Lex Allen's Blog

Stephen King says, “Fiction is a lie. GOOD fiction is the truth within the lie.”

The ELOAH Trilogy is GOOD fiction.

As with many good stories, however, the premises of these books are based on historical facts, scientific studies, or widely known conspiracy theories. I’ve taken artistic license with several of these themes, including the historicity of Jesus, conspiracy theories regarding his crucifixion, paranormal/supernatural studies, as well as scientific theories and the science that supports evolution and alien intervention over creation.

The Historicity of Jesus:

All the major religions of the world assert that Jesus was a living person of the first century C.E. Who he was and what he was about continue to be points of contention.

Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the Savior of humankind who sacrificed his own life in atonement for the sins of all.

Muslims believe him to have been one of four Major Prophets (Moses, David, Jesus, and Mohammad) who was given a book by Allah and directed to accomplish tasks that would ultimately lead to Mohammad and the Koran.

Moses received the Torah, David the Psalms, and Jesus the Gospels.

Typically, a Muslim believes that Jesus (or Isa as named in the Quran) was only a man and prophet sent by Allah to proclaim the coming of Mohammad.

According to the beliefs of Judaism, he was an ordinary Jewish man and preacher, executed by the Romans for speaking out against Roman authority and abuses.

The Messiah, as promised in the Torah, could not be attributed to Jesus. These are: 1) an observant Jewish man descended from the house of King David, 2) an ordinary human being, 3) (he would) bring peace to the world, 4) gather all Jews back into Israel, 5) rebuild the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and 6) unite humanity in the worship of the Jewish God and Torah observance.

Jesus failed to meet these criteria. Some argue that he met the first requirement and spoke often of the third; however, the remaining four were beyond his abilities.

There are, of course, those who believe that Jesus never lived at all. They will argue: “How could the Son of God, or a Major Prophet or a revolutionary Jew escape mention by the noted documenters of Roman and Jewish history – Tacitus, Eusebius, and Josephus – among others?” The short answer is, “Hmmm…”

The Jewish historian, Josephus (37 to 100 C.E.) wrote in his famous work, Testimonium Flavianum, “the testimony of Josephus,” a subtitle within the Jewish Antiquities (written around 80 C.E.): 

“There appeared Jesus, a wise man if indeed someone should call him a man; for he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure.

“And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so.

“For he appeared to them on the third day, living again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and countless other wondrous things about him. And until this very day, the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not died out.”

The italicized words in the above verse were so obviously interjected into the paragraph by a Christian scribe that even Christian apologists, after 1600 years of flaunting its authenticity and proof of Jesus as the Messiah, have acknowledged that it is likely a forgery and abandoned the verse.

Though forsaken by the Church, the verse shows the historicity of a Rabbi named Jesus, who was scorned by the Sanhedrin (Jewish ‘Supreme Court’) and turned over to the Romans as a rebel.

During the time of Jesus’ life, magic was considered a major sin among the Jews and was punishable by stoning.

The miracles attributed to Jesus – turning water into wine, healing the sick, feeding thousands with a few loaves of bread and fish, and raising the dead would certainly have resulted in his death, had Jesus not had a large following among his people, in particular the Jewish rebels of Roman occupation.

The Sanhedrin were wary of Jesus’ influence among their people and feared condemning him to death would set him up as a martyr. A better way to get rid of him was to turn him over to the Romans.

Among pagans, however, magic and magicians were esteemed, and they were often considered the best magician gods. Simon Magus, a Sumerian, is the best known among this small group and there will be more about Simon in book two, ‘Treasure’.

Mary Magdalene is alternatively described as a whore or a magician, depending upon whose account you read. Even the Bible provides conflicting accounts of who she was and how she came to be a ‘disciple’, or not, of Jesus.

A variety of conspiracies claim she was a magician of sorts who enjoyed the protection of Jesus. It is also widely believed (among non-Christians) that she was Jesus’ wife and that they produced a child.

The Swoon Theory:

There are several variations on the sequence and details of the events, but essentially all versions postulate Jesus did not die on the cross; rather, he was merely unconscious when removed from the cross and secreted away to a private tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea (a disciple of Jesus, while also a member of the ‘Seventy-One’, the Sanhedrin).

He then recovered and was seen among his disciples. Another story is that he left the country with a pregnant Mary Magdalene and their destination remains unknown, although India or France is the most commonly discussed possibility. There is a wealth of information about these theories on the internet. Artistic license is a wonderful thing for fiction writers, and this theory got full treatment in No Heaven by adding a completely new adaptation to the argument.

Paranormal / Supernatural Abilities:

The history of humankind is full of stories about people who practiced or demonstrated fantastic feats that were considered to be in the realm of gods. Jesus was but one of these, except that in his case, these acts were called miracles.

Today, examples of telepathy, telekinesis, astral projection, psychic healing, and the actual existence of a spiritual entity in living creatures have been demonstrated and documented.

Okay, not necessarily scientifically proven, so let’s simply state that accounts have been published. Though rare, and limited to very few, the scientifically documented events, in particular in the areas of telepathy and psychic healing, are proof that such things are at least possible.

Could not these abilities have been evident two or ten thousand years ago? Could we also attribute them to aliens or visitors from a parallel universe? With what we know today and the long strides being made in studies of quantum physics and human consciousness; the answer has to be a resounding, YES!

The Institute of Noetic Studies, IONS, in California, USA, is the world leader in experimenting, examining, testing, and documenting paranormal, psychically induced phenomena.

They widely publicized the institute in Dan Brown’s, “The Lost Symbol” as having conducted experiments that prove the existence and departure of a soul shortly after physical death. According to the fictional account, the spirit is energy with mass and weight. Anything with mass and weight is measurable. The fictional experiment noted an instantaneous weight loss after physical death.

Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts, conducted an actual experiment in 1907. His experiments were crude and largely disdained, but he discovered a measurable loss of weight – 3/4’s of an ounce – at the time of death that any other physical activity could not explain. His conclusion: He’d proven the existence of the human soul.

Quantum Physics: The Eloah trilogy takes full advantage in expanding upon three quantum physics theories – entanglement, string, and the many-worlds hypotheses.

 Rather than a detailed explanation of each of these theories, below are excerpts from innovative, unorthodox physicists – past and present – who are discovering no conflict at all between physics and belief in the paranormal and the afterlife.

Indeed, they show that the phenomena we now call “paranormal” are normal and consistent with the laws of science.

