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One may be surprised that a writer on our oneness together would refer to the Truth we are, not our appearance as separate entities, as a benevolent, indifferent presence. This way of speaking, by Francis Lucille, in The Perfume of Silence, of our innate graciousness appears contradictory. Yet, it is not contradictory from an impersonal, or transpersonal, perspective. Indeed, 'indifferent' means, in its etymology, 'showing no preference.' Love Itself can be well spoken of as both benevolent and indifferent, benevolent for nonpreferential. This Grace does not refer to a thought or feeling state; such as, "I simply don't think well of you at all" or "I could care less if you simply dropped off the face of the earth." This benevolent indifference, being beyond our dualistic, so exclusive, thoughts and feelings, being not a state of mind or emotion, is deeply compassionate, for the posture of care is an expression of care arising from Grace beyond the personal. See, Presence, not being personal, not being person, has nothing to lose or gain, whether you like me or not, whether you hate me or not, whether you share with me or not, even whether you kill me or not, when the 'me' refers to what I appear to be, not who I am. One could blaspheme this Presence all day, and it would not influence Presence one iota. Nothing you can or cannot do will affect any change in Presence or the love Presence is for you. Grace is free of all thoughts and feelings of what moves within the personal as good or bad, right or wrong, like or unlike, love or unlove, even godly or godless. Grace is absolutely Self-fulfilled, so even your not recognizing Grace leads to no sense of loss or gain in Grace, otherwise the Infinite would be dependent on the finite, which is what many humans appear to want, but that will not work for us. We serve Grace, and we receive the blessing of that service, not as reward from Presence, as though we can manipulate Presence to give us preferential treatment, but as natural consequence of the correspondence with Grace.
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Leaving the Country Store earlier this day, I walking out saw a young man, in his 20s, another somewhat older. Both were getting out of a truck. The younger being closer, met me first and acknowledged my presence slightly. The second and I passed, only a few feet apart. I looked toward him, he showed no interest in acknowledging me. I walked on, recalling thoughts from earlier in the day, during morning quiet time.
The recollection was of musing on sitting outside a store the prior day, waiting for my truck to be inspected by a mechanic. The wooden seat was wet, it having been a drizzly day. And, during part of my time sitting there, it drizzled more. Persons would walk toward the entrance to the store, each moving past me. Some expressed kindly gestures of recognition with me. Others showed no interest in any such sharing.
These ruminations revolve around a matter I have written of often over the last many years ~ invitational Presence. What is this? And how does this relate with Grace, our Source and our oneness, being benevolently indifferent, or indifferently benevolent?
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