A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION TO STRONG WOMAN: Unshrouding the Secrets of the Soul by Joseph G. Marino To say that some of the events described in STRONG WOMAN: Unshrouding the Secrets of the Soul radically changed my life would be a gross understatement. I am a former Roman Catholic Priest and Benedictine Monk. Like Saul of Tarsus, my theology and life had been established and thought to be firmly in place for the future. Like Saul of Tarsus, I would never be the same after life-altering experiences, some of which are described in this book. I can only give a cursory summary here, but I hope it will be enough to explain why I think this book is so important. Until I met Susie, I believed I would spend my whole life as a Benedictine monk in a monastery, where I cultivated a special interest that would eventually be affected by the events described in Strong Woman. Even before I entered the monastery where I was based for over 18 years, I had a fascination for the Shroud of Turin, the reputed burial cloth of Jesus. The Shroud played a significant role in transforming me from an agnostic into a Christian and my subsequent entry into the monastery. I always had a deep sense, almost mystical in nature, that the Shroud would continue to play a significant role in my spiritual life. While in the monastery, I wrote and lectured about the Shroud, produced a newsletter about it, and discussed it on television and radio. Over the years, I had various religious experiences connected with the Shroud that helped convince me that it was authentic. Even after the infamous Carbon-14 dating test of 1988, which purportedly showed that the Shroud dated only from the Middle Ages, my belief that the Shroud was the actual burial cloth of Jesus never wavered. I still strongly expected to keep my appointment with my destiny, which significantly involved this mysterious linen. In 1997, I received a call from the author of this book, who had recently become interested in the Shroud. She told me that she had only learned about the relic through some revelations she claimed to have received from Jesus. She revealed that Jesus said that the cloth was authentic and called the image his "fingerprint." One obviously has to be cautious about such claims, but one also just cannot outrightly dismiss such claims just because they sound too fantastic. My own previous religious experiences convinced me of that. She had written several papers dealing with the Shroud and other spiritual and scientific matters, which she asked me to read. As one who makes a point to read everything on the Shroud, I agreed to read them. I found her work, including the theology and science in them, to be quite erudite. In addition to discussing the Shroud, we also talked about other spiritual matters, including the difference between our perceptions of Jesus and the reality of Jesus. You will read about these incredible insights in this book. You can decide if they are fantasy or reality. The reasons that we come to believe something, especially in the area of religion, are complex, but our beliefs are easier to hold if they are confirmed by actual life experiences. Early on, she told me that she had a message from Jesus for me. The message was that I should put down my umbrella because truth was raining down all around me. I asked her what that meant. She said that if I believed that Jesus was actually speaking to her, I would start seeing "signs." While I was initially uncomfortable with some of the ideas she was proposing, her points were always convincing, and in my heart I found myself feeling less and less secure in my theology. Within days of the putative promise of signs, I started receiving them. They came almost every day for the next four months, and consistently after that for another six months. They usually occurred via the well-known phenomenon of "synchronicity," which is an unusual convergence of meaningful events. The Jesuit religious periodical America published an article titled, "When Is Synchronicity a Sign?" in the midst of my own synchronicities! Sometimes, a precise answer to a thought or a prayer based on my conversations with Susie would be answered in a matter of seconds, from a reading during prayers, seeing something in a magazine or newspaper, or a comment from individuals. I have kept track of all the signs as documentation through handwritten notes and emails. Other unexplainable events were constantly occurring in this period, which cannot be detailed here. It will literally take a book to tell my whole story. Susie was also getting similar signs, sometimes even on the same matter. All of the signs, much to my dismay, pointed me in the direction of leaving the monastery, something that was unthinkable for me. Even though leaving was unimaginable, the signs were seemingly unmistakable. With great anxiety and fear, I started discussing these experiences with my spiritual director, a trusted priest friend whom I had known for over 20 years. He suggested that I needed to be cautious about my signs, knowing that the mind can play tricks on us. At least one other close friend in whom I confided advised the same. My spiritual director, Susie and I met periodically, and I continued to meet with him separately as well. I even asked him if he thought that my experiences could be attributed to an evil spirit. Susie herself had been skeptical of her own experiences and when she questioned Jesus about them, his reply was, "You are right to be skeptical. Believe no image, including mine, that steers you away from my one true message." When Susie asked what that message was, she was told, "The answer is always love. Any other answer is not of God no matter who says it." My spiritual director did not believe I was being deceived. My other friend, in whom I confided, a very wise and spiritual person, also met Susie and became very supportive of us. My own heart, but more importantly, my conscience, convinced me that God had a special mission for me, which would include the Shroud and more, and had used Susie as an instrument for my instruction. I did leave the monastery, the priesthood and the Catholic Church, and I am now not only collaborating with her on the Shroud and other spiritual issues, but we have become life partners. Our union facilitates spreading the message we believe we have been given to impart to the world. Many people did not approve of my decision, and I can truly understand why people feel that way. Being in relationship with God always entails risk and surprise, even when one believes that life is grounded in an unalterable tradition. One is obligated to seek the