In the company of Divine Beings ...

Divinity
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This morning I read a powerful passage from my teacher Jason's book; it is about the fact that, as humans and part of our society, we learn a rule: "you shall not know that you are a divine being". In his final paragraph, Jason assures the reader of the following: "... if you begin to understand it [being a divine being] even a little, I assure you, Eden will resurrect itself right where you are standing, and you will be ready to eat the fruit with God's blessing."

After reading this and closing the book, I stood in my kitchen trembling in awe. I don't believe I had ever considered the possibility of being a divine being until I was well into my 2nd even 3rd year of our non-dual healing school. It was surely, as he pointed out, never knowledge I had been given by anyone in my life before coming into this healing community.

Tonight, at one of my favorite AA meetings, I had the great pleasure of hearing one of our newest member's stories told for his very first time; he has a little over 4 months of sobriety. Before he was even half-way through, I was absolutely aware that I was witnessing the presence of a divine being, beyond a shadow of a doubt. That he was here before us to be able to tell his story was a complete miracle. The tears streamed down my face as he uncovered each layer of his painful wounds, from childhood sexual abuse to the formation of dissociative identity disorder to alcoholic drinking by the age of 14 to mob-related activity and revolving jail visits. How he is still alive is beyond comprehension. He is the epitome of "but for the grace of God ..."

As each of us shared after his story, there were few dry eyes or words uttered without quivering. We have come to adore this young man, with his wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights, innocence and gentle nature. Little did any of us know the hell he'd endured to arrive through the doors of AA. As one member poignantly shared: "Each of our stories has its fateful twists and turns, none any worse than the other. What matters most is that the story that got us here will keep us here."

I hugged this young man tighter than on any other Tuesday evening. I looked him in the eyes, my hand on his shoulder, and thanked him for his courage and his honesty. So moved were many of us, that we lingered outside for a long time, taking in the bright shimmer of the full moon out on the church lawn. We were each inspired and touched by the story we heard tonight, some of us recalling our own tarnished histories while others revelling in the miracles we each are.

Tonight, more than ever before, I am aware of my own divinity.
I saw her grace-filled reflection in the company of these Divine Beings.