In an often-quoted passage from the writings of Thomas Merton, he relates the following epiphany, experienced while standing on a street corner in Louisville, Kentucky: "I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, …even though we were total strangers. It was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God's eyes. If only they could see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed…"

This has happened to me in Denver on several occasions, all within the last few years. It's a challenge to put into words: I saw the people I passed on the street and in their cars as startlingly beautiful, no matter what there age, shape or dress. I wanted all good things for them. At that moment, any one of them could have been a best friend to me. I knew them, and knowing them, I loved them. I wanted to hear their stories; I wanted to know each network of complex and meaningful relationships. I knew the immeasurable worth of each. I felt humbled and connected, liberated from judging, sweetly released from the need to evaluate. We were one.

This gift, brief and occasional–to see God in others; to see with the eyes of the divine.

Text and image © 2010 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.