will of God, even when decisions based on His will leads to alienation from others. God would seem to have more in mind than using Susie just as an instrument in my own life. There are far-reaching implications to her revelations, including a new understanding of what role the Shroud will play in God's plan for humankind. We have already presented at a Worldwide Congress in Orvieto, Italy in August 2000 a significant Shroud paper that explains why the 1988 C-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin produced medieval results. This paper, which indicates that the Shroud is indeed the burial cloth of Jesus, resulted from a revelation that Susie had been given. We also wrote two follow-up papers on this theory, which now has the support of the original scientists on the team from 1978 that studied it, based on Shroud samples he still has in his possession. We have also written various other articles that are possibly setting the stage for this new understanding of God's plan for humankind. I truly believe that I am now fulfilling my longstanding Shroud-based sense of destiny. None of this would have been possible had I not left the monastery. It was a risk, as there was an obvious chance that Susie and I were both somehow deceiving ourselves. The main criteria for judging an authentic prophet of the Old Testament was that what he predicted came true; he would thus be imparting a divine message. Like many researchers, Susie and I both thought that the C-14 results were affected by some sort of radiation that had thrown the dating off. However, after Susie received her revelation that it was actually a repair, our subsequent research and scientific support by the only scientist able to validate our theory proves that a divine source was at work. Although being a world-champion powerlifter and getting spiritual and scientific revelations might, at first glance seem unconnected, the author believes that there is a connection. She believes that the physical world mirrors the spiritual world. Thus, God can make incredible things happen in the material world to indicate His power just as He can make incredible things happen in the spiritual world to manifest His power. Her weightlifting power, despite her handicap, is an example of God displaying His strength through a human's weakness. Her lack of knowledge regarding the Bible enabled her to be, in her words, a "clean slate" in whom God could more easily work. From having cancer as a young child to picking up the pieces after two failed marriages, Susie Benford's life story is a tale of unbelievable courage and tenacity as well as continual marvels. Those who accept the traditional ideas about Jesus will not likely accept her portrait of him from her revelations. Although Christians profess that Jesus was fully human, many Christians cannot even conceive of Jesus laughing, much less of having done something that people considered "bad." Susie reveals a Jesus who is indeed fully human, to the degree that it will make some readers uncomfortable. But was not that the effect of Jesus among most of his contemporaries? She offers a different slant on what constitutes sin and our present and ultimate relationship with God. Many readers will probably think or believe these types of views are heretical. However, it should be remembered that theologians and exegetes are constantly uncovering new insights. Throughout history, new theological ideas have generally been initially rejected or viewed with suspicion. Then over the course of time, previously-rejected ideas can become part of the accepted theology. Even Thomas Aquinas, a theological giant in Catholicism, experienced significant rejection in his own day. Each succeeding generation tends to see itself as the most theologically enlightened, but the world even today still experiences unspeakable horrors done in the name of religion. After almost 2000 years of Christianity, one has to wonder whether we have progressed much at all. The 20th century was the bloodiest time in human history. Regardless, new theological ideas flourish. The mystery of God always presents ongoing challenges. All new theological insights have to be judged on their merits. What constitutes "supernatural" for theologians constantly changes. Susie believes that mankind has actually been given the ability to understand much of what many consider to be "supernatural" and thus unknowable. Whereas most people think of the world in terms of what is natural and what is supernatural, she believes that what people tend to term as supernatural are in reality little-understood natural phenomena. Although it should be understood that God's design and presence in the natural is no less real or significant. Some renowned scientists in history who made some great discoveries have attributed them to spiritual inspiration. These include Nikola Tesla: alternating current; Albert Einstein: general theory of relativity; Jonas Salk: polio vaccine. However, their particular human gifts also played roles in the development of these discoveries. Such is the case with Susie. Although she attributes her revelations to divine inspiration, her own insights also play a role. God does not take away a person's humanity even when he/she is a direct instrument. This should not be surprising even from a purely religious view. Very few people would hold that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul and other New Testament writers did not leave their personal handiwork in their documents. There is a popular saying that "truth is stranger than fiction." This saying definitely applies to the book you are about to read. It would be difficult for a fiction writer to spin a more incredible story. Who could ever believe that a small, handicapped woman under 100 pounds could become the world champion in powerlifting? Who could believe that this skeptical woman, who knew next to nothing about the Bible, could be getting revelations from Jesus that could turn the world upside down again, just as he did when he came almost two millennia ago. How could a woman with a cursory scientific background produce mind-boggling scientific discoveries that are amazing top-notch scientists? Many who read this book likely believe that nothing could be added to our understanding of Jesus that we have not already acquired through the New Testament. However, it could be that the life of Susie Benford is a shining example of God's penchant for using the weak to spread His message. I know my life will never be the same again because of Susie. Regardless of your beliefs, it will be one of the most significant and powerful stories you will ever read. |
