"Made in the Likeness and Image of..."

She ever suffers and is kind
There’s never evil nor envy on Her Mind
She never needs to see the proof
Yet She rejoices in the Truth
She bears all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things
And ever believes
Love never faileth
Love never faileth
Love never faileth

Though I speak with the tongues of men
And of angels
And have not Love
I am nothing
Though I have the gift of prophecy
And understand all mysteries
And all knowledge
Though I have all faith
So I can remove mountains
And have not Love
I am nothing

O I know one day we will meet face to face
Within that ocean of Her Grace
My Heart will say:
“I AM the Way
Love never faileth
Love never faileth
Love never faileth.”

Adapted from 1 Corinthians:13
Ganga Fondan, 2009

Every time I get exhausted and want to give up, this passage from the bible always guides my heart. To trust and surrender to Love and to know that She can never fail is the Light that moves my whole life onward. She waits silently and lifts me through the hardest moments. She urges me to recognize myself in her Light. I cannot yet see the butterfly wings opening but I feel a subtle shift each day. She whispers and holds me and tells me that I Am a progeny of Love and that Love can never fail.

I remember sitting on the edge of my bed one winter morning a few years ago. It was one of those gray days that promised a snowstorm but if you used your imagination, you could see the sky as silver. Staring at the odd asemblage of items around me in my bachelor apartment, my hands started to strum a few basic chords on "Antara" (name of guitar). I felt like I needed somebody to hold me and tell me that my life would somehow be great again and that this too would pass. In times like this, my eye usually catches a book of poetry or scripture to lift the mood and on this day, it was the bible. 1 Corinthians 13 is always bookmarked so I happened to open it there. A conversation with Narayan came back into my head. We had agreed that no matter what ever happened, we would let the power of love guide us and we would trust this power to take us to the highest place we could be. We both believed that Love would never let us down. It felt comforting to bathe in this memory. My hand traced over the words on the page of the bible. My Teacher had taught me not to just study things verbatum but to try and sense what the poet or author was trying to convey. I closed my eyes and contemplated what those words meant for me now and here. I wanted to love like this. What would a person be like if they truly lived the words of 1 Corinthians 13? The lyrics kind of poured out and my ideal took shape. Over the years, this song takes on more meaning. It guides me in character building and staying patient and kind.

I do advise you to read this original Corinthians passage for yourself. You can google it. See what it says to you. For years I had listened to religious leaders and school professors tell me what they thought things were all about. I soon realized that even doctors and politicians and CEO's of big companies all have opinions and favored research sources but still we must discern for ourselves what the heart within us believes and desires to accomplish. We must each find our own way through the tidal waves of information and images. Accessing the meaning of our own lives through our own direct experiences of thoughts and feelings is vital if we are to achieve peaceful and powerful lives. If we are to pass on this legacy to our children.

A great example of this is to go to a local bookstore and see how many books there are about love. In the self-help section, relationship, psychology, religion and even science section there are books about what people have discovered. In the arts, biography, philosphy and fiction sections are hundreds of books about love. In history, political science and new age are great and inspiring books about love. In children's books, cook books, health books and travel books there are romantic themes and definitions about love. All these books are poured forth from the creativity of man...from the glorious realm of his or her connection to ideas. Still they do not teach us how to love. They teach us about love.

Not until we desire to know love for ourselves do we begin to write our own songs, discover our own epic and thrive in Love's presence. Not until we are fully immersed in its waters, do we begin to realize just what is possible knowing that if we but follow it, our lives can never be meaningless. Writing songs makes it easier for me to maintain the clarity of intention and stay in the feeling of what my direct experience is revealing. Always, the music and lyrics sustain the momentum to move forward and explore new feelings and desires and to express them into art and continue to be guided by this. When the inner space is ready and cries out for experience, then the tools of the Teacher, the books and the seminars become more valuable and can help us to become more powerful.

That is exactly how love has presented herself in my life many times over. As a Soulmate, as a Song, as a Teacher, as a musical Instrument and as a Friend. Whatever form She takes, She can never fail me. She endures and bears everything and hopes all things, teaching me to Vision and become One with Her and master my world.