Professor Fred Alan Wolf sums up [his] view when he writes: I believe that the findings of quantum physics increasingly support Plato [who taught that there is a more perfect, non-material realm of existence].

There is evidence that suggests the existence of a non-material, non-physical universe that has a reality even though it might not as yet be perceptible to our senses and scientific instrumentation. When we consider out-of-body experiences, shamanic journeys, and lucid dream states, though they cannot be replicated in the true scientific sense, they also point to the existence of non-material dimensions of reality.

Professor Dr. Ernst Senkowski is a professor of physics and electronics who conducted intensive paranormal and afterlife research for over twenty years. Dr. Senkowski repeatedly got positive paranormal and ‘afterlife’ results.

He and several others have published books arguing that materialist science is incomplete and therefore unable to adequately account for positive paranormal evidence.

They urge the acceptance of a new paradigm or worldview, which includes psychic phenomena and the existence of multiple universes, including the so-called afterlife.

Professor John Bockris in his book The New Paradigm—A Confrontation Between Physics and the Paranormal Phenomena (2005) discusses the evidence for the paranormal, including telepathy, near-death experiences, out-of-body travel, reincarnation, apparitions, possession, distant healing, and other phenomena.

He concludes that other concepts, such as the paranormal, theories about consciousness, and interconnectedness must integrate into science to enable a superior understanding of reality.

His central proposal is that we are living in a “synchronized universe,” one layer with which we see and interact and are in synch with and identify as the “real” universe; and other universes alongside this real universe that are just as real.

This, he states, offers a way to understand how the soul, the center of human consciousness, can exist in a permanent form, surviving human death. It offers a useful beginning to a deeper understanding of the universe and of ourselves.”

Dr. Claude Swanson has collated the “best evidence” illustrating the inadequacy of our present scientific paradigm. In his book, The Synchronized Universe, he describes scientifically controlled remote viewing and ESP experiments, demonstrations of long-range healing, psychokinetic (mind over matter), scientifically controlled experiments in levitation, teleportation (quantum leaping), and out-of-body phenomena (OBE) (astral projection).

Dr. Larry Dossey, MD, writes in Healing Beyond the Body and Reinventing Medicine: “A historic development is occurring: compelling evidence is being produced by admirable scientific experiments revealing a dimension of consciousness which has been (largely) ignored within conventional science. This aspect of the mind functions infinitely—non-locally beyond the body and outside the present moment. These findings are of incalculable importance because of their implications for the nature, origin, and destiny of consciousness.”

And Finally:

A great deal of research has been devoted to paranormal abilities, quantum physics theories, and historical characters, locations, and events. This research, coupled with lifelong experiences, was given a whirl in a large blender, enriched with fantasy, science fiction, and conspiracies to produce this fictional account of Jesus’ (Eloah) second coming. The blender is still whirring away, with new ingredients added, as I continue to learn about and discover hidden secrets.

Could the arrival of Eloah, an Elohim teacher, prove the quantum physics “multiverse” theory?

Are the ancient druids and the neo-druids of today protectors of a treasure that holds the secrets of the universe?

A spectacular global holograph captures the world’s attention, as supernatural beings engage in conclusive battle. The fate of Earth and all its parallel universes lies in the balance.

A FEW TOP REVIEWS:

“His knowledge of the Bible, first century events, quantum physics, and current science is remarkable. The story is imaginative and interesting. He keeps even the skeptical reader riveted to the outcome. He does a better job than Dan Brown.”  Seeley James.

Part sci-fi, part political thriller and part quantum physics 101, the entire Eloah series is genre-warping done right. Lex Allen has clearly done his homework, and he manages to weave biblical history, alien intervention and the multiverse theory into a first-rate action/adventure with seamless efficiency. It is a fun read, full of action and intrigue, clever dialogue and a great cast of characters, including a wonderfully evil villain with all of Eloah’s powers and no redeeming qualities whatsoever.”

Ken Stark – Amazon bestselling author

“Lex Allen’s thriller Eloah: No Hell turned into a fascinating and very enjoyable read. I loved the way Allen threads the themes of religion, spirituality, good and evil into the story through strong characters, intense and edgy settings and dialogues. I loved the imaginative and vivid way in which Elizabeth and Kate use their psychic and telepathic capabilities for time travel to the past, to the time when Jesus was crucified, and Jack’s life at that time. The meeting between Pope John Paul III and Eloah is compelling, as the Pope struggles within himself, questioning the truth of Eloah’s knowledge of Jesus and the origins of the Church. Allen shows vividly and forcefully the depths of avarice and corruptibility through two very evil, malevolent and manipulative characters, greedy for power and wealth, and intent on killing Eloah. I am looking forward to reading the conclusion in Eloah: No Religion!”

– Saifunnissa Hassam for Reader’s Favorite International Awards

“If you’re looking for well-developed characters, an intellectually and stimulating story-line with plenty of twists, turns and action, I highly  recommend this book and its predecessor. Kudos to the author!”  Reading Glass Reviews

 “The first book in the series (Eloah: No Heaven)revealed that the most important person in the history of religion is not from  heaven, but from a parallel universe. The next volume (Eloah: No Hell) showed us that hell is right here on earth and now – not after death – and now comes the third book (Eloah: No Religion), which shows us how we should live without 4,000 years of religious baggage a new way, a rebirth for a new era, just as Eloah alias Jesus ushered in a new era 2000 years ago.”

~ Guy Teague(former Editor, Abilene Reporter News)

“ELOAH by Lex Allen is the most unusual and unique take on Jesus and religion that I have ever read. Whether you are an atheist, agnostic or born-again Christian, if you are curious and have an open mind, you can’t help but be drawn into this fascinating tale.”

