The Ultimate Price

Erin is a college graduate who has been struggling with her faith.

She majored in Early Childhood Education at Valdosta State University and began teaching 1st grade at an elementary school in Pensacola, Florida. She was excited to get the job, but this new job would require her to move from her hometown of Albany, GA. She would have to leave her family in order to make a life for herself.

Erin was able to find a small, affordable apartment near the school where she would be teaching. She didn't know anyone and being a faithful Christian, she wanted to start visiting churches right away. She knew if she could find a good church family that she could be happy in her new job and home.

She talked to her neighbors and people at the grocery story. Basically, Erin would talk to anyone who would listen and help her. She was given some information about a couple of churches and decided to do some research. Two of the churches looked very promising to her. They had the qualities that her previous church had and she thought she could meet some other young professionals like herself.

Erin decided to visit an Evangelical church one Sunday morning. She was very impressed with their service and enjoyed listening to the pastor's sermon. After the sermon, she was introduced to the pastor and his wife. The wife was fairly young and was impressed by Erin's decision to make a life for herself in Pensacola. The two women engaged in conversation while the pastor excused himself to talk to other church members. Erin had a lot in common with her. Her name was Shelly and she helped out with the children's ministry at church. Shelly was also into Yoga and taught Yoga classes to the members who wanted to practice meditation and relaxation techniques.

Erin knew she would be visiting the church again and signed up for Shelly's Yoga classes. She assumed that it wouldn't hurt for her to practice relaxation techniques as well as get to know local church members.

The first Yoga class Erin went to was strange. She wasn't used to the lights being turned off and the moves to exercise lean muscles. All the movements were slow and well-controlled. It took balance and great concentration for her to be able to perform these movements.

After class, Shelly congratulated Erin on a job well done and told her that it would take her body and mind a little while to get used to the movements. She told her that once she was completely relaxed, that it would send her thoughts to a place where her mind would just pass through time and that it would help her work through any previous or present issues in her life.

Even though Erin struggled, she continued her weekly Yoga regiments. One day in class, Erin began to meditate on the scripture John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Erin's mind passed through a space time continuum. She had no control over where her mind was transporting her body. She woke up in the garden of Gethsemane. She saw a man wearing a cloak and praying very loudly while crying and arguing about his situation. Erin could see fire and hear a bellowing voice coming from a burning bush. The man was speaking a language that she didn't understand, but she could see and hear the panic on his face and in his voice. The man was not wearing clothes from her time period and he was sweating drops of blood. He was so distraught that he didn't even seem to notice Erin's presence in the garden.

Even though the pictures of this man were very different than his actual appearance, Erin knew immediately that she was seeing Jesus and she knew that he was about to be captured by Roman soldiers. All the pictures of Jesus that she was used to seeing portrayed Jesus with European ancestry (blonde or light brown hair, fair skin, and blue eyes). This was not the man she saw. He was tall and slender with olive skin, mahogany brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She could see the stains of blood on his clothes and all around the ground where he had been praying.

Just at that very moment when Erin realized who this man actually was, Roman soldiers came up and grabbed ahold of Jesus. The men that were with him tried to defend him against the soldiers, but Jesus stopped them and went along with the men peacefully and quietly.

Erin followed, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows.

Jesus was taken into a huge, elaborate temple. Erin could not follow for fear of giving up her presence during this time. She climbed up on a boulder and peaked through an opening in the wall. She didn't understand the language that was being spoken, but she knew the story and knew what was happening. Jesus remained calm and at peace even though his life was about to come to an end. He was taken away to a cell until the Jewish people would have a chance to decide his fate the next day.

Erin found a place to hide for the night and slept until she heard yelling. She was suddenly awakened to this man yelling out at the crowd. He seemed to be a man of power because the people listened to him. Then off to the side, she saw Jesus in chains looking out at his people. Tears in his eyes and running down his cheeks, he had a look of disappointment and despair.

After the people chanted, Jesus was taken to a new area. The men chained him to a place in the stone and took out these huge whips with bones on the ends. They began to whip and beat him while he screamed and cried out.

Erin cried and wanted to help Jesus, but she knew she was out of place. No one in the crowd would stand up for him and defend him against such injustice.

She watched as he was whipped and beaten over and over again. His flesh became blood as he was beaten so much that his bones began to show. No human being should have ever had to suffer such a punishment, especially when they were innocent of any wrongdoing.

The more Jesus suffered, the more the crowd cheered. Erin could not believe that anyone could ever be so cruel! She wanted to stop it and she didn't care if she were killed in the process, but then she heard a voice that was very peaceful and it spoke to her.

It said to forgive these people for they know not what they do!

Suddenly, Erin was transported back through this time continuum. Shelly was calling her name and trying to wake her up. She offered Erin some water and made her sit down until she seemed more like herself again.

Erin truly believed that somehow she was transported back in time to this event in history, not to stop it but to use it to witness others. She saw the suffering and sacrifice that this man went through to save all of God's children for future generations. She knew that she was not meant to stop it, but to possibly understand the reasoning for it.

Erin has learned about the sacrifices that were made for all of mankind and that her faith has become stronger than ever. No matter what, God always has a plan.