The Journeys of our lives: Volume 2 – “Boboes and the Travels in Darkness”

With Teufel in the lead, his train of Boboes struck out into the “outside.” Theywere now in the Land of “Unlikeness.” They began to notice that Orgueil Boulevard was no longer as smooth and comfortable as it had been. They were even stumbling for the first times in their lives. In the growing darkness, they began passing signs, which warned, “danger ahead” and “watch out for darkness.” Teufel scoffed at them even as the Boboes wondered at what lay ahead.

In their continuing journey, the Boboes were surprised that in the land of Unlikeness, Teufel was suddenly joined by many who appeared to have been enlisted as his helpers. In fact, these newcomers were each given authority to act as leaders and guides to the pilgrims from the land of Being. Through them, Teufel’s marching order was quickly and rather ruthlessly (or so those in the ranks complained) directed at them.

As they journeyed further into this new land, they became more and more aware of themselves. At first they enjoyed this newness. Throughout the night they became aware of sensations new to them. They began to discuss if they could possibly be catching “Betvivla” or one of those dreaded diseases like “Rank,” or even worse, “Loneliness,” which they had heard lived outside the land of Being. The Boboes who liked to ponder and act with their feelings said one thing, while two other groups reflected the matter with their experiences or their reasons.

In their former reality, they had lived together unthreatened. The structure provided by the King of Being had provided them with the calm of certainty and peace. But now, in the Land of Unlikeness, their uncertainties led them to begin disagreeing among themselves. Soon the bickering escalated and they found they had forged themselves into small groups of like-minded support individuals. They began following the self-proclaimed sage advice of Teufel, “In this kingdom, the best way to arrive at the truth is to follow the rule of unlikeness – ‘consider only the here and now.’ If you approach all of your problems with this standard, you can experience you rown peace and stand in your own place. I know this for I have been here before; I know that for us, the here and now is the only reality.”

In their growing anxiety, they all were cheered in the traveler’s oasis or rest area that came to lie before them. They huddled under its overhang along with an old man they did not know; joining the old man in his lean against a pamphlet rack, their eyes were attracted to the many brochures and displays. Some of the places and experiences advertised were of places that the Boboes remembered well - like the Hall of Justice and “Pleasure Park.” – These were places that they had all enjoyed in the land of their origin.

Remembering the place of their birth with increasing fondness, they were surprised to hear the stranger speak, “Maybe you ought to consider going home.” As they turned toward where the old man stood, the stranger suddenly vanished. The Boboes were left by themselves and their groups began to reflect on whether he had been real or not. Teufel and his henchmen were quick to enter in on their turmoil, “Don’t worry; he was a mirage; he wasn’t real. Besides, you haven’t begun to experience your new freedom in the present. Come on! Let’s go forward and enjoy ourselves; remember ‘the rule of Unlikeness’.”

So, onward the ever-dividing group continued.

Their increasingly uneven path now wound through a forest whose tree leaves and limbs were joined by a freshening wind to sing an audible hum that sounded but was unheard by the increasingly distinctive troops, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.”

We wait for volume three of “The Journeys of our lives - Boboes and the Round-about” to appear in next week’s paper…

Each month a member of the local clergy will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month’s s contributor is Rev. Dennis C. Schutte, pastor of Life in Christ Lutheran Church. Pastor Schutte has lived in Cook County (Lutsen) since 2000 serving as Pastor and Missionary.