~ Carol Marrs Phipps – Amazon Best Selling Author

I found the concept real, the story flows well and short concise chapters’ keeps the pages turning. The pace of the story is excellent. I was disappointed to come to the end! I suspect this might upset a few deeply religious people but that, to me is half the fun, it opens up questions that you just have to think about even if you cannot answer some of them. Great sub-plots keep you thinking too. I wasn’t going to mention Dan Brown but seeing as his name crops up… I’ve now read both and know which I prefer. Please don’t think this is the same sort of story as D B, it is not! Will I buy the second and third books in the series? Is the Pope a Catholic? ~ g.h.bright

“That’s probably one of the best books I have read in a long time. Everything is combined to make a really compelling story: the characters, the writing style and more importantly, the plot mixing elegantly religion, science-fiction, crime and conspiracy. I read the book in just a few days and bought the sequel straight after finishing this. As others have already said, think Dan Brown, but more intricate yet somehow more simple, more plain.” ~ Am 304

“No Heaven is the first book in a trilogy and is an absolute corker! From the very first page, the action is fast-paced and the characters engaging and realistic. This tale is a mixture of Dan Brown style conspiracy, mixed with some science fiction and religious, thought-provoking ideas. A man claims to be Jesus, the son of God and draws key other characters into his secret world whilst being pursued by the CIA, amongst others. Each character has been chosen for a particular purpose and the complex story woven by the author which links these characters will drive you ever onwards until it becomes impossible to put the book down. This is a great first instalment and will have everyone reaching for the second book.”

~ Sophia Gampton

And finally, the very best ONE STAR review ever written…

thank you, Hezman, wherever in the world you may be!

“This book, although a masterful intertwining of science fiction, religion, adventure and drama, is nothing more than a rewritten attack on the Virgin Birth of Jesus, His Sovereignty and the belief that He is the Son of God. This book is just a rehashing of the lie perpetrated by the Satan in the first century, that being, Jesus was the son of a Roman solider. It’s too bad, because the author was blessed with a superb talent for writing. While reading this book I was hoping and praying that it was not anti-Christ. But after a few pages of Book 2, I realized that sometimes “it is what it is” and this is blasphemy. At that point, I just shredded the book. I would not want to be responsible for someone else reading a book like this that I purchased.

I LOVE this ONE STAR book review for the Eloah Paperback (contains all three novels of the Eloah Trilogy plus the short story prelude, The Druids).

To quote a song by the late, great Miss Nancy Wilson, “I’m afraid the masquerade is over.”. Well, Nancy, (may you rest in the Peace of the Lord), the “Masquerade” is still alive and well. This book, although a masterful intertwining of science fiction, religion, adventure and drama, is nothing more than a rewritten attack on the Virgin Birth of Jesus, His Sovereignty and the belief that He is the Son of God. This book is just a rehashing of the lie perpetrated by the Satan in the first century, that being, Jesus was the son of a Roman solider. It’s too bad, because the author was blessed with a superb talent for writing. However, as the Scripture says, “You cannot serve two masters. You will love one and despise the other, or you will hate one and cling to the other.”

While reading this book I was hoping and praying that it was not anti-Christ. But after a few pages of Book 2, I realized that sometimes “it is what it is”, and this is blasphemy. At that point, I just shredded the book. I would not want to be responsible for someone else reading a book like this that I purchased. Anytime you elevate the mind, or brain or intellect of Man over that of God, you are just replaying the same game that Lucifer ran on Adam and Eve in the Garden, namely, , “You don’t need GOD, you can be your own god”. (And how has that worked out for Mankind?)

Note the highlights (I was unable to bold or italicize):

“This book, although a masterful intertwining of science fiction, religion, adventure and drama…”

“It’s too bad, because the author was blessed with a superb talent for writing…”

“While reading this book I was hoping and praying that it was not anti-Christ…” (proof that prayers don’t work, dude!)

“I realized that sometimes “it is what it is”, and this is blasphemy. At that point, I just shredded the book…” (Strong man!)

“Anytime you elevate the mind, or brain or intellect of Man over that of God…” (I’ll take that as a compliment, I think)

I think most people have heard the phrase, “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” This phrase can be applied to many things, but none more so than when defining the differences between science and religion.

Scientists dazzle the world’s population with factual brilliance while evangelists and those who proselytize in favor of their particular god can barely manage to baffle the public with fictional bullshit.

A theist’s lack of facts, or a brilliant explanation for the inconsistencies scattered throughout their favorite guide book, can only win over their public with undiluted bafflement and outright lies. Bafflement is the method that theists use to discredit science using the term theory. Sadly, there is more than one definition of the term theory. The one-hundred percent acceptance by scientists and those who understand and place great value on scientific research use this definition:

Theory – a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena: Einstein’s theory of relativity.

Theists, on the other hand, use their skills with twisting words and historical facts by adhering to this definition:

Theory – a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of fact.

 I think we can all agree on the term “brilliance,” but less so with the term “bafflement.”

Baffle – to confuse, bewilder, or perplex:

Bafflement is not only a source of strength and the modus operandi of the evangelistic theists, it’s also used successfully by con men and politicians. “There’s a fool born every day” or this quote from Mark Twain that explains the difficulty in “converting” a theist from his fantasies: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.”

I think this conflict of words applies to fiction writing, as well. One can dazzle the reader with brilliance by insuring verisimilitude (a sense of reality), from characterization to individual scenes and plot lines, or baffle the reader with scenes and characters that are simply unreasonable or lack any sense of reality.

Dazzle or baffle; that is the question. Where am I on this? I prefer the dazzle of science and complete verisimilitude in writing; and I will call out bafflement whenever and wherever I encounter it.

The Second Coming of Jesus is on! But it’s nothing like the Biblical prophesy!
His name isn’t Jesus! He’s not the Son of God! He didn’t die on the cross!
He hasn’t returned to grant passage for Christian believers to Heaven

He’s returned to undo everything the Catholic Church and Christianity has done to stymie the growth and development of the human race!

In the world of writers, the often deadly writer’s block virus strikes with little to no warning. The drugs most often used to combat writer’s block — alcohol, pot, solitaire, crossword puzzles, LSD, or walking the dog have been proven to extend rather than curtail the devastating effects of the problem. Like the current and seriously real Covid virus pandemic, writer’s block can strike anyone anywhere, anytime. Unlike Covid, there is no vaccine, masks are useless, and the method of transmission is not only unknown, it is completely off the radar screen of scientists, doctors, and normal working stiffs. Why? Because it’s a fantasy, it’s not real, and it’s a damned excuse—nothing else!

Dr. Alzheimer, a frequent visitor to my head and day or night dreams sometimes reverses his symptoms and instead of causing me to forget, he reminds me; in this case a proverb, I’ve used often over the course of my life: “He who excuses himself accuses himself.” I used this response with my children when they tried to escape punishment for something they’d done that was guaranteed to bring about repercussions decidedly not in their favor. I’ve also used it with those who worked for and/or with me through two full careers (military and government civil service).

