From stardust, to simple life, to sex and difference, then evolution led by love and death, an altered ape on Earth one day learned language, longing for so much, addressed deities, dreamed of paradise. Consciousness became conscience of shortfall, there being a battle between brutal thrust and fellow-feeling, friendly hobnobbing. Fathomless fears fostered gods, powers personified disposing of their fate; offering food to eat was Earth, their mother, their father the oh-fail-not fiery sun, and many more imagination shaped, then over-ruled them all with one supreme. They held to him to help deliver them from powerlessness and prayed for prosperous times.
A single supernatural source and mind enabled them to order all the world and, making him their model, make a self, to see themselves as each a single person, amid flux of feelings and phantasms to say ‘I’. And when their god grew more gracious they began to imagine humanity might be gracious too, whole-hearted and healing like him they had created. But the glimpsed god-led goal eluded them, the ascent into the unseen was too steep, uncanny. Deity must come down and dwell on Earth.
His mother was Mary, a man was born without rank or riches in a rough condition. Kindness is coming to reign, he proclaimed to the people, the poor have a privileged place in this kingdom, heartily shall the hungry feast happy at my table, the meek, the merciful, the martyrs for justice. He clashed with clerics who called him a blasphemer, fought with Pharisees who found him a lawbreaker. His upside-down gospel upset Empire that killed him.
Then the man Jesus metamorphoses into mythical Christ, who goes down to the depths of darkness to overcome it, harrowing hell to hunt out the Devil:
Thou art Doctor of Death, drink that thou madest. For I that am Lord of Life, love is my drink and for that drink today I died upon Earth.
Enabling dream, drama and dreadful battle, now and not yet, needs action and vision. Doctors of death to be daunted and thwarted, chancellors challenged who chivvy the poor, from their lap of luxury, lay burdens on others.
Christ, leading captivity captive, scales the heights, giver of gifts, true God and true man. He is seen before he ascends by some of his intimates. First Mary Magdalene meets him in the garden. When he breaks bread, this brings recognition. Be my body by one baked loaf shared, be of my blood in the bond of this wine, he cries as he christens re-crowned humankind, gathering together in goodwill and love fellow creatures accredited one Christ, one enterprise, hero of this history of our whole species.
He spreads his spirit spurting tongues of fire, working its wonders, the word that burns. Voice of the victims, the invisible who pay, of the resolute against wrongs, rising again. All who struggle for strength and strive to do good, all who love life and lead it generously, pouring out with passion a poem of being.
Bridegroom and bride are brought to bed, swooning sweetness of secret bliss. Primrose and Parliament Hill, St Pancras International, she shines as a city of social joys, where communal comfort and kindness reign, a human habitat, here on this planet.