A Vision of Eden

Along a dusty path I run, from what I do not know. Yet I must find safety, I must find shelter. I’m in the jungle, dark green foliage surrounds me. I make my way through it, blindly, confused, maddeningly. Finally, I come to a clearing, and in it I find a glowing structure no man could have built. It was like a pyramid made of glass, though overgrown with the vines of untold years. As I walked closer I peered into the glass, only to jump back in astonishment.

The interior is much bigger than the structure could possibly contain. It is lit with golden ethereal light which reflects off of the still surface of a placid lake. The water is clear, clearer than anything I had ever seen before, and I longed to dive into it. I could see the bottom, inlaid with blue mosaic tiles similar to those one hears about in ancient fables of the formidable Rome. In the center is a statue of marble, wielding a golden staff, submerged completely in that blissful liquid. It is surrounded by four ornate Corinthian columns, each equidistant from the statue.

Beyond the lake is another portal, similar to that which I gaze through now, only it is much larger and appears almost like a gateway to a realm of splendid greenery and valiant morning light. I am overtaken with an intense longing to enter the inner sanctum of this divine image. Then I look left and behold! I spot a scene of paradise unlike any I had ever seen on Earth!

A mountain of tropical plants gives way to a great waterfall, with roaring sound but gentle image. The waterfall feeds a deep pool, turquoise blue in color. The pool forms a perfect circle and is surrounded by plants bearing lush fruit. The pool remains still, despite the constant drumming of the waterfall. At the far edge of the pool is a second smaller waterfall that tumbles over the edge of a majestic cliff into the great lake below.

I beg to enter this place. I bang with fists rolled tight upon the glass, but to no avail. All was in vain and I gaze out upon this magnificent place, full of sorrow. But then, a man slowly rises from the depths of the blue pool and makes his way towards the second waterfall. He tumbles over it and downward into the great lake, yet he does not disturb the waters surface. Then slowly, he swims toward the giant statue and dives, reaching for the golden scepter and…

Light brighter than the luminescence of a million suns blinds me! As my vision returns to me I notice that all is gone! The vault of glass, the lake, the pool, the man, all vanished into the side of a gigantic stone. I stand pressed against the rough overgrown surface of what was once clear glass, dazed and depressed. I am alone again, I am afraid again. But strangely, a small warm feeling of hope begins to flow up inside of me. I am alone, but I am no longer lost. I know where I am going now. I just don’t know how to get there. The dirt path becomes clearer and the jungle less dense before me as I set out on my journey for truth.