When I started my third career, writing stories and books, I endured short periods of pauses where I lost sight of the goal, or I was stuck on a character descriptive or sub-plot line. I failed to examine the cause for these incidents and instead used writer’s block to explain away my lack of progress. It was right there, ready for launch. Writer’s block was the culprit. There could be no other… uh, excuse! Writer’s block is a widely accepted in the world of writer’s and in and of itself all the explanation anyone needed to know, including my own id, ego, or subconscious (take your pick).

This article comes about as I work my way out of the illusion of writer’s block. I don’t have writer’s block. I have instead a hindrance of productivity due to depression and the advent of Alzheimer’s or dementia (neither has been diagnosed) forgetfulness in the form of normal aging processes. My depression comes from almost two years of Covid, lack of the ability to travel (as my wife and I normally would be doing), cabin fever from staying at home with minimum company including family, and greatly reducing contact with the outside world.

I started writing full time about ten years ago. Although a stickler for intensive research into the foundations necessary for character building, plot and sub-plot themes, location settings, and a myriad of other aspects of writing prior to ever starting to write; once I started actually writing it was “seat of the pants” progress. I never used an outline. I had an overall plan in my head, but it was always subject to change right up to the last re-write and even after proofreading and during the editing process. Flexibility and verisimilitude were (and still are) my guides for everything I write.

Now, knowing and admitting to the cause of my lack of progress, I’ve changed that writing style to the “plotting” method. I make an outline and stick to it (with minor exceptions). I no longer worry about forgetting details or in whatever direction I want the story to unfold. Depression (actually a bit of overstatement) has been banished by simply doing more and varied things with my wife. We play games (cards mostly), we go on long walks with our dog, she knits and I play guitar or write. It works and, of course, there’s the lure of travel in our near future to keep us upbeat.

Writer’s block has been banished from my vocabulary by simply refusing to acknowledge its existence as anything more than a lame excuse. When I get to a point in writing where the outline isn’t helping, I read passages from my favorite authors to get a boost of where I want to be and the words begin to flow once again. Try it… you’ll like it, too.

2025

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.”

~ Albert Einstein ~

PROLOG

The cancer that formed simultaneously to the birth of the nation known as the United States of America in 1778 grew unnoticed until symptoms became apparent and the disease could no longer be ignored just prior to 1860 and led to the Civil War. Neither of the two political parties were willing to publicly acknowledge the disease and it remained a close-hold secret among politicians, while festering and growing, ignored and denied among the populace until after World War II (the last time the country, left and right, black and white, came together in a common cause). The 1950’s identified the great divide among American citizens, propagated by the toxic politics of the two political parties as racism, religious evangelism, unnecessary (lost) wars, and a deadly capitalistic nature dominated American society; but little to no action was taken to combat the disease—au contraire.

The election of the first black American president in 2008 and his reelection in 2012 created an uneasy sense of stability, humanity, common sense, and world-wide trust in the American experiment among a majority of Americans; but, beneath the surface the cancerous hate, racism, and ultra-right politics festered and grew until the 2016 election when the disease could no longer be denied or hidden. Pustules of this disease spread across the body America and burst in an ugly display of rot in the Southern Bible Belt and Republican held states scattered across the country.

America lay, apparently dying, for four years. The injection of normality, of humanity, came in 2020, but it was too late. The United States of America, the great democratically ordained leader of the world, finally died with the reelection of the president who nearly destroyed the country in his first term that began in 2016 and, after a four year hiatus in which the democratic party failed to rally the country and internally collapsed, repeated his con on the American people and re-took the White House in 2024.

In a nearly perfect replication of Adolph Hitler’s putsch in 1930’s Germany, the president and his closest followers and associates, violently removed every cabinet chief, senator, and congressperson that had stood against him in an insurrection, similar to that which occurred at the United States Capitol on 6 January, 2021. That insurrection was played down, the U.S. Department of Justice was unable to tag or bring any of the planners and instigators to justice and the cancer, birthed along with the nation in 1778, became malignant, incurable, and fatal to the democratic/capitalist experiment.

Political affiliation no longer existed; one was either for or against him. During the insurrection, those against were dealt with immediately and harshly. The democratic leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives were assassinated, shot in cold blood. Other democratic and anti-president republican lawmaker’s were forced naked into the mob that surrounded the Capitol… only a handful survived the beatings. What was considered absolutely beyond the realm of belief in the United States happened!

The next day, while the country and the world reeled in disarray and disbelief, the opposing leaders in state capitols experienced the same fate. State capitols were attacked by mobs, the democratic and anti-president governors and lawmakers were assassinated, their places taken by pro presidential men and women.

Martial law was implemented, followed by a week of protests all across the country and these were dealt with aggressively and violently. Thousands of Americans died at the hands of the US military and police following orders to stop the protests by dispersing the protestors by any means necessary.

The president announced to the world that interference from any country, friend or foe, would be met with the strongest military response imaginable, and the world governments remained silent.

Within six months, the United States of American became an autocratic theocracy, known simply as America. The Senate and House of Representatives morphed into a single body that resembled those of Russia, China, North Korea, and other autocracies composed of mere “yes” men and women to the supreme leader’s whims and fancies.

White supremacists, “Christofascists”, and Qanon conspiracy theory fanatics felt obligated and free to hunt down the sources of their anger and bias. Liberal “thinkers” and leaders, scientists who warned of climate change, physicians who spoke against the president’s actions during the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020-2022, people of color and immigrants were beaten, illegally jailed, or simply murdered by angry groups on a daily basis across the country.

There was no cure, no way to return to normalcy—the once touted American Way of Life. The two-party political system became one. The country, led by a demented and criminal president, became an autocracy with strong theological influences. The country was divided as never before and the new regime ruled with an iron fist reminiscent of the of USSR, Chinese, and German autocracies of the twentieth century.

But, hope remained eternal among a minority of the populace. Among these were top scientists and billionaire techies that knew how to deal with the problem. It became merely a matter of financing and planning; a race against the new world order and climate change.

2025 is the story of alternative creative thinking that leads to the last, best hope for saving the world!

(A Brief introduction to The Druids, a short story prelude for the ELOAH TRILOGY)

It is said that history is written by the victors. I believe that to be true. I also believe that the victors often misrepresent the facts of history. Let’s be honest… they lie. I’ll leave explanation of the impacts and consequences this phenomenon has had on the development of humankind to others more astute.

For me, it’s a ‘ya gotta love it’ kind of thing.

