all at the same time

A friend of mine called a couple of days ago, a builder in Tennessee whom I have not seen in quite several years. We chatted a bit, he told me about the grand new house he is building for himself and his wife, and he asked me what I am up to. I talked to him about my work and then explained to him what I want to create in Spirit First. He seemed fascinated that I have taken on such a big creative idea. The next day he called back, wanted to talk about hiring the best accountants and designers and architects to create my beautiful sanctuaries and gardens (I listened but explained I am not yet ready for this conversation until I build funds). He asked me to explain to him again about having a place of sanctuary, a place of prayer, that welcomes Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish people who meditate. Even atheists and agnostics. He, thinking I would create a retreat center that would invite a Buddhist group on one weekend and a Muslim group on another weekend, asked me then the strangest question. “You don’t possibly intend to have them there at the same time, do you?”

To me it seems so natural a thing to have a place of sanctuary with monks and nuns from every discipline sharing and tending the same land…seems so natural a thing to me that I do not yet have words prepared to make my case.

I’m going to have to get a lot better at explaining what this all means.