Once upon a time there was a king. He was beloved by all. Very wise, very old, he ruled the land with love and justice. One day he decided to go for a walk outside of the kingdom. Arising at dawn, he dawned his robe, selected his staff, and quietly left the castle, through the courtyard, the protective walls of his land. Little did he know, he would not return for many years. It was a beautiful morning, the birds were chirping, the sun’s rays were streaming through the trees, clouds, forest, revealing a golden illumination of majestic hue over all the land, dispelling the darkness of the night. This made him happy as he walked along, not worrying about anything, feeling his love for his God, marveling at the beauty of life. He walked on. The path through the forest and hills was a soft moist dirt, where many had trod before. It was made by the ancestors, the ancients of old, the heritage of the people, passing by landmarks of beauty, waterfalls reaching to the sky, caves where the bears lived, streams overflowing with an abundance of multicolored fish, fields and fields of fragrant flowers, roses, poppies, peonies, gardenias, and countless other varieties, hybrid upon hybrid, filling the air with a heavenly scent that transported the senses beyond the rainbow.

Life, he thought. What is it. Is it an experience, a continuous experience that takes one to a destination? Is it a quest, a quest for happiness, for health, for freedom, for pleasure, for love. Is it God experiencing His creation, His creative force, His birth in many ways, in many facets, unlimited, infinite?

He walks up a path in a meadow of lush green grass sprinkled with thousands of multi-hued wildflowers. It is a warm sunny day with billowy clouds lazily floating by. As he comes over a hill, he sees a river in the valley. Soon he is by the river and stops to feel the water. He stoops and dips his hands into the water, scooping cool fresh water cupped in his hands, splashing his face. When he opens his eyes, he sees a beautiful fish in the water right in front of him. The fish turns, looks at him, swims right up to the edge of the shore and speaks, “Swim with the river of life and life will no longer be a struggle.” But where shall I go, what shall I do, who shall I be, he asks. “Your destiny lies downstream. Just keep your eye open for the answers you seek.”

So he travels for days, which turn into weeks, which turn into months, which turn into years. Finally, the river opens into the great expanse of the ocean. The fathoms are unfathomable, the expanse is all expansive, the shore is mother-of-pearl. The wisdom in each grain of sand washes down the river for eons to come and rest on the shore of existence. Billions of sand crystals, billions of souls, each with the wisdom of the cosmos serving the world through the humbleness of their nature. He finds a place to sit on this shore of wisdom, sits down, and gazes upon the waters. He sits there for a very long time. The moon comes out and illuminates the waters. He still sits. The sun rises shining golden rays of light across the surface of the ocean, resulting in the appearance of a myriad of jewels reflecting on the water. A kaleidoscope of prismatic beauty shows through each wave glistening beyond words. God is sharing His beauty with him like he has never seen before. He is in a perpetual state of bliss gazing on the ocean each day and night.

Now is the morning of the 40th day. The Holy fish arrives and says, “Return to the land and carry the Light, carry His word to the people. Heal all who wish to be healed, comfort all who wish to be comforted, pray all who need prayer.” The king replies, “I shall heed your words Holy one, however my heart yearns for the ocean.” And he hears the holy fish whisper, “The ocean is your heart dear one, your ocean of love.”

Blog post Artwork by Daniel B. Holeman