Hidden in nooks and crannies almost everywhere are bits of information that belie the recorded history of the victors. These data packets (conspiracy theories) are fertilizers used to grow the concepts imagined by the writers of fiction—like me!

Mining these nooks and crannies, I’ve discovered a wealth of fertilizer for the notions you’ll find in the “Eloah” series. This short story, Eloah: The Druids, sets the stage for a series of conspiratorial thrillers based upon ideas far outside the box of accepted, historical “truths.” I’ve also taken a large dose of artistic license with the quantum physics theories—entanglement and multiverse, and the paranormal competencies of telekinesis, telepathy and something Eloah calls quantum leaping.

I hope you’ll enjoy the series that includes three full-length novels, No Heaven, No Hell and No Religion, for their entertainment value. But I also hope that the suppositions expressed throughout the series leaves you asking, “Have we been lied to all these years?”

Lex Allen – Heidelberg, Germany

A quote I’ve long used as my “guiding light” for writing fiction comes from Stephen King: “Fiction is a lie. Good fiction is the truth within the lie.”

For me, “truth” within the “lie” comes by way of verisimilitude: “noun: The appearance or semblance of truth… likelihood or probability. The play lacked verisimilitude. Something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.” *Dictionary.com

Verisimilitude in all facets of the story, from characters to locations to historical events to equipment and tactics of organizations, should provide a sense of reality/realism. Genre is immaterial, but genre often dictates the amount of research or personal knowledge/experience required to attain that all important sense of reality. Fantasy writers, for example, have the toughest time with verisimilitude. Not only must the world they’ve invented meet a strong realistic standard, but the creatures, characters, magic, and/or everything else has to mesh throughout the story, from start to finish.

I write thriller novels/novellas/short stories that often include several genres in each book; from science fiction to conspiracy theories, alternate history, spirituality/paranormal, and supernatural. It’s a good chance I’ll spend more time doing research than actually writing the book.

Here’s a general example:

John turned to face the stranger just as a shot rang out. The force of the .44 caliber bullet burning into his upper left chest and smashing his shoulder blade as it exited his body threw him against the wall. Blood smeared as his body sank to a sitting position in the hallway. The killer, confident of his kill approached John and leaned forward. A noise at the end of the hall distracted the killer, and John took the opportunity to grab the killer’s gun hand, yank him forward while simultaneously kicking him in the balls.

John turned to face the stranger just as a shot rang out. The force of the .44 caliber bullet burning into his upper left chest and smashing his shoulder blade as it exited his body threw him against the wall. Blood smeared as his unconscious body sank to the floor. The killer, confident of his kill approached John and leaned forward. A noise at the end of the hall distracted the killer. Worried that he might be identified, the killer ran for the door at the opposite end of the hall, leaving John to bleed to death.

The first paragraph is unrealistic. The force and destructive attributes of a .44 caliber bullet would have immediately rendered John unconscious and/or an extreme state of shock. There is no way he could defend himself, much less in the manner described in the first example.

A few years ago, I read a book by a relatively new author. Her book was a thriller that included terrorists and international organizations like the CIA and Interpol, etc. There were many battles, lots of different weapon systems and dialog between experts in their field; all of which were so far from believable that I was unable to finish the book and will never read another of her books.

Bottom line: Creating a realistic atmosphere for your readers is a must. Without realism, you’ve written fiction, but not GOOD fiction. You never know who is reading your books. In of the preceding paragraph, it was a twenty-one-year military veteran, and a twenty-three-year manager within the US Department of Defense who knew the subject matter very well.

Do the research, make sure you know your subject matter, your characters, and the world they live in and your readers will follow you through every book you write.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SATIRICAL, UNEDITED DRAFT STORY ABOUT JESUS BEGINNING WITH HIS ACCUMULATION OF DISCIPLES. SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS TO THE STORY WILL BE APPEAR HERE PRIOR TO PUBLICATION.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT.

Jesus walked along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near the town of Capernaum, carefully avoiding the washed up jellyfish on the beach. He walked in the soft wet sand because it was cool and the wash of incoming waves across his bare feet was soothing. But, the jellyfish were a pain in the ass. When he accidentally stepped on one it squished between his toes and released a god-awful stink. Sometimes, if they happened to be laying belly side up, he’d feel the sting and that irritated him to no end. He was even more upset because he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of the damned things.

He reminded and consoled himself with the knowledge that creationism was hard; really hard and, well, shit happens. Creating something from scratch was much more difficult than a simple miracle. He’d been trying to create a fish that was without scales, whose guts were completely edible, and when caught in the gentle waves, would easily wash up onto the shoreline. This new fish would provide effortless and plentiful food for the Galileans. No cleaning, no scaling — just pop them into the pot, cook and season to taste.

He was at a complete loss to understand how the jellyfish appeared. First of all, they weren’t something new as he’d intended and secondly, he recalled that jellyfish don’t live in fresh water. Jesus knew he had to get rid of them, and quickly; but, thus far, he’d been unable to reverse the creation. “I wonder if pops had second thoughts about his creations? I’ll have to ask next time I see him.”

“Ding-dong”, the bell reverberated inside his head, startling Jesus and causing him to jump and put his foot down on a sharp shell. “Damn it,” he muttered. The pain registered immediately and Jesus hopped around on one foot while simultaneously holding the injured foot. He pulled his hurting foot up and looked to see if he’d cut it on the shell. No blood, but there was a small scratch visible.

“Jesus?  Jesus, answer me, dammit!

Jesus recognized the Archangel Michael’s voice in his head. Wonderful, just what I needed right now, he thought.

As a teenager, he’d learned how to shield his inner thoughts from the angels. Now, after nearly fifteen years of practice he could control his thought processes so that he automatically hid what he didn’t want the angels to hear and “broadcast”, as though actually speaking.

He set his still throbbing foot gently back onto the cool, wet sand and responded telepathically. “You’ve got to do something about that damned bell, Michael. I swear, one of these days it’s going to startle me right over the edge of a cliff!”

Michael ignored Jesus’ comment. Instead, he thought, “Jellyfish, Jesus? At the Sea of Galilee? I mean Jee-zus. You know, for being the son of God—” He stopped short of a potential brush with blasphemy, but his drawn out sigh spoke volumes.

        “Jellyfish?  Oh, you mean these jellyfish, here. Yes, well I—”

        “Never mind. I know. Get rid of them. Now, please.”

