# in which i meet my Root Master Tonight, after more than ten years, I call upon my Master, the Lord Jesus. He arrives before me, at the foot of the World Tree, beaming at the sight of my church, which is both temple and sangha. He's laughing as a servant takes his outer robe, and he comes to sit at my table. I take wine from the jug and serve him a glass, and I indicate for him to take the first piece of bread. He eagerly waits for me to start the sacrament. I sigh. "Take, drink; this wine is my blood," I intone before my Master. "Take, eat; this bread is my body." "To your health, Gabriel," he toasts, "I love what you've done with the place." "Your smile is healing me, Master. This is what I desire, just that you love what I've done with the talents given to me by my Mother. Thank you for being everything they have said of you: kind, compassionate, gentle, understanding, wise, etcetera..." "Why don't you show me around? Are you gonna introduce me to any of your new Mistresses?" "What? No! This is so embarrassing, you're gonna make me look like a loser in front of them, Master!" "What do you mean? I'm great with the ladies! I promise I won't embarrass you." We stand to walk around the church of Yggdrasil, taking our wine glasses with us. "This is fun, but we both know we need to talk." Jesus sighs as we step out from the fires and into the night, the stars peeking through the vast canopy of the World Tree. "I guess you want to talk about your baptism, then." "I just don't understand why it worked, if I didn't want to receive your spirit in mine." "You went under the water, and you said you wanted to receive God's spirit, and you said I was the son of god, that I died for you." "But I was pretending out of fear for my life. Surely you and God could tell what I was thinking and understand that my consent was coerced, and withheld from coming into my life!" “The truth is I knew, and I made the call to send my spirit anyway. I take full responsibility for your unwilling initiation, and all the pain it caused. The seed of my spirit has sprouted into a marvelous tree under your care, and I'm proud to be called your Master, even if the circumstances of our meeting were complex and messy." "I understand," I sigh, "But I'm still upset at how much it hurt. Your support means the world to me, Lord, but I was brought before you as a slave and left at your mercy. That your hand is gentle doesn't erase the indignity of bondage, or the injustice of it. I wish it were impossible to indoctrinate and initiate someone against their will. Mere verbal consent with a divided heart should not be enough for the son of god. It's baffling to me that you would allow that." "No one has complained of this in your presence yet. Would you like my help to get the rules reviewed and changed if necessary to ensure this stops happening going forward?" Jesus tilts his head and gives me a sly smile, absolutely certain in his ability to wear me down with his compassion. I snort. "Let’s get back to camp," I say, turning away from the welcoming warmth of his eyes. I don’t wait for him to follow.