“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all of its parts makes up one body.” ~ Corinthians

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We walk this earth as lone voyagers, forsaken travelers with no destination, no purpose, no place.

Yet, at once we are held by the eternal, caressed by the gentle hands of the divine.

We walk alone, but we are bound to each other. Our souls are forever intertwined, mine and hers, though there will always exist some barrier between us, some palpable threshold that keeps us from fully immersing.

I’ve always felt this in my heart. I’ve always sensed a kind of invisible connection between people and wondered whether or not they felt it too. It is not a verbal connection, rather more of a hidden magnetism, an ethereal bond. It is found in the eyes, in the language of the body, in the tone of the voice, in the overall feel of the exchange. This is a field of connection wherein spoken word is greatly limited, and perhaps even a hindrance.

I was sitting at a coffee shop, writing and contemplating, when a young woman wandered past me. She was tender and shy, though at once bared a kind of rawness and hidden passion. We didn’t know each other, though when our eyes met there was something there—a kind of ancient mutuality, an archaic communion of spirit.

Nothing was said between us. Nothing needed to be said. The connection may have been unspoken, but surely went much deeper than the general conventions of language. There was an underlying recognition that something transcendent existed here, that although we moved independently, there remained some sublime cohesion that fated us.

Now, was this merely a projection on my part? It’s certainly possible, but the sentiment stuck with me and continues to linger among the deeper expanses of my soul.

We are alone, but we are alone together.

We are divided, though at once we are one.

The paradoxical nature of consciousness is nowhere more obvious than here. Although we might be eternally connected on the level of the soul, our paths will invariably diverge. Time will pass, and so will we. We will go our own way, walk our own paths, move through life according to the dictations of our own autonomy.

We are both separate, as well as intrinsic aspects of the eternal. I am as much on my own as I am always with you. Although I may abide in a sense of individuality and distinctiveness, I am at once part of everything that has ever existed, immersed in the totality of life itself.

Both states are quite beautiful in their own respective manner.

Her footsteps were delicate, each stride an expression of grace and serenity. She gazed stoically upon the trinkets and pictures that were assorted on the gallery walls, capturing the essence of each piece.

She took her time, allowing for each moment to reap its own unique fruits. Heartful. Calm. Mystical. Taking in her surroundings with an effortless yet refined finesse—a creature of charm and enchantment.

I knew her, but not by name or face. It was a much deeper knowledge, one that is not bound by time or death. A sacred knowledge that traces back to the very origins of being, that has its roots in our quintessential nature. This is a knowledge that transcends duality, that goes beyond our myriad of differences and particularities, one that is founded in our fundamental sameness.

Although on the surface we may seem rather different—inhabiting separate bodies, having divergent viewpoints, containing distinct affinities and propensities—on the most basic level we are all the same. We are made up of the same essential “stuff,” comprised of the same immortal spirit that resonates through all things.

In recognizing this wholeheartedly, we come to elicit a profound sense of connectedness and solidarity with our fellow human beings, whether it be a family member, a friend, or a beautiful passerby.

Without this connection, we are lost in the dark, caught adrift in the cosmic oblivion. Without this awareness of our intrinsic sameness, we are nothing.

We lose our humanity. We lose our dignity. We lose our capacity to love.

Love is ultimately no more than the realization that we are alone together. Through turmoil and hardship, through chaos and strife, we remain as one, in alignment with our eternal brothers and sisters.

We are born as one, live as one, and die as one. This space of unrelenting connectivity and relatedness is never gone. It is always with us; it is just that we often delude ourselves into thinking otherwise, deceive ourselves into believing we are alone.

We are not alone.

We are dispersed throughout the dynamic universe, cast into the boundless melting pot of creation against our will. We walk as individuals, but are never without the embrace of that which is transcendent, never too far from the divine. In that, we are whole, secure, and everlastingly guided toward love and fulfillment.

Whoever we are and wherever we come from, grace is with us. It carries us, shines the light upon the path before us. It is the connection, the holy bond that implores us to care for each other and be with each other. It is that which urges us to give love to a child, or to protect our neighbor against harm.

To abide in this state of grace is to give way to the profound sense of togetherness that we so deeply seek to attain—and this is where love is most greatly felt.

We are alone, but we are alone together.

 

Author: Samuel Kronen

Image: Nad Renrel/Flickr

Editor: Nicole Cameron