        Jesus sighed and looked around at the thousands of jellyfish washed up on the shore. Deciding that honesty was the best policy at the moment, Jesus thought, “I can’t. I tried, but I can’t do it.”

        The silence from Michael was booming in its condescension. Jesus was getting a little tired of always being cowed by Michael. He was only an Archangel, after all. Okay, he was “big time“, but still…

        “Alright, I’ll take care of it for you…again!” 

Jesus felt a shift in air pressure and when it passed, he looked around and saw the beach completely empty of jellyfish. Still miffed at Michael’s condescending attitude, but relieved that his problem had been solved, he thought, “Thanks, Michael.”

  Michael’s voice filled his head, again. “Quite alright. Now, stop with the creationist experiments already, stick to miracles and get on with what you’re supposed to be doing.” 

  Jesus knew what he was supposed to be doing… saving the world. Accepting this concept had not been easy for Jesus. The idea that he was decidedly different from everyone else down here on Earth came about when he was eight years old and accidentally performed his first miracle. He and several other children were playing in the mud behind Jesus’ house. It didn’t rain often in Judea, so when it did, the children took advantage of the opportunity and their small hands and fertile imaginations would create all kinds of mud figures. Of course, Jesus’ fertile imagination was something quite spectacular. 

     One of the children had formed a row of turtles…sea turtles to be exact. She’d lined all eight of them in a row before noticing that Jesus had squatted down across from her and was staring intently at the mud turtles.

     “Do you like my turtles,” she asked.

     “Oh, yes,” Jesus replied. “They are very nice. They look almost real.”

     The girl looked at her turtles and shrugged, “Yes, but they’re not. I’d like to see them marching toward the sea.”

     Jesus smiled and nodded. He’d like to see them marching toward the sea, too. In fact, he imagined it happening. In his mind’s eye, he watched them, one after the other, ponderously throwing their finned feet forward before digging in and pulling their heavy bodies along.

     Intent on the turtles, Jesus didn’t notice the little girl’s excitement until she’d jumped to her feet and ran off, yelling for her mother to come see her turtles. He looked back at the mud turtles and saw that they were real and trundling away in a neat line.

Jesus was pretty amazed himself but kept it all a secret. Unfortunately, he accidentally outed himself a few years later with another miracle. A bully at school had picked on one of Jesus’ friends. As the bully walked away, leaving Jesus’ friend with a bloody nose, Jesus thought, Thou shalt walk no more. The bully fell over dead. Jesus was not happily amazed this time. Thoroughly traumatized he ran away, crying all the way home.

He hid his tears from his parents, who hardly paid any attention to him anyway. At this age, he was unaware of his true identity but he knew he had to do something to turn around this terrible thing he’d done and that’s when everyone learned of his powers.

Jesus went to the boy’s house where the family had gathered around the boy’s body, praying and eating. Without a word, Jesus walked to the bed, placed his hand upon the boys forehead, mumbled under his breath, “This shall be undone,” and turned around and left. The dead bully immediately sat up and said, “I’m starving to death, what’s for supper?”

Instead of being grateful to Jesus, as rational, loving people would be; the parents, family members, and other town folk followed Jesus home and, in a rage, demanded that his father send him away. He was a juvenile delinquent, they cried! He was a menace to society, they declared! He was a demon, some of them moaned.

With the entire village against him and threatening to stone Jesus on the spot, Joseph had little choice. Fortunately, he had a cousin living with the Essenes in the Qumran settlement of Judea. Jesus was packed up and sent away the following morning. In Judea, along with a completely new concept of teachings provided by the Essenes, Jesus began having dreams and telepathic conversations with angels.

It took many years, but in the end, Jesus accepted his fate. He was the son of God, whether he liked it or not and he had an important job to do. He followed the instructions of angels that he received in his dreams and kept a low profile. He learned his tricks and the art of miracle making in secret until he was in his late twenties when he set about wandering around the country teaching the tenets of the Jewish religion as a rabbi without portfolio. On his thirtieth birthday, the archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to him in the flesh. Jesus intuitively recognized them but was totally awed by their appearance.

His first task, as he understood it, was to gather some disciples. Why, exactly, he needed disciples was never explained to his satisfaction. He finally concluded that they would carry on his mission after he’d died and returned to heaven to sit at the right hand side of God.

        This confused him, too. Accepting that he was the son of God, why would he ever die?  Wasn’t he, like his Father, immortal?  And besides, where in the hell was he going to find these so-called disciples?  Most of the people in Galilee and Judea were illiterate. None of them could perform any miracles. None that he knew of, anyways. Even his good friend and evangelistic prophet, John the Baptist couldn’t perform any miracles.

John was really good as a prophet, at gathering followers for the coming of the Messiah. He was a great preacher and his dunking people in the river Jordan, “baptizing” he called it, not to be confused with the Essenes ritual bathing – Miqvah, was a huge hit. Why it was so popular among the people, Jesus couldn’t fathom. He’d allowed John to baptize him and, as far as he was concerned, it was pure torture. Really scary stuff –  even when one knew they weren’t going to drown.

Regardless, John continued to accrue followers. So much so that he had come to the attention of the Romans who were starting to see his endeavors as a rebellion. Jesus thought John ought to be more careful; he might lose his head before it was all said and done.

Instinctively, but more likely because he’d dreamt it, Jesus knew that he couldn’t select John to be a disciple. He couldn’t pick any of the learned scholars or Rabbi’s either, because they were too indoctrinated in their own religious dogma and he, or so he believed, was supposed to lead a rebellion of sorts to change the Torah and the dogma of the Jewish religion. Yeah, right, he’d thought a hundred times, as if one person was going to change thousands of years of fear producing, independent thought inhibiting dogma!

Michael’s voice stilled his thoughts. “Ahead are two fishermen…Simon and Andrew, who are brothers. These shall be your first disciples.”

“Listen, Michael, I really can’t get my head around this disciple business. I mean, have you ever tried to teach these people anything?  They just don’t get it, you know, especially fishermen. I might as well talk to the fish, instead!”

“We’ve been over this a hundred times, Jesus. When talking to your disciples and later, when preaching to the masses, you should speak in parables…analogies, even metaphors, so that your words will be easily understood.”

“Sure, sure. I’ve been thinking about that, too and, I’m convinced that a hundred years down the road people are going to be going to war over religion; religions that are based on skewed interpretations of these parables. But, hey, who am I?  I’m just the son of God, what do I know?” 

