The Hunky Jesus Picture

Many years ago I walked into a spiritual bookstore and way in the back of the store on a high shelf I saw this picture. It really stopped me dead in my tracks. I felt a rush of joy, a sense of familiarity, love and rightness that I had never felt before with any image of Jesus…..though I had seen many. I thought….”Oh…there he is…that’s how I feel Him in my heart, not distant, aloof or untouchable ….but here and now, in and with authentic intimacy and love….a true brother, friend, companion and guide.” Needless to say I bought the picture and since that time have given out many to friends along the way that feel a connection with me and with Jesus. It is lovingly referred to as the “hunky Jesus” picture.

Okay…..here’s the thing. I know this is just a picture, an image and a symbol. I have had times when I thought it silly to have a picture (externally and internally) and have decided to be more abstract again…to grow up, be more Absolute, less personal….in my awakening process to and with God. But those times don’t last for very long because there is a sense of loneliness that wells up in my heart when I get too Absolute. I have learned, after many years of going back and forth between the intimate and personal approach and the impersonal, formless and Absolute approach….that everything of my being responds and expands through the more tactile and personal …… while……everything of my being starts to feel dry and sad and withered without it. Finally, as I was pondering this one day and moving towards the thought…..once again…that I “should” really let go of all images, that sweet Voice interrupted my analysis of the situation and told me to relax….that if/when it was important for me to release this approach to Reality….. using certain symbols…it would come naturally and without any sense of loss at all.

Recently, as I was sitting in my prayer chair, with my candles lit and incense burning, I gazed at this picture and I noticed that the joy of it still filled me…..with a deep smile and a sense of closeness, nearness and oneness. And then Jesus spoke to me about it….and now I am quite sure that we will not be having to have any more conversations about this subject. He basically told me that He brought the picture to me that day in the bookstore, as a gift of His Love…… because I do respond to an intimate and personal approach to Reality.

He continued and said “yes, it’s true….this picture and image is but a symbol….. but I am standing behind it…. drawing your mind and heart…. through it… into conscious togetherness with Me…..and it is this merging which restores to you….. the awareness and remembrance of our Oneness and sameness…..which is your awakening to the Light of Christ that we share.”

He told me to freely love and utilize the symbol, without hesitation or reserve, that it would never hold me back but would help focus and center my heart while drawing me past the form and into the Omnipresent Light beyond it. The scripture “I am the Door” came to me….and I understood it from a different perspective. He said to use the image to pray with whenever I felt the desire to do so and to enter into it in my deeper prayer times. He told me that Love uses symbols to help us awaken and that this had been and still is a Gift for me and that I can just embrace it and enjoy it and utilize it. All symbols and concepts will fade away….but only when they are no longer useful.

A few days after this He said one more thing that I want to share. He said that we can all understand and use our images in time (our body-personalities) the same way. As the “Hunky Jesus”  picture is a symbol through which His Love draws me into Union with Him as the means of my awakening…..our images can be seen in the same way….as visible, tangible symbols through which He may Shine  to draw to Him…. through us…. those that can respond to Him. What a joy and what a beautiful way to help us release the ego self.