Notre Dame, Paris

"There is not any physical way possible for Man to be out of God." -Me

Paris, ooh it was good. Full of magic and mystery and intrigue. Snobbery, high fashion, leather boots and tight-ankle jeans. The Eiffel Tower, Centre di Pompidou, Louvre, Notre Dame. Here's a nice story about my visit to Notre Dame:

I entered. Felt the usual uplift of breath as my attention floated upward into the gentle curvature of arches. The stained glass windows were briliant mosaics of rich contrasting hues, the light from outside illuminating each segment. They reminded me of jolly rancher candies. There weren't windows like this in Italy, where instead the walls of the churches were plastered (literally) with frescoes and paintings.

Usually in every gorgeous church there is a sacred area reserved specifically for prayer (No tourists allowed). I like to visit these spaces because they FEEL so sacred, holy, cherished. In Notre Dame I almost passed this space by, but changed my mind and doubled back to slide quietly into one of the wooden pews. I had been in a bit of a grumbly mood - it was cold out, I was a little sick. I was here in church in Europe for the millionth time, closing my eyes and feigning prayer when all I was really doing was dipping into sweet silence. Usually in this situation actual words of prayer feel contrived and silly, but this time I was searching for something.

I was wondering about angels. I certainly believe in them, and I knew from the feeling in this church that they were here. I asked myself, I subtley posed a question internally, "God, send me a sign that there are angels. I want to see an angel. If they exist, then show me one."

I opened my eyes to see a radiant black woman standing near the front pews, looking at me with glowing eyes and beckoning me to come closer. In my quiet prayer-state, I thought, "Wow, an answer! She's an angel!" But of course my rational thinking mind said, "No, of course not, she doesn't have anything to do with me - she's must be motioning to someone else." But no. She motioned again. I questioned her with my eyes, and after her third beckoning gesture, I finally gave in and moved up closer to the altar to sit next to her. As I did, she began singing (in French) in the most radiant resounding voice I have ever heard...as if summoning all the gods and the angels to assemble and celebrate. She switched on the lights on either side of the altar, illuminating the sacred space. Then she began a rosary service, in French.

At this point I had to do some realizing and subsequent smiling. If this woman was an answer to my request, "Show me an angel," which it sure seemed like she was, then all humans must be angels. I am saying that humans are angels. I know I am repeating myself, but in all their human-ness, they ARE the highest expression of creation (at least that I know of...who knows, maybe in other realms there are more glorious beings, but I have not been there, or if I have I do not remember).

Humans have the ability to experience ANYTHING, do ANYTHING, create ANYTHING. Isn't that what "God" and "The Angels" do? God and his angels...they aren't separate entities floating around in space. They're in us, they are us - our very heart strings play their song every day. How could they not? How could Man not sing the song of God? There is no physical way possible for man to be out of God. The idea is absurd. As is the idea that Man could ever upset God, or deserve punishment from him. Man is God, all-powerful, and as such He is responsible for His own actions and their repercussions. It is so. Man creates anything. Anything.