Before Michael could respond, Jesus hurried on, “Remember, back in the day, you told Abraham to slay his son and prove his love and fidelity to God?  Man, he was really going to do that!  That’s the stuff I’m talking about. He didn’t understand the damned metaphor, I’ll guarantee you that!”

Exasperation was evident in Michael’s voice as he replied, “That wasn’t me. It was….Never mind!  Just do what your dad wants. He’s been around the block a few times and believe me, he knows what he’s doing.”

“Uh-huh, like when he told Eve not to eat of the Tree of Life?  What’s the first thing a woman will do when you tell her not to do something?She’ll—”

“ENOUGH!  Thou speaketh blasphemy!  Forget thee not to whom thou speaketh! I remain the enforcer of thy Lord’s laws!” 

Jesus sighed. He hated it when Michael spoke in this archaic manner. He swallowed the sarcastic remark that threatened to spill across his mind, however, and simply said, “Okay. I’m sorry. Alright?”

Lack of response from the Archangel Michael was usually not a good sign, but Jesus was happy for the silence. He walked several yards along the beach, both to gather his own thoughts and to give Michael time to cool down. Finally, he mused, “Andrew and Simon – these names are familiar to me. I mean besides the fact that a third of every man I know is named Andrew or Simon. If I’m not mistaken, they have long been followers of John the Baptist and they’ve attended some of my shows, er…discussion groups. Is that right?”

No response. “Oh, come on Michael, I said I was sorry!”

The Archangel finally responded in his usual basso, echoing voice, “Yes. Andrew, in particular, has been to several of your discussions and is already convinced that you are the Messiah. It will not take much to convince Simon, as well.”

Now, Jesus was the silent one. He walked in deep thought, shielding these thoughts until he felt Michael leave. Finally. Far down the beach he could see two fishermen working on their boat.

*****

Andrew looked up from his work, mending a net, and saw a man sitting in the sand. The stranger sat in the lotus position. Trying to concentrate on his work was impossible. Andrew threw the net aside, jumped off the boat, and without a word to Simon strode across the beach to where the man sat. The closer he got, the more he believed he recognized the stranger. Still a couple feet away, he had it.

“You are Jesus of Nazareth?” 

Jesus looked up, smiled and nodded his head in the affirmative.

 Unsure of himself, Andrew kicked at the sand. “I’ve seen you before. I’ve heard you speak to the people.” Jesus remained silent. “Some people say that you are the Messiah. Is that the truth?

Jesus stood and brushed sand off his butt. He shook himself like a dog would shake off water, his robe whirling and then settling back on his thin frame. “Who would these people be, Andrew?” 

Shocked that Jesus knew his name, Andrew stuttered, “You…you know…me…my name?”

The expression “duh” was thousands of years in the future but Jesus’ look was exactly that…”duhhhh“.

His words, however, remained calm and smooth as if talking to a child. “You said “some people say.” Who would these people be?”

“Well, John for one. John the Baptist,” Andrew mumbled.

“And what of you, Andrew; what do you believe?”  Jesus took a couple of steps forward and placed his hand on Andrews’ shoulder. His gaze was that of complete serenity, understanding and compassion.

A loud voice interrupted. It was Simon calling from the boat. “Andrew!  Andrew, we’ve work to do. Quit lolly-gagging around and get back here, lekish!”

Andrew jumped at the sound of his brother’s reproach. His face turned brilliant red in shame at Simon calling him a fool in front of this man. Jesus pretended not to have heard. He looked at the sky and then, down the beach. Andrew found his voice. “I must get back to work.”  He paused before continuing, “Oh…and, yes. Yes, I believe that you are the Messiah.”

Jesus gave him a brilliant smile. “Well, see, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Andrew smiled back and nodded. He turned to go back to the boat and was startled to see Jesus walking along beside him. Jesus put his arm around his shoulder and said, “Does your brother, Simon, also believe?  Never mind. I’ll ask him myself.”

Simon looked up and saw Jesus with his brother. A mere glance before he turned back to his work, but over his shoulder he said, “If you’re looking for work we’ve none here for you.”

Andrew spoke up before Jesus could respond. “He’s not looking for work, he’s the Messiah that John the Baptist spoke of and….”

Simon dropped his net and stalked off the boat. He stopped a couple of feet short of the pair and stared at Jesus. His face was red and getting more so, almost purple. His eyes bugged out. His lips pressed tightly together. He was a lidded kettle about to boil over.

“You!  I’ve heard of you!  Imposter!  I’m sick of all these false prophets showing up around here. I wish I had a shekel for every would-be Messiah that’s come through here!  Hell, even one agora for every imposter would make me a rich man!  I’ve had it to here – you hear me?”  Simon pushed his hand, palm flat and down, underneath his chin.

Smiling and speaking softly, Jesus said, “Shalom, Simon of Zebedee, son of Jonas, or is it John?  My you’ve quite a temper, haven’t you?  Such beiz you have, what? You’ll really need to learn to control that anger, my friend.”

Simon stuttered and fumed, momentarily unable to answer this soft approach to his rage. Jesus took advantage of Simon’s silence to continue, “A real kreftike, you are. I think I’ll be able to use a strong man like you – a rock, if you will. You will henceforth be called Cephas and…we need something profound, hmm….yes, I have it….upon this rock, I shall build my church.”  He reached forward and gripped Simon’s shoulder.

Still smiling, Jesus looked around at a small group of onlookers that had assembled, drawn like moths to a flame around Simon’s angry outburst. He noticed that they all looked rather stupefied. I guess my future famous quote went right over their heads, he thought. I knew this parable stuff wouldn’t work!  Perhaps, I should repeat it.

He was about to do so when Simon yelled, “What?  How dare you presume to give me a new name. Who do you think you are, my father?  Cephas!  A rock!  Are you implying that I’m stupid?  Narisch?”  Simon pushed Jesus’ hand off his shoulder. He clenched his fists at his sides, on the brink of physical violence.

Jesus took a step back. “It will not take much to convince Simon, as well,” Michael had said. My klop, Jesus thought, this beast needs taming before I can even begin to recruit him. Maybe, recruiting him isn’t such a good idea, after all. Jesus knew that enlisting Simon was not up for discussion. A renewal of that discussion would surely end as his query about the number of disciples had ended. Twelve, he’d been told, was symbolic. It was the number of the tribes of Israel. It represented the number of months in a year  and, according to God’s numerologists, was absolutely the be all, end all of numbers.

