The prophet Zarathustra, whose name
means undiluted star, said that gravity is
the irrefutable force of love that binds us
together. And the Chinese sage Mencius
said that our impulse to drop everything
to save a child from falling into a well—this
holds everything together. And the rabbis
of Eastern Europe rang their bells at dawn
like spiritual roosters, barking that God
is dormant until you are in relationship.
They would chant, “Get up and make
God visible!”
Isn’t this how we complete each other?
When I walk our dog, I wave to the mail-
man driving from house to house, though
I don’t know his name. At the register in
the supermarket, I have the same small
exchange with Betty about her arthritis
every time I buy milk and bread. And
when I board the plane, I have the same
brief intimacy with Darren the gate agent.
He has two grown kids, one who won’t
speak to him.
And there was the old man wanting to
buy two peaches. But they were only sold
by the bunch. So he left. And I watched
the woman behind me run to the produce
aisle and then to the parking lot to say,
“Here, have them all.”
These small exchanges make God visible.
They hold everything together. They arc us,
one to the other, until the gravity of love
binds us. So, for God’s sake, say hello!
A Question to Walk With: Describe a recent experience of saying hello, when someone offered you a kindness, or when you offered someone a kindness. How did this exchange bring you alive?
This excerpt is from my book of poems in progress, The Long Seasons of Being Human.
Happy New Year! Mark will be guiding some special journeys in 2024 and we’re glad to share all the links here as a reminder:
Falling Down and Getting Up, a Mastery Week at the Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, Feb 5-10, 2024
The Gift of Deepening and the Radiance in All Things, a weeklong retreat on a river cruise in France hosted by Global Journeys, May 18-24, 2024.
https://globalj.org/the-gift-od-deepening-overview/
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship, a Mastery Week at the Modern Elder Academy in Santa Fe, Mexico, Sept 16-21, 2024.
https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/the-power-of-friendship-with-mark-nepo
Saying Yes to Life: The One Life We’re Given, a weeklong retreat in Costa Rica, hosted by Global Journeys, Dec 8-14, 2024.
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