Having no other plans, he decided to go see what this book he has been reading meant by “go meet with your fellow travelers.” He set the book down on the table next to his bed and walked out to find out what this meant. “Maybe, that cute young lady will know what it means,” he smiled, feeling a sense of fondness for the lady with the twinkle in her eye.
He decided to stroll around the grounds and see what it looked like at sunset. If it was peaceful during the middle of the day, by all means, it must be really peaceful during the calmest part of the day — at dusk. He loved this time, once a long time ago. He always admired the colors of the sky. It would always display the most vivid of colors — a real “light show.”
The air would be still. The birds would become silent. Dogs would stop barking. It was, by all of the rules of nature, a time of peace.
As he walked, an elderly gentleman, maybe in his 80s, was sitting on a bench, seeming to be enjoying the oncoming evening. He motioned to the young visitor, gesturing him to sit with him.
After five minutes, the elder turned to the visitor. “What are your ‘religious’ beliefs?”
Becoming accustomed to the surprises which life seemed to be thrown his way in the past many hours, he said, “I do not have a religion. I don’t believe in them. All they do is say they are right and everyone else is wrong. That is not anything which makes sense to me. In fact, it seems to go against all I have read about their particular religions.”
“Maybe you misunderstood my question, young man. I did not ask what philosophical belief system you belong to. I asked what your beliefs are about this life.”
“I do not understand. Of what importance is my belief of any god or gods?”
“Religion, young one, is not just about a ‘spiritual belief’ of a deity or deities. It is about how you live your life. Your ethics. Your belief on how to live.”
“I believe,” said the young man, “I believe that I should treat everyone with respect, with understanding, with forgiveness for those who have hurt me. Basically, I believe we should live in love.”
“Please tell me more,” the elder gentleman begged, seeming very interested.
“My belief in organized religion is that it is just plain wrong. To separate and put labels as excuses to say another is wrong, is not right at all. They confuse me with that kind of thinking, so I do not join any of them.”
“Me, too, son. Me, too. Living every moment as it is, not as we think it should be, seems to work for me.”
“Yes! Exactly! I like your thinking, sir!”, the young man said with a tone of excitement he had not even heard in his own voice for years.
“Please tell me about what you think.”
“Thank you for asking me to share my feelings. Please remember that my ideas may very well be wrong. Yet, you know, I do not care. They are right for me. I think they may be right for my world,” the elder stated, as if he were talking to both a young child, keeping his words simple, and of a fellow wise man, sharing his thoughts clearly, in depth, and without hesitation or thought.
He continued. “Look at the stars beginning to show themselves this evening. Which one is the ‘true star’ and which are the ‘false stars’? I do not believe there is such a thing. They are all true, even though they send out different colors and strengths of light, each special unto themselves.”
“Hmmm,” said the young man, nodding in complete agreement. “I have thought the same thing. My rather simplistic analogy is that of silverware. Why should the spoon be any more special or more right than the fork? For that matter, why should the knife be ‘less than’ either the spoon OR the fork? They are all part of the ‘harmony’ of their particular job. What do you think?”
The elder scratched his chin for a moment, looking deep into the sky. “For a young man, you have quite a head on your shoulders. Good wisdom, son. Are you sure you aren’t about 150 years old?” He winked, then grinned brightly.
“Come. It is time for you to go back to your room to freshen up. Thank you, young man, for spending that special time with me.”
“Believe me,” the young man said earnestly, “it was my pleasure.”
The young man did not question what the elder gentleman meant. He was getting the hang of just accepting things as they come about. He returned to his room, showered and shaved — the second time in one day. Something he never did before, but it just ‘felt right.’