UncommonPromise

Up steep winding hills to the mountain monastery, on the broken stone road we hiked. It took longer to arrive than we expected and it was now dusk, and the monastery was already closed for the day. Disappointed, we wondered, should we knock on the door or just leave. We knocked! The door slowly opened and we were greeted by a monk in a long brown robe. Promising to stay only minutes, he agreed to let us in. Even though he didn't have much time, he quietly and patiently led us through the ancient halls, past the sanctuary, public rooms, and eventually downstairs to a private space where dozens of silver hearts hung on the wall—gifts from the town's people in honor of the miracle that took place at this site centuries ago. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he shared his world with us. Then just as he expected, a single bell chimed a familiar sequence and he obediently turned in response, “I must go now.” Walking us to the thick wooden door he said his peaceful quiet goodbyes, and we stood alone under a rich provocative spell.



This solitary, heartfelt experience strikes a chord within each of us as we talk about the deep meaning of such a life. We realize, that in a secular way, we have taken our own special vows of commitment to temporarily isolate ourselves for soulful introspection. We adjourn to our own cells of self-exile to reflect. We have momentarily become full-time seekers on a spiritual quest. We are holders of spirit, individual cells in which messages are stored, waiting to be released. We become inspired by going within. With desire comes the possibility of awakening each cell of our being, more and more each day. For us, the entire song is a prayer, a vesper. The deep sounds echo within the gray stone halls as a simple bell sequence calls us into service, to ourselves, and we obediently turn in response, “We must go.”

You may want to visit our other websites:

Each Cell Music Video

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog

The UP Side Lowdown by Cheryl