Every actual relationship to another human being in the world is exclusive. Its You is freed and steps forth to confront us in its uniqueness. It fills the firmament - not as if there were nothing else, but everything else lives in its light.

He would send money monthly to the tiny-town church I served as Pastor about 15 years ago. He drove a big truck, and the small sanctuary faced a main highway headed toward Macon, GA USA - the kind of little town that is a nowhere but persons pass through on to a somewhere. Before my arrival, he had written the congregation as to why he planned to keep sending the financial gift, even though he was not a local citizen and never stopped at the sanctuary. He informed the people of the comfort the little light on the front porch provided him, as he drove his truck by at night, reminding him, by its illumination of the sanctuary, of what truly is most important in his life. And that is what the sanctuary was pointing to, not the sanctuary itself. And even as we can find such reminders, such pointers, around us in our daily living, through that which like an opening veil or a religious icon, opens before us again the Sacred that is always, already present. The sanctuaries that most point me to the Holy, the Mystery-here, are persons in whom I see the present Light presenting Itself to remind me my heart cannot find its Home among things, but only within the embrace of an invisible and Life-giving Grace.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. And think not you can direct the course of love, for love if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.

*Kahlil Gibran. The Prophet.

©Brian Kenneth Wilcox 2017. Brian is a Hospice Chaplain, living out his vow to serve all living beings by serving those preparing to die and their friends and family. Brian lives a vowed life, alone in a quasi-hermitic life, and integrates varied religions, but most especially the contemplative paths of Buddhism and his native faith, Christianity. Brian received a 'mystical' Christ-experience at age 9, and was introduced to a peace untouched by pain and suffering. Later, in his mid-30s, after surviving a dark night of despair, Brian was vowed to a contemplative Christian way of life on St. Matthew's Feast day, 1995, by Greenbough House of Prayer, in Georgia, USA. This began many years of ardent reading, spiritual practice, and exploration of many spiritual paths, including publication of his book An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love. The Journey has led Brian to the joy beyond the ache, a contentment in experiential union with Grace. Brian lives with the affirmation that Love, not as emotion but Divine Presence, transcends all paths of religion and is our Source and Destination. As St. Paul writes in the Christian Bible, "Now remain always, faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." Peace to All!

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