The Spirit That Moves Mountains

Mary Magdalene - Chapter 18

I spent the afternoon walking through the dusty and dilapidated town of Bethany. I was in contemplation willing myself to be in full communion with Mother. Meanwhile my friends on either side of me were chattering and laughing about the things that women often speak of; men.

Isaah was most comfortable with her husband but had been getting over her shyness with others and had really opened up with the women in our group. She still spoke low when we were out in public but the more she shared details about her relationship with Thomas, the louder and more jolly she became. She was laughing with Mariam and Joanna after explaining how weak I the knees Thomas became when she belly-danced.

The gleeful merriment ended instantly when a gang of men descended upon our party.

"So you are the whores that walk around Galilee as if the laws don't apply to you," Abraham barked at us leading the drooling pack of men behind him. He had his arms inside his stole mimicking the high priests and acting pious and mighty. The pack of men behind Abraham stopped instantly and kicked up clouds of angry dust swirls.

I remembered Abraham from my childhood and understood that at one point when we were growing up, he had a boyish crush on me. I took a conscious breath in and thought, you are my brother, you are spirit.

"Abraham, my brother, it is good to see you," I gently bowed my head and then looked up and stared into his eyes all the while thinking, you are spirit and loved by Mother.

He held my gaze briefly and then stared down to the ground, some of his bravado burst in the moment. One of the men poked Abraham in the back with his elbow. Abraham looked up again and puffed his chest out.

"We are law abiders and are here to let you know that you are not welcome in our town anymore. You work with blasphemers and break tradition and law." He stopped and looked amongst the four of us and brought his hands out. Each fist held a rock. "What's worse is that you flaunt your blasphemies and we are here to punish you for your crimes."

All of the dozen or so men withdrew their fists of rocks from the inner folds of their cloaks and stoles. Several of the men spit on the ground and poised their arms back ready to throw their heavy and sharp rocks.

I took a step toward Abraham and emptied my thoughts. I intended for spirit to guide me and looked up into Abraham's dark eyes. I could read his emotions and thoughts. There was so much pain in his heart from being neglected by his mother and also feeling scorned by me when I left Galilee and eventually married Jeshua. He truly felt that I was to be his in marriage someday.

"My brother," I said taking another step forward and getting within a breath of him.

Abraham flinched and took a step back stomping on the foot of the man behind him. The man yelled out and Abraham staggered to regain his own footing.

I used the distraction to move in quickly toward Abraham. I could feel Mariam try to grab the back of my robing, but I was too quick.

I reached out and touched Abraham on his chest. "My brother, don't you want to release this pain in your heart?" I imagined my energy rooted down into the earth and my hand rooted into Abraham's heart.

Abraham instinctively tried to swat my hand off his chest, but my hand would not move. Another man dropped his rocks, stepped in to grab my arm and push it back but still my arm would not leave Abraham's chest. I sent love and spirit into Abraham's mind asking if he wanted to be healed. I could tell at a higher level that he really did want to be healed.

Abraham's expression changed from furrowed brows to eyes wide open. "What are you...?" was all he could muster. His lower lip trembled.

His friend looked between us and yelled out, "What are you doing to him, sorceress?" He again tried to remove my hand from Abraham's chest, but the bond was too strong. He grunted and struggled and then gave up. The man turned to his friends with a stunned look on his face and they all took a step backwards.

"Abraham, God wants you to know you are loved more than you could ever imagine and that your mother really does love you, she just doesn't understand how to show you her love." I smiled softly and pushed my hand further onto his chest, feeling guidance from spirit.

Abraham's eyes continued to widen and then tears formed at each corner. "How do you know," he mumbled, barely audible to the rest of the group.

"Abraham, give me your pain. Let it go. God will it take it from you so you can finally know love." I closed my eyes and placed my other hand on his chest and allowed spirit to use me as a conduit to release his pain and send it out into the ethers and toward heaven so it could be healed.

I felt Abraham's body stiffen briefly, fighting the idea of letting go, and then his body finally softened. Then his shoulders began to shudder as tears leaped from his tightened eyes. He wept and his head fell on top of my shoulders.

"Shh, my brother. This is the love you have deserved your whole life. God, Mother loves you."

I could hear Abraham finally drop his rocks and he threw his arms around me. I heard the men in the background gasp and could feel the confusion move through the group like a breeze through a roomful of candles.

When Abraham's sobs slowed, I broke our embrace and looked him in the eye. "Abraham, you are healed and whole as God wants you to be. Will you join us for a walk, my brother?"

Abraham sniffed a few times, wiped his nose and eyes on his sleeves and let out a healing sigh. "I had no idea how much hate I was harboring for you, well for all women," he looked up sheepishly at my friends and then put his head down.

He let out another sigh and looked into my eyes, "You have healed my heart and changed my mind." He turned to the other men in the group and puffed his chest out again, "These are holy women and I will not allow any harm to come to them in my town." He pointed to the men still holding rocks, "Puts those down lest you feel the wrath of God through my fists."

I decided not to correct Abraham on his choice to threaten and simply maintained my smile. I could hear Isaah, Mariam and Joanna collectively let out the breathes they were holding.

I reached out and touched Abraham on the shoulder. "My brother, please join us. Let us speak of God and catch up." Abraham nodded his head. I looked to the other men, "The invitation is open to all of you good brothers as well." My smile broadened and I motioned for the others to join us.

The other men stood dumbfounded and looked to each other and back at Abraham. Abraham shrugged his shoulders and turned to join us.

"Where shall we go, my, umm, sisters?" Abraham ended with an awkward smile and looked between the four of us.

"Let us go where we can speak with God and not be interrupted." I hooked my arm through Abraham's and pulled him into the group.

Abraham blushed visibly and pushed his head down to hide his embarrassment. We walked off together enjoying the transformation, healing and unity. The other men stared at us and eventually began walking away trying to process what they had just experienced.