By William Godwin                                                                                 Jesus (1) May 1986

In his 1985 Christmas message. Pope John Paul II endeavored to put "the words of Jesus into the context of the signs and needs of our times." 

That is no longer necessary. I am Jesus the Christ. God has sent me into the world again in a final attempt to make sense out of the chaos. I am living in the poorest section of the poorest state of the richest nation, North Mississippi USA.

I was reluctant to undertake this mission. Fame is the last thing in this world that I want. In a previous life I was assassinated — partly because I was controversial, but partly because I was famous. Although God does not want my visit to become a media event, I will continue to be unorthodox and revolutionary.

On this trip I don't claim to be perfect. I stumble, feel blue and get sick just like other people. I have not turned any miracles. I have not healed any people. But I do know what I am talking about. My second ministry begins with this epistle. All of life is subject to religious scrutiny. I hope to speak frequently between now and June 1989 or later. You will not have to rely on hearsay.

Evidence for my claim includes the following: My earthly name contains the words I AM GOD in consecutive order. My town (Corinth, MS) has a Bible name. My earthly father is a retired carpenter. I was conceived on Christmas Day. The name of my college means Son of David. Both of my parents were born in the year 1914.

You may be wondering what I think about things that were not made clear in the Bible. Writers of the Bible were doing the best they could. They were inspired in the same way that some writers of today are inspired. The Bible has some valuable teachings, while many other sources are helpful. But there are mistakes. By logic, no one chooses to be born. The Lord must save everyone.

My name is Jesus or Immanuel. I have several titles, including the Christ, the Savior, the Messiah, and so on. The title "Christ" is neither my first name nor my last name. The title "Christ" should always be preceded by "the" unless it comes before my name. As in President Lincoln.

During my current stay here, I have been looking for churches that actively recruit people of all races. So far I haven't found one. You may say that every one is welcome at your church, but I don't believe you, God's church is a mingling of all people, not just the white ones and not just the black ones. Brotherhood is the most important teaching of the Bible. As for hunger in the world, there should be no paid preachers and no church buildings until all of the world's people are being fed, clothed, housed, educated and treated medically.

How did the universe begin? The first things were created by Jehovah and then God used evolution to help develop life. If you can think of time going on forever in both directions, you have an idea of the endless space of the universe.

God suffered strains during creation and is partly disabled. The Lord is a good and loving deity, but is not all-powerful anymore. For example, Yahweh is not able to control all aspects of the weather. God's work in the world must be our own, to a great extent. Are you doing your share?

The Earth would not be overpopulated if every child had a loving mother and father. As it is. God remains firmly opposed to birth control. The only acceptable methods of birth control are abstinence and sterilization, the latter being suitable for certain violations of the law. Abortion, being murder, is the worst form of birth control. Even if a mother's life is in danger, abortion is not called for. Who can say that a mother's life is worth more than her child's?

Laws should ban marriages until both mates are at least 23 years old and then only when they have kept company for at least three years. Prospective couples should show evidence of financial stability. Divorce is an admission that at least one of the partners never loved the other. Love never ends. The rule for homosexuals is the same as for heterosexuals. Love before sex. The sin is promiscuity.

The only desirable government is democracy — not theocracy. Every adult should be allowed to vote and each vote should count the same. The only desirable economic system is socialism, in which people who may not be equal in many respects are treated as equals. Worldwide democratic socialism provides the best protection for human rights. Please notice that I am not recommending an atheistic dictatorship. God is not bound by ideologies.

Competition is an irritant to God. The Lord frowns on war, crime, private commerce and athletic rivalry. There are two roots of evil — the love of money and the love of self. The desirable behavior is cooperation.

You may be thinking, "Somebody mast have spotted Jesus by now. He has scars in his hands and feet and on his body." I do have scars, but they are not in the same places. I was born anew in this century. I have new parents.

I spend my free time in active prayer. But I am in communication with God all the time. The closest thing (in human terns) to our contact is the computer. God has a huge network of computer-like systems, the largest one being bigger than some heavenly bodies. And yes, there are beings in other parts of the universe.

Briefly speaking: IF GOD DIED, all of the lights in the universe would go out immediately. AS FOR KNOWING who I am, God has told me gradually, as I have become able to absorb the meaning of my mission. EACH TIME you wonder what to do, you are praying. Thought is prayer. The main benefit of our prayers is to enable us to bear our burdens. THERE IS no devil. God would not allow a devil to exist. The evil that is in people exists because God has not been able to work out all of the kinks. I DON'T KNOW where Paul got that foolishness about women being second-class citizens. EVERY CONGREGATION in the world should be called The Church (that meets at 689 Main Street, City, State, Nation).

God plans to wind up this experiment with human affairs before the end of my current existence. It is my job to help all people put the best face on this planet within a very short time. Will you join me?

I do not ask you to believe in me or to believe what I say. Rather, I ask you to think. The world has tried everything else. Now it is time to try education, which means the molding of goodness and wisdom.

If you wish to respond, the mailing address is William Godwin, 1104 East 5th Street, Corinth MS 38834 (USA), If the volume of letters is too great, I will deal with your comments and questions in future media messages. God sends love to each of you, as do I and the Holy Spirit within your soul. Let us hear from you.

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