What did he say...

There was a bulletin all over myspace today about "What would Jesus say to you?" and you go to this website, and it spits out something that he would say, generally profane in nature, though some were just random and bizarre. I was relaying this bulletin post-fest to my friend Paul, and he said, "Hey, I have a story about Jesus."

Let's have at it.

He said that his psychology professor was telling the class about one of his patients recently, without breaking the confidentiality clause.....too much, anyway. They had been studying transpersonalism in class, and I did a little (little) research on this, just to find out exactly what it meant, and because I was curious about the onstart of the lecture I'm about to detail.

According to the Center for Psychological Development (CPD) transpersonalism is defined as follows:
*DEFINITION:
The term transpersonal means beyond (trans) the personal, ego or self.
Transpersonal psychology Is (capital I?) concerned with the study of humanity’s highest potential, and with the recognition, understanding, and realization of unitive, spiritual, and transcendent states of consciousness.*

"La Croce" - I found this picture on some Italian bible code website. Impressionante!

Okay, so there's that. Now during this discussion, the professor shared an experience he had with one of his patients. The patient had recently undergone surgery, of the heart I believe, and while he was on the table he died. Now, I'm sure it's obvious that he did not remain dead, as he had to tell all of this to Professor Psych. When he flatlined, he said that all of a sudden he was in this beautiful garden, and some of the other details I forget, but then Jesus came up to him. The patient (as his name was not revealed for previously state reasons of confidentiality maintain...ment?) said he felt this indescribable feeling of unwavering love and acceptance, and he couldn't even explain it in words because he'd never felt anything close to it before.

The professor asked him if Jesus said anything to him. The patient said, "Yeah, he said, 'What do you think?'"
Now I don't know if he meant, "What do you think about this garden?" or "What do you think about life?" Or, "What do you think about politics?" or what. The professor didn't go into much detail about the rest of the conversation, but the patient re-existed(?) or became alive again 45 minutes later, after they had already pronounced him dead, told his family, and taken him to the morgue.

The teacher then went on to say that Jesus was probably the one to appear to him because he was a Christian, and that's how this particular person interprets God. Nice thought, but I don't think so. I think if God really did appear to different peoples in different ways saying that each particular belief system is the only way to get to him, it makes him a liar, and I don't think he's a liar. I also think that being the root cause of something that has incited more hatred and war than almost anything else in the world isn't really what God's about, but that's a whole different post.

I believe this story for reasons twofold:
1. The story comes from a reliable (deemed so by myself) source - Paul, who had a first person encounter with this professor and his story, and did not come across it as part of a mass message in his inbox.
B. His psychology professor does not believe in said Jesus, and therefore the relaying of this story was not for the salvation of all who hear of the words of which he spake.

Wouldn't it be just like Jesus to ask "What do you think?" Anything in the world to ask, and he wants this guy's opinion. Sounds about right. :)

I like it.