Life Beyond You or Me

Life Beyond You or Me1

Mountain Man- Today, I’m going to tell you a story. Well, I guess it’s more than a story. 2

Maybe a Testimony? Yes, that’s what we’ll call it. My Testimony.3

Well, I should start from the beginning, as it would make no sense to start from the end, or the middle.4

The first day of my life was exactly thirteen days ago. This was the day I decided to lose my name. Not lose in the sense that I misplaced it, but lose in the sense that I gave it up, you understand? A worldly name really doesn’t make sense, you know? Why give yourself a name, because you are so much more than that. So much more.5

I had already dreamed of living on my own for several years. I guess I was just afraid to. Solitude can be a scary thing, you know? Of course you know. You probably live in a family, or at least in a city. Now I’m talking total solitude. All by myself. And the funny thing is, I don’t even get lonely, but that doesn’t matter.6

See, I lived in a big house, by a big forest, next to a big road. I owned big cars and had some big ideas of my own. I had big influence, too. That was all okay for a time, power, but it did make me realize some things. But that part comes later, so forget I ever said it.7

My servants called me “Sir”. I liked that. Respect. Not something you find everywhere, you know? I was a foolish man, that’s for sure.8

Well, thirteen days ago, that was such an awful day. It’s rather hard to remember so far back, you know? But that’s a day I’ll never forget. What a glorious day… That day, I saw through people. I didn’t just look at them. But through them. I knew people. What I saw scared me. It may be unusual, to see a grown man running terrified. There was no threat, no surprise. Yet I was in utter terror. Greed. Malice. The intent in their eyes was so… so evil. Yet it was condoned by so many people. Too many people. So that was the moment I decided to run. I just left it all behind without a second thought.9

You know, I loved those people. I had family in them. I just couldn’t handle seeing them that way. I couldn’t do it. So I left, you understand? You must understand, don’t you? Well, you probably don’t… as you are still living as you were. We’re all hypocrites at some times in our lives. But until you see through people, you have no idea.10

Well, I ran. I ran and never stopped.11

That’s how I ended up here, you understand? Here’s a good place. I guess I don’t know exactly where I am. I’m glad I don’t, that would probably only disappoint me. But when I reached here, unusual things started to happen, you know. Not unusual in the sense of pigs flying, or cats grinning or dogs speaking English. But unusual in the sense that it gave me the feeling that this is were all realization happened. The start of it all, you know?12

It was a glorious place, and I was there for a day or two before anything really happened. But when it happened… it was wild. Truly wild. See, I met God. And I walked with him, and talked with him. We walked and talked through the lakes and streams, around enormous redwoods and over ancient bridges. God told me things.13

God was… interesting. To say the least. I could not, for the life of me, tell you what God looked like. Or sounded like. I’m not even sure how I knew it was him. I just knew. You know?14

God and I walked and talked for days. He told me how pleased he was with His creation. Humans, in particular. He loves us. A lot. Very, very proud of us. Which surprised me, what with all of the wars and murders and genocides and crusades, all in His name. He knows our intentions, and he’s not ashamed. He knows what humans are capable of, and the thought intrigues him.15

I was very proud. To be walking and talking with… Him! How many people can say that they’ve conversed with God, you know? Well He really knows what’s what, right? I think He likes all of the attention he gets. All of the prayers, the dedications. He was a lot like me, before I left people. I loved the attention. But I realized that life isn’t all about that, which is partially why I ran thirteen days ago.16

I asked God questions. And to most of which, He replied with just a soft smile. I suppose that was His way of saying that everything is going according to His plan, you understand?17

So many things were going through my head, you know? I guess they should be. After all, I am walking and talking with God, you know?18

We went on this way for several days. Just walking and talking. He taught me things. But I couldn’t help getting the feeling that he wasn’t telling me something, you know? Like he had this huge master-plan, but he didn’t want to tell me. That sort of bugged me. He is supposed to be this great, all-powerful guy, right? So in the end, I asked him.19

I asked Him what the big idea was. What wasn’t He telling me. But he wouldn’t say. I guess I shouldn’t blame Him. He is God, after all. And I’m just a person. But still, I was sort of put off by that.20

By now, it was the thirteenth day. Today, actually. God told me something. He said that everything that had happened to me, up until thirteen days ago, was his doing. He conceived me, he gave birth to me, he brought me up, he helped me grow, he made my decisions, and in the end, he was going to kill me. I had no choice in the matter, until thirteen days ago. When I ran. When I saw through people. When I knew.21

Now, here, God has no control over me. God can’t tell me what to do, can’t make my decisions for me, can’t conceive me, give birth to me, or kill me. Here, I’m on my own. He gave me a choice. He said that I could either go back to the way I was, embrace Him and people. Or I could stay here. I could stay in a world where I can make my own decisions and decide my own life.22

It was at this moment that I understood that God is just a little kid. Playing with his toys. And when one toy breaks, when one toy does something he doesn’t want. He tosses it aside. He breaks it. He abolishes it. He destroys it.23

In this moment of realization, I understood that God is a tyrant. God has the power and control over all people. Until they decide to run their own lives.24

In the end, he gave me a choice. He gave me life under Him, or life beyond you or me.25

I took life beyond you or me. Life isn’t real. Not when your every decision is made for you. Not when your birth and death are planned events in the book of Life, written by another.26

Today, I leave you with a choice: Be a slave in your own mind and body, or transcend the chains and words of mental slavery.27

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds."28