Jesus held his hands up, palms out in the internationally, peaceful gesture of “hold it!” 

“Okay. Easy. Let’s just forget “Cephas” for now, alright?  Tell you what. Why don’t we all just relax and take some deep breaths for a couple minutes. That’s it, everyone just calm down.”  He looked around at the small group of onlookers and noticed that the tension had drained from the crowd. Turning his attention back to Simon, he also saw that his face was losing its red color, the hands were unclenched.

“Good. Very good.”  He smiled at Simon and said, “So, Simon, what will it take to convince you of who I am?  Hmm?  A little miracle, perhaps?”

Simon simply glared. The crowd took up the chant, “Miracle, miracle, let us have a miracle!”  The chant got louder and louder. Jesus could hardly hear himself think. He held up his hands for silence and after a few minutes, the crowd had quieted enough for him to be heard.

“How’s business, Simon?  Catching lots of fish?”

For a moment it seemed that Simon would continue his silence, but he relented and growled, “If you’re the Messiah, you would not need to ask how my business was doing.”

Jesus pondered his answer. Should he really know?  I suppose he has a point, there; but, I don’t know and I don’t have time to find out. I’ll have to wing it, I guess.

Aloud, he said, “Yes, of course, I do. You…are….ummm, doing very badly. In fact, you are among the poorest of the fisherman here.”  He leaned forward and stared at Simon. “Isn’t that so?  Am I right?”

Simon looked at the ground, instantly humbled. He nodded his big, shaggy head.

Jesus was delighted. Now he knew how he would gain Simon’s trust and count him among his disciples. “Well, brother, let’s go fishing!”

Twenty minutes later, Simon, Andrew and Jesus were fifty meters from shore. Several of the fishermen in the crowd had gotten their own boats and followed Jesus out onto the sea. Among these onlookers were James and John, also brothers. Jesus had noticed them in the crowd earlier and thought that, among all the fishermen, they looked to be the most intelligent. Perhaps, he’d talk to them later.

“Stop the boat here and throw your nets,” Jesus said. He stood in the bow of the boat, one foot upon the keel and the other in the bottom of the boat. He looked very much like the captain of the vessel, which irritated Simon as he glanced at Jesus.

“It is foolish to fish here. We must go out much further. There are no fish this close to shore,” Simon said and under his breath, “lekish!”

Jesus heard the “fool” remark but elected to ignore it. “You wanted a miracle, did you not?”  Jesus asked, a bit arrogantly. “I’ll give you a miracle. Throw your net here.”

Shaking their heads, the brothers gathered the net and tossed it overboard. They were about to row and drag the net when Jesus stopped them, again. “No need for that. Pull the net back into the boat.” 

Jesus was acutely aware of the laughter in the neighboring boats and the red faced embarrassment of Simon. He smiled when he noticed the difficulty the brothers were having pulling in the net.

Andrew looked over his shoulder at Jesus and smiled broadly. The net was obviously full of fish and he was pleased that he would be vindicated in his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Catching a full net of fish, where fish should not be, was certainly a miracle.

There was much commotion aboard the other boats as everyone saw the brother’s net appearing out of the water. The water above the net boiled as hundreds of fish struggled to escape while Simon and Andrew laboriously pulled their catch into the boat. A loud round of applause from the onlookers accompanied the final heave bringing the full net of fish inside the boat.

Jesus watched, hands on hips, a bright smile on his face. He waited for Simon to speak.

Standing in the middle of the boat, Simon wiped sweat from his brow and with downcast eyes, said, “I am amazed. That was truly a miracle.”

“Yes, and….” Jesus moved his hands in the international sign of come on, come on…

Simon sighed and slowly obliged, “You are…you are surely the Messiah of which John the Baptist speaks.”

Jesus stepped forward and clapped Simon on the shoulder. “I am pleased that you’ve acknowledged me. I—”

“Hey, what the gehenem is this!” Andrew yelled. Simon and Jesus both turned to see him poking a white colored clump of wobbly flesh with the handle of an oar.

Simon knelt next to the thing and poked it with his finger. “Why…this is a…a jellyfish!”  He exclaimed. Simon had once travelled to the Mediterranean Sea and seen many of these creatures floating in the waves and washed up onto the shore. He looked back to Jesus, raising his eyebrows in query.

Jesus just shrugged his shoulders and looked away, obviously embarrassed and not willing to respond. Simon’s hard look turned to a smile and he laughed for the first time since encountering Jesus.

Realizing that Simon had noticed his little goof, but was not going to make issue of it; Jesus joined in the laughter and Simon turned and threw the jellyfish back into the sea.

The moment passed and Jesus once again placed his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Now, if I may…let’s get back to the name. I really want to name you Cephas. It’s important to me, you see?   It’s something about building a church on you, the rock—not literally, of course, it’s just a how do you call it, simile?  On the other hand—” 

Simon threw his hands in the air, “Fine. Fine, whatever you want.”

Pleased, Jesus turned to make sure the men in the neighboring boats were paying attention and then, turned back to Simon, saying, “You Simon Peter shall be called Cephas, the rock; and upon this rock shall I build my church!” 

He stared toward the other boats with narrowed eyes, willing them to have heard and understood what he’d said. He could tell by the look of amazement on their faces that they had indeed heard and understood. Turning back to Simon and Andrew, he said, “Well, let’s get this boat back to shore and distribute the catch among your neighbors.”

An hour later all of the fish had been counted and meted out to the gathering of fishermen. Jesus sat in the sand and watched. Finished, Simon and Andrew walked over to Jesus, who stood as they approached.

“So, Lord, what now?” Asked Simon.

Jesus gave him a look, what now?, what do you mean what now?  It suddenly dawned on him, perhaps a subtle mental jog from the Archangel Michael, because Jesus shook himself out of the stare and said, “Oh…well, uh….let’s see. Oh, I have it.”  He looked at Simon and Andrew and then, at the small group of fisherman still gathered around. Raising his voice so that all would clearly hear, he said, “Come. Follow me and I shall make you fishers of men.”

Simon and Andrew exchanged glances. Simon scratched his head. Andrew simply looked uncomprehending.

Near exasperation, Jesus threw his hands up and said, “Oh, never mind. Just follow me. I’ve ten more disciples to find.”  He turned, mumbling to himself and walked off down the beach. Simon and Andrew shrugged their shoulders and followed.