i made a youtube video where i write a *short* short story because i want to share what i’m writing! i’m still writing my novel but need shorter projects in-between to keep up the motivation. below is the full short-short story and below that is the youtube video. please enjoy!

While Jesus could see into the future, he very rarely spoke of what the future would entail, outside of prophecies of course. I mean, he is the fulfillment of his predecessors’ prophecies. If he doesn’t make new prophecies and at the very least connect new prophecies to the older ones, he’d be doing his people a disservice. He has told very big prophecies involving many-eyed angels and lions with the bodies of bears or was it goats with the heads of seals? But small prophecies, like, indoor plumbing and is cereal soup? Those were just not culturally relevant.

In any case, Jesus’ prophecies kept to the big pictures for he needed his disciples to ponder his words. Too direct, and his disciples’ heads would get too arrogant and they’d be like, “I already knew that, Jesus. I’m an adult. I know. Stop being so condescending. Tell me something I don’t know, My lord.” Too small, and his disciples would get anxious, “Wait, Jesus, I have to accept even the w****s and the Samaritans? I mean, I’m open to accepting all kinds of people but like that seems a bit much. You’re kidding, right, Jesus?”

There were so many small things which seemed to weigh down his disciples and the rest of his father’s creation, and his whole purpose was to uplift them (literally), as it were, heavenward. This was also the reason he refrained from telling them about the many big things. Small things made them anxious, big things would just terrify them like the giant shrimp on that one planet. They’re not even allowed to eat seafood, why tell them about bigger seafood? (Though that planet was technically on a different plane of existence…)

Certain scientists of other cultures had already done the math and discovered the vastness of the Milky Way (though the chocolate bar hadn’t been invented yet and so their galaxy was not yet called that- it was just called Galaxy), using it to navigate their contextually tiny seas, but Jesus wasn’t sent to earth to be a math or science teacher, but a teacher of morals and philosophy.

That didn’t stop him from wishing his disciples would ask him questions about math and science; maybe a little bit of literature and cooking, or anatomy? Also, he was a carpenter! Did no one want to know any tips or tricks to make a really good table? Did none of them want to know why the number one was called number one? No one was curious as to why ten fingers and toes were the standard design? No one was going to ask why they couldn’t fly or couldn’t talk to animals? This is why Jesus had told the disciples not to turn away the children—the children asked great questions that adults were too dull or fearful to ask.

Children wanted to know everything and when they didn’t know, they always asked. Jesus saw the child each adult was and it pained him that they would stop asking questions in order to pretend that they had all the answers.

Of the questions Jesus knew he’d never be asked (because of his upcoming crucifixion and all), he wanted to give someone the answer to, “How will communion be practiced in the future?” Barring that there’d be a whole thing about making alcohol illegal and that there would eventually be family-friendly wine called ‘juice’, he wanted to tell someone about the tiny cups they’d be put in. That one day, his communion would literally be a sample size. Communion would be portable. It would be convenient. But not for another 2000ish years.

A few days before the first communion during the Passover celebration, Jesus sat down with Judas (the one who was made to betray him) and told him about, “Communion to go,”

Judas didn’t understand, “My lord? Where is it going?”

Jesus smiled appreciatively at being asked, “Into tiny cups, Judas.”

Judas didn’t understand. “Tiny cups, Teacher?”

“Yes, tiny cups to make it easier to consume my flesh and blood.” Jesus then wrapped an arm about Judas’ shoulders. “Listen, my son, these cups are going to be used by future believers of me (they will call themselves Christians because some of them will come to resent Jews, especially you) and these cups will be filled with my blood, represented by grape juice, and that cup will be sealed. And then on top of that seal will be my body, represented by a wafer (sometimes leavened, sometimes not) and then that will be sealed and people will know it as communion to go. And eventually, communion during a pandemic. They’ll peel off the seals, consume me, and then toss it all away into the garbage.”

Judas had slouched deeper, trying to shrug off Jesus’ arm, but it was as if Jesus had the foresight to know which way Judas would shift and so Judas could not escape. “Why are you telling me this?” Judas finally asked.

This question had both pleased and displeased Jesus but Jesus, being the Perfect Savior of the World and could therefore not lie, answered honestly, “Well, mostly because you’re going to betray me and nobody will believe your addition to the Apocrypha.”

“What?”

“My son. My son, listen. This is a small, inconsequential prophecy that has no bearing on the ultimate fate of the world (short of environmental as Communion To Go cups will be made of plastic) and I just had to tell someone and I chose to tell you.”

“Thank you,” said Judas as he looked over his shoulders, hoping to signal one of the other disciples to ask Jesus a question about head coverings or government taxes, but none of the other disciples were near.

“They went to get food, but don’t worry,” Jesus said, giving Judas a friendly shake, “they’ll be back soon.” Then looking into the middle distance, Jesus added, “Just like I will be back soon.”

“But My Lord, you haven’t gone anywhere.”

“Yet,” Jesus interrupted.

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