Oh...never mind finding the grail, I'm too in love with the search! Or never mind being the light and love of Christ...or God...I'm more comfortable handing out bulllitens or chatting in the vestibule!
There is a wonderful story (or maybe if there is not there should be) about a rumor in an ancient village about an old man who had been a spiritual seeker all of his life. He excitedly entered the local pub and declared he had discovered a Holy well in a secluded forest near the peak of a distant mountain.... and that drinking the waters from this well would bring instant enlightenment! He further said that he himself had not tasted this water because he wanted to share it first with his fellow seekers...his friends in the pub. The more he talked, the more his friends became excited and then and there they decided they would begin a journey up to the well the very next day.
So the next day...after miles of hiking, the small band of seekers finally approached the site of the Holy well. And there it was...half hidden by the mountain mist...an old stone well...and an old stone ladle for passing some of the Holy water around. Why the men were so excited...in such a joyous state...they could not believe what was about to happen. And they were so, so pleased with themselves that God had chosen them...of all people...to received this blessed, transforming water from this sacred font. They thought...well...best not to rush into this. So they settled there by the well...and entertained each other with stories of there lives leading up to this grand discovery...how and why the were chosen by God...on and on. Days and even weeks passed and by that time more villagers had arrived. There was even a self- appointed spokesman who became their minister who said all of the right words that prople love to hear...Oh and his new followers loved him...even more than the thought of the Holy water...oh the way he could light a fire in their hearts....or so it seemed.
And after a few months, with the growing number of people who had arrived, a new village sprang up...with of course the minister as the new mayor. And naturally the new village with its new religion and new dogma flourished. And the dogma contained rules and regulations about how one should approach the well and bow... and how one should be dressed and what one should eat before approaching the well. And then after a while the religious members of the board (there is always a board) decided that only the most worthy would be selected to partake of the Holy waters. And also they were concerned that someone less worthy might try to drink the water and so an enclosed iron gate and covering was built to protect the waters and so on and so on and so on.
So that's the end of the story...and maybe a little commentary: one could say many different things about this story... yet all of these words are pointing to something very very personal within each of us: the sacred waters in this Holy well represent the Love of God within our own hearts. In reality, this love is immediately accessible...for we are indeed this love already. The parable points to how seekers are attached to seeking...not finding...and will do anything to prevent themselves from receiving, e.g. establishing religions, etc, etc. If not this parable, then our own personal version of it exists within our own mind to prevent us...in very clever ways from experiencing the Truth of who we are: Love. Love is so, so close...God as love is so, so close....closer than breathing. Softly set aside your personal parables...your individual explanations, or reasons why or why not. Or just cut to the chase and receive and give and be love inspite of whatever Your personal parable tells you!
Loving your always, Jimi.