January 15, 2008   Africa , Books , Ernest Holmes , Travel

Shhhhhh, don't talk to me

" To live affirmatively is to live as God lives, so we must plunge beneath the appearance. Here is where the test comes. We are testing...

• "To live affirmatively is to live as God lives, so we must plunge beneath the appearance. Here is where the test comes. We are testing ourselves to see whether we can forget evil and conceive more good, let go of limitation and take hold of the limitless, let go of the appearance and embrace reality." (Ernest Holmes)

Sitting on the flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg to set up and get ready for the tour group coming soon, empty-ish flight......why does he have to have the seat next to me, this jolly, good-old boy, extra talkative man. Don't look at him. He'll talk. Don't make eye contact. He'll ramble on for hours. Shhhh.

He yells out to two men boarding "Haai, wat maak julle twee totsies hier??" [What are you two thugs doing here??]. They laugh and exchange banter. (But they are kinda thug-like. Don't look.) And still chatting above the heads of the people. Sigh. Just read your book and look intently into the words and he'll leave you alone. I'm not really reading, i'm staring at the paper.

Success!

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've begun our desent." Ahh, and I managed to remain quiet the whole flight.....

"Excuse me, sir."

[Oh no.]

Smile - "Yes?"

I noticed the book you are reading. [Loving what is: How to live in harmony with what is - Byron Katie]

Smile - "Yes?"

That's very difficult to do, isn't it? Live in harmony with how things are.

Smile - "Yes."

"I was just talking to my people about that on Sunday." And then,....he goes on to describe the most wonderful program he runs, working with convicts to develop this new concept of Home Church. From what I can understand, its a way of creating small cell groups that are like families, centered around a home group - they do Church without having to congregate in large groups. Part of the program is developing relationships and he has created this thing where convicts get to work with, guide and mentor children.

I am spell bound.

Oh my god! [said in my now mixed up accent that doesn't have a home anywhere anymore] - here next to me was this resource, this fascination, this real live example, this .... person I would have wanted to talk to for hours. We exchange book titles and last words and thoughts about mega church in Korea and strategies for working in harmony with the way things are but we're both headed for our next journey stage and.... its gone....he is gone...

Sigh.

Now the Universe's turn: Smile "Yes?"

"To live affirmatively is to live as God lives, so we must plunge beneath the appearance. Here is where the test comes. We are testing ourselves to see whether we can forget evil and conceive more good, let go of limitation and take hold of the limitless, let go of the appearance and embrace reality." (Ernest Holmes)