She awoke to a beautiful day. It was June 24th, the feast of St. John the Baptist. She stretched and then dressed for her morning run along the water, and up the hill and into the winding paths that were now redolent with the scent of summer. She inhaled deeply and looked with pleasure at the lushness, the lupines and the daisies, the roses and the bright, green leaves. God, she loved this time of year!
Since her dream of the pope, she had been moving much more slowly, and took life one heartbeat at a time. It was as though she had been borne aloft somehow, on the wings of a beautiful phoenix. This was a special time for her to spend in contemplation and solitude, and because this had always been her natural disposition, she reveled in it. She felt clarity and purpose in her thinking now; it was as if everything had become fused into a single beam of light.
Later that day, before she began the letter, she paused for a moment to reflect on the rampant literature that had been written about the bloodline of the Magdalene. She thought about the endless speculation regarding the re-emergence of a supposed dynasty.
There was one aspect of this story that had an appeal for her, however. It was an inscription associated with the painting by Nicholas Poussin, "Les Berger's d'Arcadie", The Shepherds of Arcadia", the one that had been such a signpost for those who sought the fulfillment of the bloodline theory. It said simply "Et in Arcadia Ego", I am in Arcadia. Jenna smiled.
She picked up her pen.
"To the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders," she began. "Look at how you have led your people astray. Look at how you have cause hatred, division and discord to pollute you! How dare you think that in this you represent the word of God that you have profaned! How dare you believe that you are love! Love is this- it flows like a river out of the heart of Mother Africa who created all of us. She does not distinguish between her children but loves all equally and without reserve. She is the great source. There is no other. From her heart many tributaries and rivers have sprung, spreading out and populating the world in their own fashion to bring her reverence. How dare you profane her name! The shame of all the generations is upon you, you that have maligned this great vision that was given you, and turned your back on Christ and used him for your own gain. You have abdicated your responsibility completely. Unless you purify your heart, you will be cut off from God altogether. In this admonition, let me remind you, that there is no time to lose. The time is now."
Since her dream of the pope, she had been moving much more slowly, and took life one heartbeat at a time. It was as though she had been borne aloft somehow, on the wings of a beautiful phoenix. This was a special time for her to spend in contemplation and solitude, and because this had always been her natural disposition, she reveled in it. She felt clarity and purpose in her thinking now; it was as if everything had become fused into a single beam of light.
Later that day, before she began the letter, she paused for a moment to reflect on the rampant literature that had been written about the bloodline of the Magdalene. She thought about the endless speculation regarding the re-emergence of a supposed dynasty.
There was one aspect of this story that had an appeal for her, however. It was an inscription associated with the painting by Nicholas Poussin, "Les Berger's d'Arcadie", The Shepherds of Arcadia", the one that had been such a signpost for those who sought the fulfillment of the bloodline theory. It said simply "Et in Arcadia Ego", I am in Arcadia. Jenna smiled.
She picked up her pen.
"To the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders," she began. "Look at how you have led your people astray. Look at how you have cause hatred, division and discord to pollute you! How dare you think that in this you represent the word of God that you have profaned! How dare you believe that you are love! Love is this- it flows like a river out of the heart of Mother Africa who created all of us. She does not distinguish between her children but loves all equally and without reserve. She is the great source. There is no other. From her heart many tributaries and rivers have sprung, spreading out and populating the world in their own fashion to bring her reverence. How dare you profane her name! The shame of all the generations is upon you, you that have maligned this great vision that was given you, and turned your back on Christ and used him for your own gain. You have abdicated your responsibility completely. Unless you purify your heart, you will be cut off from God altogether. In this admonition, let me remind you, that there is no time to lose. The time is now."