"The time of Jesus?" He questioned.

"Yes, the time of Jesus." I answered.

"Ok. To which time of Jesus would you like to return? There are many 'times' of Jesus," he said. And he continued saying, "There's the birth of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the Last Supper, the Resurrection of Jesus … to which time would you like to go?" He looked at me rather quizzically −−− as if he didn't expect an answer right away.

"I would like to be a disciple of Jesus," I answered quickly. "To follow Him to Jerusalem, to watch Him teach, to walk beside Him on that fateful day, to see His return, to share His message. I would like to be there." And I smiled as I thought how cool it would be to walk and talk and eat with Jesus. Jesus as a man. Jesus in the flesh. I had given this a great deal of thought. And I was very excited.

"Ok. Which disciple would you like to be? In whose shoes would you like to walk?"

"Sandals − I believe. My own. I would like to go back to the time of Jesus as me. I intend to learn from this experience and the only way I can do that is if I am the one who goes." I said this in such a way that there would be no further discussion. I had made my decision and it was my decision to make. And I could see that I had made my point.

"I am a man of science versus a man of faith."

He said this as if he was delivering a bit of critical information. He had developed a method to travel through time and space after years of experimentation − of course he was a man of science − he was a world-renowned scientist. "And since I am a man of science rather than faith, I'm not quite sure how this is going to work. I am certain that I can send you to the time of Jesus as yourself; however dressed appropriately for the time. But I am not certain how you will be a disciple recognized by Jesus and the other disciples since the Bible is well documented and YOU were not there."

I had given this some thought but not as much thought as I had given to the need to be myself when I met with Jesus. And so I said, "I guess we're about to see." And I instinctively knew that Jesus would know exactly who I am because he would recognize me as one whom he had created.

"How long would you like to stay? he asked busily scribbling notes down on a yellow pad.

"Through the ordinary time." I said. And I said this having absolutely no idea how long that would be.

"Are you ready?" he suddenly looked up and was staring at me with that odd little smile of his.

"I'm ready. I've been ready for awhile now." Actually I was a little afraid but there was no time for fear, this was about to happen. And it was going to happen now.

***

"Come. Come. It is time to prepare the meal." A strange woman was shaking me and speaking to me in a language I had never heard before yet clearly understood. No time to survey my surroundings but aware that I was indeed in different surroundings, I got up from the straw cot where I had been laying. My eyes were beginning to get used to the darkness of the cave when the woman shoved a wooden pail into my arms and pushed me out of the cave into the daylight.

"You've been asleep for a very long time," she said as she directed me toward the stream running in back of the cave. There was no question as to what she intended for me to do.

Wiping the sleep out of my eyes as I walked along to the water, I looked around at the countryside. It is absolutely beautiful here. The land is green and the trees are filled with fruit. Fig trees, olive trees and a red fruit that I don't recognize. And it's an eerie kind of quiet. It's not really quest so much as it's peaceful. It's calm without the intensity of a busy chaotic day ahead. I can hear the streams and feel the force of the sun in a way that I've never felt before. Birds are singing too. Not that chirping at dawn waking you up way too early on Saturday mornings − but singing − in harmony like a symphony. At that instant I knew, with the sun and the peace enveloping me, that I had prepared my whole life for this instant. For the chance to experience this moment in time. It was then − right then, that I saw Him.

I was mesmerized − totally and completely drenched with emotion that I had yet to feel. And I had been captivated before − front row center at a Michael Jackson concert to be exact. And I had been overtaken with excitement in the midst of a crowd − in a superdome arena at a national convention. But I had never been frozen in place, unable to speak, unable to move and yet not wanting to look away. He was the most amazing man I had ever seen. His presence was blinding. Looking at Him was as if I was looking directly into the sun − a circle of light encased Him.

He smiled. He smiled at me an incredible feeling of warmth and peace overcame my body, flowing through my veins to my heart, heating my very soul. It was akin to the feeling that I get immediately after swallowing the wine at the Eucharist. I used to think it was the wine going to my head at sunrise mass on an empty stomach. Now I know that it's so much more.

He motioned for me to come to Him. And after a few seconds of looking around and seeing no one, I knew that He was indeed motioning to me. I was still holding the wooden pail in both arms, guarding my chest, when I walked over to Him.

"Good morning," He said as if he wasn't Jesus. I'm not sure what I expected Him to say or how I expected Him to sound but somehow this was quite ordinary.

"Good morning …" not sure whether or not I should call Him Jesus, I just left it at "good morning." It was important that I sound smart − worthy of being a disciple. Smart? − no it's important that I sound like I have a loving, kind, gentle, obedient spirit. Actually it's important that I listen because if history proves right, He'll have something to teach me. There will be a lesson to be learned. And I will have to listen very carefully too because He's not always direct when delivering his messages. After all, I have come back to His time.

"Come my child. Come and talk with me." He took my pail as we walked toward the stream. He sat down on a rock on top of a little hill far from the water. I sat below Him − literally at His feet and looked up as He spoke to me.

"Do you know why I have chosen you to be my disciple?" He asked.

"No Lord." And I knew then what I should call Him, "I do not."

"You have a special gift and I have chosen you because of the gift that I have given you. I have chosen you because of who you are."

I looked up into His eyes as the sun glared down on me allowing me to view Him only as a shadow. And His words echoed in my ears and pounded in my head so loud that I could only hear bell tones.

"Do you know your talents? Do you know your passion? Do you know your heart?"

"Yes lord, I believe that I do. I have been on a spiritual journey that has led me here − here to you Lord. And now I feel complete because the journey has been successful − I have reached my destination."

"No Tracey. Now that you are here the journey is just beginning. Do you understand?"

I understood that He had called me by name.

I'm not sure how much time passed while I thought about what He said. And I'm not sure how long we talked. But as the day began to turn to night, I felt the wind blow and I knew that He was gone. Just before the wind began to blow, I finally understood what He had been trying to teach me.

He smiled and said, "If you understand then go. Now go and tell the others!"

When I turned to walk back to the cave, my wooden pail was full of water; although I did not fill it from the stream myself.

***

I'm back now. Back to this time and this space. Back to the here and now. Back to the ordinary days of my life. I feel like Dorothy, who traveled all the way to Oz to learn that there is no place like home, while never actually leaving her backyard. Although I'm not sure I ever really left my world, I know that I had the chance to speak to God.

And when He spoke He said, "You are my daughter and with you I am well pleased."

The lesson that I learned … the lesson that I traveled back through time and space to be taught is this, "As children of God, we are all disciples of Christ." Therefore go − go and tell the others!