A Mirage Made in Heaven
Posted on March 10, 2013 under Storytelling with no comments yet
Most of us have at some point in our lives seen a mirage of one sort or the other. In our childhood it was quite common to lie on the ground and stare heavenward. More often than not you could identify some creature in the shifting clouds overhead. As we got older and were introduced to mind altering substances like alcohol and drugs, seeing strange things was far more commonplace. The classic Jim Stafford song from the ‘70’s, “Wildwood Weed” said it best – “take a trip and never leave the farm”. And lately, sightings of religious icons such as the image of the Blessed Virgin on the wall of a Tim Horton’s drive through and, more recently, the image of Jesus in the floorboards of a hair salon in Halifax, remind us of the power of faith and imagination… and hallucinogens.
Against this backdrop, can you imagine the infinite possibilities if marijuana becomes legal here as it has in Colorado and Washington?
If you are a Christian, then by and large you believe in the omnipresence of the Creator. It is certainly easier to comprehend this when you step into a church. It is infinitely a dicier proposition trying to communicate with Him ( Her ) while waiting for your double-double at Tim’s or while having a perm done at the aforementioned salon. Recently, another sighting, that of the Blessed Virgin on someone’s living room wall in their home, evoked a massive response and had people lined up for hours waiting to see the image. Unfortunately, some overzealous family member, in an attempt to ready the house for all of this traffic, inadvertently removed the visage with a warm wet cloth and some Mr. Clean.
The possible legalization of marijuana in Canada and many parts of the world poses all kinds of potential obstacles and opportunities. Some would suggest that our politicians are already on something with their asinine behaviour. Although governments could solve some of their fiscal problems by taxing this noxious weed, this also could create a whole host of other challenges. The worry is that legalizing pot just puts us on the slippery slope towards more dangerous addictions. On the upside, one suspects that fast food chains would heap huge rewards as more and more people would have the munchies. They might just have to supersize the supersized servings.
And what does the church have to say about all this? It is pretty much against just about anything that smacks of fun. However, if there is a global movement to legalize marijuana, then potentially the Vatican could succumb. Might we someday see the headline “the Pope smokes dope”?
One thing is for certain. If pot is legalized then sightings of Christ, The Blessed Virgin and all the angels and saints will become a daily phenomenon. With Palm Sunday fast approaching, the possibilities are endless. If palm leaves are replaced by marijuana plants then the sign of peace during mass takes on a whole new connotation.
I just looked at the hardwood floor in our living room. I swear I could see the Last Supper.
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