Bucket Lists

Matthew says: "So too, you also must be prepared, for at any hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." 24:33. We are to be ready for the coming of the Meshiach when he comes, but there is a corollary to this commandment; we are to have done everything in preparation for his coming. We are not to sit idly by and wait for his coming, but we are to do everything we can to prepare. The list of things that must be done before we meet our Maker is called a bucket list, from a movie of the same name.

How do we know what is on the bucket list? It differs for each person. Over your life you have felt a desire or duty to do things, like forgive people, make amends, see sites, read books, serve others, etc. and you have put them off. You put them off for a variety of reasons including finances, schedule, and more pressing duties and responsibilities and yet you continue to feel the need to do these things. What if you never get to do these things? Will your life seem complete? If the answer is no, that thing, that event, that duty, that undone compulsion is on your bucket list.

My passion is old things. I have a degree in history. I have spent much of my adult life trying to understand the origins of Judaism and Christianity. Now, I am busy trying to understand the underlying principles of western religion, both the Cult of Angels and the primitive Hebraic theology. I love archaeology. I love to visit ruins. My bucket list includes many trips to archaeological sites.

Number one on my bucket list for 25 years was a visit to Israel. Through many miraculous events and with the command of the Voice, I visited Israel for 16 days in 1997. The trip changed my way of looking at many things. I understood why seeing what I saw was important to my life.

Number two on my bucket list is visiting the Mayan and Toltec ruins. I want to understand a people who never were infected with the ideas of the West or East and developed a civilization without reference to those ideas. I am sure that visiting these sites will open my mind to whole new vistas not previously encountered. However right now, it is too dangerous to visit these sites, IMHO.

Number three on my bucket list is visiting the sites of the Ancient Pueblans (previously called the Anasazi). I intend to leave on an eleven day trip to see Mesa Verde, the Anasazi Cultural Center, Hovenweep, Chaco Canyon, Salmon Ruins, Aztec Ruins, and other Pueblan sites on August 27, 2010. In addition, I hope to understand why the Marranos, the remnants of the Nasoreans, came to Taos, New Mexico after the expulsion from Spain.

Number four on my bucket list is visiting Provence, Narbonne, and the Pyrenees to understand the influence of the Nasoreans and the Cathari on the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth century world.

I remember when reading 1 Enoch was on the bucket list. It just seemed to be impossible to read it. Then seven years ago the Voice spoke and said that if I would understand the Essenes, I must read Enoch. I did and it changed my world view.

Everyone of you has a bucket list, even if you do not know it. Try to do at least one thing on that list this year. Plan to do them all. Make clearing that list a priority. You will not be ready for the Coming if you have not finished your bucket list.