In the early days of the Internet, I met Darryl on a bulletin board on alternative healing. He was doing his thesis on Reiki, as I had done mine. We conversed for years, through his graduate degree, and then in 1998, he was able to visit the US on his way from Brisbane Australia to London. We had a memorable few days of touring Northern Arizona.
One stop on that tour was the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona. Outside the Chapel, and in the courtyard, is a copper statue of St. Francis and there, Darryl began his journey of religious vocation. We did not know it at the time.
Now many years later, Darryl is Brother Nathan James of the Society of St. Francis. He will be ordained as an Anglican deacon next February in Brisbane AU. We have not seen each other in 13 years, yet those years don't matter. We have become close friends of the heart and the distance does not matter. Nathan has done a far better job of telling the whole story on his blog -- but my role in his journey is just a part of it. We are headed to Sedona after he arrives in AZ tomorrow. There I will present him with his ordination stole, hand dyed and hand made with the spirit of love and friendship.What I've learned from Nathan is that distance does not impede friendship. We are vastly different yet those differences don't seem to matter. We accept and rejoice in our similarities and our differences. I feel so very honored that he was able to squeak out a few days on US soil and share them with me!
No comments:
Post a Comment