Once an angry parishioner spoke to her priest, “Father, I’m really upset at what you are doing to our church!” “Well,” said the priest, “that is part of the problem: so many of you think it is your church.”
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This "meeting" is not at a time and place, but is a collective Grace in which is a bond, a gathering, of Soul - not a collection of souls, or a field of soul energy, but an expression of a single Soul, or just of Soul.
Early Christian letters to churches used the Greek word koinonia for the bond of followers of Jesus. This word means "sharing, fellowship, togetherness." What has become clear to me is how true this word speaks of all genuine togetherness. Koinonia implies, not a physical gathering - such as, coming together to worship or dine, though these and sundry other meetings may be expressions -, but an energy field, so to speak. This "meeting" is not at a time and place, but is a collective Grace in which is a bond, a gathering, of Soul - not a collection of souls, or a field of soul energy, but an expression of a single Soul, or just of Soul. When this deepens, senses of Togetherness can arise into the body-mind, but the senses are expressions, while Togetherness is prior to. This is, also, indicative of the power of tradition and ritual: tradition and ritual provide means to connect (as in, inspire the already-Connection) to Fellowship arising from the past, flowing in and through the present. Yet, again, this is only expression. All this means that most persons, at least in my culture, have little to no idea of what I am writing here. In some sense, to give ourselves to Grace, is to give ourselves to others. We live because of others. And we need a specific other and others to live out, or actualize in body and mind, our Connection with everyone. Particularity manifests universality; manyness teaches Oneness. And, what happens when we give ourselves to this is we know the manifestation of Connection is given to us, we do not own it, we do not control it, we are Graced to be because of it. And, as indicated above, the particularity of Connection - such as, in a family, or religion, or other connections socially - is present to transcend into boundless Grace, to which we are all each a note in the Song of Life.
