“Prince Jesus”
Once Upon a Time…
There lived a troubled man. He was locked away in a tower (mental hospital) because he had delusions of grandeur; which is to say that he believed firmly in ideas that were not fact. He was sure of his beliefs. No one could persuade him otherwise.
The man called himself “Prince Jesus,” for he believed he was the risen Lord. He did not believe this because he was self important. He did not believe this because he thought it was his duty to save the world. He honestly believed that he was God. This was his delusion. And he could not escape it.
Prince Jesus had a friend named Jane. Jane was crafty. She too was trapped in the tower. She knew that if only Prince Jesus would pretend he didn’t believe these things (even if he did), he would be released. She told him so. But he held on. Tight.
Prince Jesus and Jane soon became good friends. Often they plotted their escape. He was allowed more time outside because he smoked. This was a rare time when Jane wished she smoked so she would have another excuse to step into the sunshine.
At the time, Jane had left her dog at her parents’ house while she was in the tower. She and the dog shared a very special bond. He was called Charlie and was flown into Georgia from Louisiana to live with her. He loved her more than he did any other person in the world, and she was closer to him than she was to most people.
When Jane gained weight, Charlie gained weight. When Jane was sick, Charlie was sick. When Jane dated boys that Charlie didn’t like, he chased them away. When Jane went into the tower, Charlie went into the hospital.
Charlie was very ill. The witches (therapists) and wizards (psychiatrists) in the tower did something they never had before. They cleared the courtyard and opened the gate to let Charlie in for Jane to hold him, perhaps for the last time. Charlie saw that Jane was alive, and he fought to stay that way for her. With a three percent chance of survival after a risky blood transfusion, he lived for several years afterward. She attributed some of that health and good fortune to her friends in the tower, especially
Prince Jesus.
Before they opened the courtyard gate, Prince Jesus suggested that everyone hold hands and recite the Serenity Prayer. Those friends prayed together with all their might before clearing the courtyard so that Charlie could enter.
Though Prince Jesus believed himself to be God incarnate, he was a human like the rest of us. It was a delusion. But he certainly gave Jane cause to believe in him, God or otherwise. Thank you, Prince Jesus.
—SJB