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A Jewish story tells of a poor, God fearing Jew in Prague. He dreamt that he should journey to Vienna. There, at the base of a bridge leading to the royal palace, he would find buried treasure. Night after night the dream recurred until, leaving his family behind, he traveled to Vienna to claim his treasure. The bridge, however, was guarded. The watchful eyes of the King's soldiers afforded little opportunity to get the treasure. Every day the poor man spent hours pacing back and forth across the bridge, waiting for his chance.
After two weeks one of the guards grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and demanded gruffly, "Jew! What are you plotting? Why do you keep returning to this place daily?" Frustrated and anxious, the poor Jew blurted out the story of the dream. When he finished, the soldier, who had been containing his joy, broke into uncontrollable laughter.
The poor Jew looked in astonishment, not knowing what to make of the man's attitude. Finally, the King's guard caught his breath and stopped long enough to say, "What a foolish Jew you are to believe in dreams. If I let my life be guided by visions, I would be well on my way to Prague. For last night I dreamt that a poor Jew in that city has, buried in his cellar, a treasure awaiting discovery."
The poor Jew hurried back home to Prague. He dug in his cellar, and there was the treasure. Upon reflection he thought, "The treasure was always in my possession. Yet, I had to travel to Vienna to know of its existence."
So, too, many spiritually impoverished persons seek spiritual meaning in many different, often deceptive and disappointing, avenues. However, spiritual fulfillment is already our heritage. The Truth is not lost to us, though we may be lost to the Truth. The Fullness of Christ is present, now; all we need to do is bring ourselves into the moment, becoming consciously available to the Treasure of Love within our hearts. That Love is Christ; Christ is that Love. Sometimes we have to leave Home to return and know it is Home.
*OneLife writings are offered by Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist pastor serving in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Brian lives a vowed contemplative life with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, in North Florida. OneLife writings are for anyone seeking to live and share love, joy, and peace in the world and in devotion to God as she or he best understands God.
The Peace of Christ to All!
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