One of my very good friends is named Nancy. I have known Nancy for 15 years. I have often seen her at meetings and we have heard each other share countless times. After meetings she and I chat for a few minutes. One day i spent most of a day with Nancy and her husband Charlie. It was a cool [not temperature] day.Right now Charlie is very ill. The three of us are closer than we have ever been.
Nancy and I have changed emails at least a 1000 times. Charlie reads them all and comments on the exchanges. I am very touched by the power of the written word.
I have another friend on the east coast. I have been sharing posts and replies with her maybe a year. Her name is Linda. She is famous for her outstanding strawberry jelly. She is of norwegian descent. My picture of the Norwegian culture is that they are folks that hold there emotions in say that in a crises situation they can release all their emotional energy to deal with a crises. That stored up emotional strength was never more apparent than in their resistance to the German occupation during World War ll.
Linda and I are good and caring friends. At my age i probably will not have the privelige of meeting her. Nevertheless our love for each other is strong and real.
I think that love is the heart of our universe. All it takes is connection for love to spring to reality. I care about the suffering folks in Africa. I feel deep pain for them. I don’t think I can love them because there is no person to person connection. I have met many people whose home is in Africa. When they came to my office at the mission I always asked them to pray for me. I sensed that spiritually they were deeper than me. I love each one of them. I can love them because I have had personal contact with them.
I think that is one expression of the expression “The Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh”. Not just Christian flesh. all flesh. If I take the trouble to contact people personally I have given myself the opportunity to receive and give love.
George Caywood 