myself
is “Why do I still cling so tightly to my masks as if I am guarding them with
my very life? What is preventing me from
completely stripping off my masks and allowing God’s Love to kiss the nakedness
of my bare soul, to hold it (me) firmly in Her Loving Embrace? How can I
overcome the barriers that prevent me from stepping into full Humility, Love
and Truth?
Please God, show me the Way Home.
(If
you would like a copy of the full message referred to above or a complete copy
of the Judas Messages please email me and I will forward it to you – munjolin@bigpond.com)
