The Twelfth Insight - James Redfield [86]
“But all those prophecies can happen in a different way!” I said, intuiting it fully now.
“Look,” he replied, “we have to get real. We’re right on the edge here. Do you hear me? We’re right on the edge. Sooner or later this Apocalyptic plot is going to start, and it’s going to create complete chaos in the Western countries.
“Iran already has missiles that can completely close the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz. That’s where most of the oil for the West originates. When this war gets started, gasoline will rise to thirty dollars a gallon. That alone could cause food shortages and hoarding. If China gets involved, there could be a simultaneous cyber attack on us. Then the lights could go out. What do you think would happen then? No gas, no food in the stores. Hundreds of thousands in the streets, rioting.”
He paused and looked at me. “If anyone, us or otherwise, goes in and tries to stop these extremists piecemeal, the charges go off and the whole thing escalates. The wild card is Saudi Arabia. We don’t know how that plays out exactly, because your government should be able to control whether those missiles are fired or not. And I don’t know what they are planning here at Sinai, either, but you can bet it isn’t good. That’s why we’re going forward with our plan to intervene. We can’t wait.”
“No, listen,” I said. “Your actions are as extreme as those of the Apocalyptics. You’re planning to take over tyrannically because you think it’s the only way to save Western culture!”
I could hear the others looking for me down below, calling my name.
“Listen,” I said, “I have to go, but you must understand: the Document says if enough people get consciously involved in using their Influence, we can stop this war another way.”
He was shaking his head. “It can’t be stopped. It will erupt in the Middle East, and only if my group acts quickly can we counter the Chinese and contain the war. A lot of people will protest, but we can deal with that, too. And besides, you’re not going anywhere. You’re getting an escort out of here right now. You’ve had your chance.”
He raised his radio to his lips.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “You gave me five days, remember? That gives us through tomorrow.”
I held the Agape, merging with his higher self. His expression softened ever so slightly, and he looked at me with a kind of longing, wishing the situation wasn’t so bad.
After a long moment, he said, “Okay, you have one more day. We run the risk of you stumbling around up here and starting a war. But you know, I guess that’s okay. We have everything in place to do what we have to do. We’re ready.”
“Come on,” I whispered to the others when I got close. “Let’s go.” I grabbed my pack, my hands shaking slightly. The group followed me around a large outcropping and down toward the gorge.
Luckily, the soldiers were now running up to where Peterson was, so we took our opportunity to slip over the edge of the gorge, out of sight, and head up the ledge toward the Mount.
As we hurried up the slope, I moved closer to Coleman again and told him what Peterson had said. He shook his head and forced a smile. I could tell he was struggling to keep his energy up.
“What else is the Document saying?” I asked.
“It says the solution is the same for all time periods. In politics, an enlightened center, aligned in an open discussion of the truth, has to emerge to end the outright manipulation of voters and the corruption from both Left and Right.
“And in religion, an equally truthful group made up of the tolerant center of every religious tradition, all seeking the direct experience to which we have access, has to take center stage. No longer would one tradition try to impose their doctrine on other people or claim their way is the only path to Divine Connection. All religions would begin to emphasize those aspects of their traditions that are in line with this Connection,