“Jesus Freeman is nothing short of a conman. Yet another opportunistic cult leader who rides on the naivete of gullible laypeople, cashing in on their frustration, robbing them blind of their faith, and corrupting their youth before they blossom.” Ade finishes reading and lifts his fingers off the Braille paper.
“This is an excerpt from the article,” he continues, “signed by the leaders of all major religions and published in mainstream media including the Times and the Post. What do you have to say to them, Jesus?”
Taking place in the Common Sense Studio, also known as Ade and Sera’s garage, the 6th interview with the now-bearded Jesus is the hardest—if not the cruelest. When Jesus got inspired to remind people of the most basic instinct of compassion and the most intuitive medicine of forgiveness, He had no idea that one day He would be vilified like this. He did have sporadic visions of Himself being crucified, but He never thought that His prestige would go before His body. The extent to which they have gone just to defame Jesus is beyond comprehension. And the religious leaders were the last people on Earth whom He would imagine orchestrating the assassination of His character. How naive He was when He thought that they would embrace Him and commend Him for echoing the very basic values that their representative religions proclaim.
With every hurtful word that Ade reads, a burning tear drops on the lump in Jesus’ throat. Jesus wishes that He had studied the papers earlier to be emotionally prepared for this interview. “But I… I just wanted… I never…never” Jesus gulps the tears that clog His throat. After taking a short breath, He continues, “Don’t they see I’m not asking anything in return? Those leaders should know better than anyone that I just repeat what all those religions say. What I do is merely a reminder of what we all already know. We are just tricked into forgetting how big of a deal that is. Instead, we are trained to put emphasis on everything else but good deeds. Anything that colors us differently than the guy on the other side of the line. Anything that strengthens the Us vs. Them mentality. And we call that identity. And we are taught to celebrate it, take pride in it, die for it, and even kill for it.”
“Speaking of it, aren’t you afraid, Jesus?” Ade asks, as he takes off his dark sunglasses.
Sera also turns to Jesus, her smile and wide eyes suggesting that she would not be satisfied with anything less than a heroic response.
Jesus, however, is tired of being anyone’s hero. There were times that He yearned to be above and beyond anybody else and to be recognized as such. Be adored, or praised, or both. And now He is getting all that from His ever-increasing herd of followers. He is being adored, praised, and sometimes even worshiped. But not loved; the way Sally loved Him when they were sharing a cheeseburger, offering the two-dollar-and-thirty-four-cent burger to the other after each bite. Jesus is tired of this unfulfilling hero character. He wants to be a child again; when Hishis deepest desires would be satisfied by a chocolate ice cream after Sunday masses. When the world was simpler, Hishis mom had all the answers, and happiness seemed to be only one arm’s length away, waiting for Jesus just to extend Hishis hand and reach for it.
Jesus studies the fatherly look on Ade’s face. There is a mysterious light in Ade’s blind eyes that strips Jesus of all Hishis powers, making him feel like a child again. As defenseless. As innocent. And as sincere. He reviews Ade’s last question. Is Jesus afraid? “Yes, I am. I’m always afraid,” Jesus says with a nervous chuckle. “From what exactly?”
“They won’t let you get away with this.”
“They?” Jesus asks, his voice tight. “Who-o-o-o…who are they?”
Ade leans in, facing Jesus as though he can see. “Son. They’ll come after you. They’ll come with all their power.”
“What did I do?” Jesus squeaks, not able to hide the confusion in his voice.
“Let this blind man prophesy for Jesus,” Ade says while his searching hand scans the wooden desk and finds that of Jesus. “For every man who listens to you, for every woman who supports you, there will be one less paying follower from their herd. That is the source of their powers that you’re messing with. That is the guarantee of their existence that you are making expire. Don’t you fear how far they’d go to stop you?”
Sera watches Jesus closely, the disappointment on her face no longer demanding to squeeze a hero out of Jesus. Jesus’ face must be giving away the fear in his heart.
Scared as any ordinary man would be, Jesus sputters with hesitance, “I… I…,” and swallows his spit. Somehow, he doesn’t even remember Ade’s question. “I don’t know. Do you?” He asks Ade, not quite sure what.
