Runaway Jesus

The book takes place in Europe 1964, exploring a tribal, pre-hippie era. It’s the story of two childhood-friends, whose fundamental Christian beliefs were dramatically reinforced by intensive experiences with the psychedelic drug DXM. Not only did their young minds need to widen their horizon to embrace diverse religions and philosophies, but they also were forced to take Christianity seriously enough to start a new life without possessions, careers, and all the other comfortable promises of a regular life. The 18-year-old author went “on the road” and entered a world he was not prepared for – and one that wasn’t prepared for him. He hitchhiked through Italy, the South of France, and Spain, where the young runaway learned how to survive in spite of his longhaired beatnik-look. He was taught how to beg and how to sleep outside, in caves, under bridges, in the snow. When he finally arrived on the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Formentera, welcomed by a group of like-minded expatriates, he thought he had landed in paradise. In Formentera, he had a vision in which Jesus personally talked to him, instilling a desire to create peace on earth, stop all wars, feed and educate the poor, and to eventually become like Jesus himself. He returned to Germany and in the beginning of the summer was joined by his childhood friend J. to travel around Europe on a mission of love and peace, art and culture. Or to phrase it differently – sex, drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, whereby the sex consisted of mostly wishful thinking and romantic fantasies… Soon they became members of the mysterious and obscure tribe of the voluntarily homeless, who survived as street-musicians, pavement-painters, or by other unknown means. In the early sixties London was the Mecca for spiritual travelers and that’s where their urgent desire for enlightenment drove them next. The parks, the streets, the art-galleries, the clubs, and the bookstores they frequented were the fertile breeding-ground of everything the Sixties brought about a year or two later. Religion, drugs, and music brought young people together in a rather risky lifestyle that at times ended in addiction, jail, or death. After a climactic summer, in which the author in many ways became a man, he and his friend J. had to return to the grim reality of Germany and Switzerland in the winter. By now his friend was firmly convinced he was Jesus, super-powers included! The essential question was “WWJD” -- What would Jesus do? A question many kids today ask themselves. Finally the author understood – Jesus would never ask such a question, he would be too busy helping the unfortunate and suffering. As the author eventually sadly concluded: “Unlike the legendary Jesus from the Bible, my best friend Jesus didn’t really love people, he loved Jesus.” The book is at times hilariously funny, a coming of age-, romance-, adventure-novel about naive but determined drug-taking runaways, who believed they could achieve world-peace, the cessation of national borders, the abolishment of money and property, feed and educate the poor, and spread the spirit of free love, within the time-span of about five years! -- And, of course, it is about drugs, music, sex, and religions, and naturally -- the end of the world!