The Wisdom of Eric

In the company of strangers

I remember working with somebody, when out of the blue he related that he was wondering how he could just talk about things with a relative stranger that he has never shared with anybody before. I felt both honoured and slightly apprehensive at the same time. I mentioned this to Eric, and he commented, ’but you are far more than just a stranger’.

If we can manage to be in relation with the other, we help them open up because we see them, hear them and at some deep level, accept them unconditionally.  This reminds me of the work of Martin Buber, and his idea of I-Thou where we meet the other authentically, without our ego or sense of self trying to qualify what is going on in our relationship.

The idea of agape or the love of humanity is sometimes difficult for me to say and accept as I find it too emotional.  For me it means opening up a tap of emotion within me which I am scared that I cannot turn off.  As I reflect, I think it means I am wide open to feelings of love which are powerful and in me.  I fear that the relationship will take everything from me.

Yet.  At a cellular level, I know intuitively and unconditionally that I am connected, with each and every one of you, but I also need to feel separate from you to experience and feel this.  For me it is one of the great paradoxes that we can never resolve but rather we need to hold.  And ‘jings’ doesn’t it take effort.

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