Ade chuckles. “Messiah would have no fear—”
“But, I do,” Jesus objects.
Ade pauses and turns to the garage’s half-open door, where the loud, monstrous sound of a motorcycle disturbs the podcast. He waits a few moments but the background noise persists. Ade sighs and continues, “Messiah would have no fear, but you are no Messiah.”
Shaking her head, Sera mouths Ade’s words.
Stricken with shock, Jesus feels goosebumps prickle his skin. Of course Hehe is not the Messiah. When did Hehe ever claim that? His eyes on Sera as if she is the one speaking, Jesus tunes his ears for Ade’s next words.
“You are not the son of God, or a sinless saint, or a superhero. You’re just Jesus; yet another Black reminder.”
With his eyes on Sera, Jesus ponders Ade’s words. Like a flash flood rushing through every corner of his heart, Ade’s words reach deep and far, washing up the places that have remained untouched, challenging the beasts that were hiding out. With them coming out of their shells, there will be a fight within Jesus’ heart. A battle inside.
“Goodbye, son,” Ade mutters and smiles. Is the interview over?!
A Molotov cocktail is hurled through the garage’s half-open door. It hits the ground a few feet behind Sera and bursts into flames. Sera screams when the fire catches on the back of her dress.
Jesus impulsively springs out of his chair and pulls Sera into his brotherly arms. Together, they leap to the other side of the garage, where the fire has not yet reached. In mid-air, Jesus realizes that he is saving the sister he never had. Jesus, the savior of the day and his family. Before the sense of pride takes root in his mind, he remembers that he should save Ade too. Stuck behind that chunky desk, he has little to no mobility to escape the engulfing fire.
Jesus falls on his back and Sera on him. He leaves Sera and stands up to aid Ade.
BOOM!
The waves of the blast throw Jesus back on the ground, next to Sera. Everything goes dark.
Clad as Indiana Jones, Jesus walks through the fog, approaching the sacred tomb hidden behind the tall trees in the deepest forests of Tibet. The years-long search is finally over. As Jesus steps inside, the deserted tomb gradually transforms into a temple, a vast sanctuary devoid of life. At the far end, sits what Jesus has yearned for all his life: his father. Ade remains motionless, resembling a larger-than-life Buddha statue.
Jesus takes a step forward, his heart brimming with joy. A sudden burst of flames engulfs Ade. “No!” Jesus screams, rushing toward him. The closer Jesus gets, the fiercer the flames rage.
Ade remains silent, as though the roaring fire consuming his body cannot touch his soul. Smiling at Jesus’ tear-streaked face, Ade’s voice pierces through the inferno. “Goodbye, my son.”
Darkness reigns everywhere, leaving no beam of light left in the world. Jesus is unable to see but the scent of smoke fills his nostrils. Every bone in his body screams in pain, masking the burning sensation on his skin. He lies on his back, not sure why or where.
The high-pitched ring in his ears gradually fades away, being replaced with the word ‘Dad’ that Sera cries. And Jesus remembers the garage. And the roaring fire. And the boom. The paint cans that were stacked next to Ade must have exploded.
While coughing, Jesus opens his eyes with great difficulty and lifts his head. A red fire extinguisher stands by his feet. The fire has almost subsided, leaving behind a studio charred and a voice silenced. At least, no one was injured thanks to Jesus’ heroism saving the day. Tracing Sera’s incessant calls for Ade, Jesus locates her amidst the thick smoke.
Sera sits next to Ade, cradling his head in her arms, while her body is racked with silent sobs.
Is Ade okay? Jesus wonders. He must be. In this chaotic and upside-down world, Ade is the only constant that makes sense. What would Jesus do is he lost his mentor? It took many years for Jesus to find his father, and he cannot bear to lose him again. “Ade,” Jesus calls out hoarsely and peers through the smoke.
Jesus receives no response, nor does he clearly see Ade’s face. Gathering the last of his strength, Jesus rises and approaches the scene of horror with tentative steps. Ade’s face is still out of view, but that of Sera already reflects the depth of the tragedy. He gets closer. And closer. Leaning to the right of the scorched desk, he is on the brink of seeing Ade’s face when Sera’s piercing scream bursts out.
Jesus closes his eyes and his heart.