Well they say it's my birthday...

Day 20, 13th Moon, Civil Year 3760

Ever since I signed up for Facebook with a fake birthdate, everybody's been confused. I mean, come on:  it's the Solstice, right? I was just being cautious, what with all the identity theft going around. I heard a terrible story about some fellow who was crucified after being mistaken for somebody else. Gotta be careful these days.

But really, those of you who know me—do I read like a Capricorn? I'm totally a Pisces. That's why I have the cool fish tattoo.

Well, it doesn't really matter. I hear the disciples are throwing me a party, which is very sweet. James is a great gardener, and the house is full of evergreens and candles. Mary's baking some kind of cake with dried fruit in it. It'll be a good time, so stop by if you get the chance.

Okay, so here's my Love 'n Peace "birthday edition" message:

Celebrate the day you were born into flesh, and live your life with joy. But remember that you are not your body. Your body is just a vehicle for your Spirit, and your Spirit is the part of you that is eternal. Your Spirit is part of God, and as such, it is divine and holy and beloved, for God is not whole without you. When the day comes that you lay down your body, it becomes an empty shell and no longer matters. Resurrection is not about the body; it is about remembering who you are, re-membering with God, and returning to the consciousness that you never really left. Your beautiful, important life here is not the totality of you; it is just a dream that your Spirit chose to have for a little while. And no matter what happens in this dream, no matter what you do or think, you are beloved and precious and loved, and you will always be so.

I'm going to go kill some time at Manny's. I could use a macchiato and a bagel, and I don't want to show up too early for the party. I think it's supposed to be a surprise, but the disciples wear their thoughts on their sleeves, so it's pretty hard to keep a secret.

Until next time—love and peace to you!

Yeshua Ben-Joseph

Previous Comments:

Simon:  Who? Who got crucified? What? Holy crap, I gotta call Reg at the PFJ.

John:  I really thought you were a Libra, Rabbi. What time of day were you born? Can I just call your mother?

Matthew:  I can't do anything with a February birthday. Nothing goes on in February! I'm sticking with the Solstice. It's a much better story.

BigMomma:  Oy! Such a difficult birth. I'll never forget it as long as I live. In a cave with a midwife, out in the middle of the desert, and then after all those pains, the sun stops in the sky for a day. Can you say melodramatic? And Joseph—useless! No help whatsoever. By the way, what happened to the sweater I made for you? I haven't seen you wearing it. It's your favorite color and everything.

Matthew:  Hmm, I think that this needs some more characters. Were there any shepherds, say? Angels? What if three astrologers showed up because his birth had been foretold! Okay, now we're rolling...

BigMomma:  The only people around was a camel thief and a farmer selling artichokes. Which is the last thing you want to see when you're giving birth, let me tell you.

Monychangrrr:  Need protection from identity theft? FREE* identity theft protection!!! *Applies to first 24 hours only. Pricing subject to change. Discounts available if you use debit, credit, or electronic fund transfer from your checking account.

Phar-i-C:  Pisceans are full of crap!

JudasI:  SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!!

Phar-i-C:  @JudasI You're a Scorpio, aren't you?

Peter:  Rabbi, you already know about the party?

Publius Severus:  It is absolutely untrue that the Roman Empire would wrongly execute anyone. We know who you are. We know where you live. We never make a mistake. We are the Romans. We are here to take care of you. We know what we're doing. There's nothing to see here. Move along.