Journeying ...

Every once in a while you meet someone who leaves an indelible impression upon you ... in memorials I have often used a reading from Jacob the Baker by Noah benShea that tells of a proud and arrogant man coming to the humble and quiet Jacob in his bakery.

The man says - "Jacob, I want my life to leave an impression on others ..."

Jacob continues working preparing his bread and says, "All life leaves an impression ... for we are God's finger prints ..."

Like all good rabbinic stories, we don't know what the man did with the lesson, nor do we know what others will do with it, we can only use the lesson to reflect on it for ourselves and consider how we will LIVE out the lesson ...

For me, I frequently think about the HOW of my life leaving impressions on others ... Taking the role of being God's presence in the world is an awesome responsibility - one I've always taken seriously. I have been far from perfect, and I've made more than my share of mistakes, but my heart has always been yearning to leave a good and faithful impression on others, even in those moments when my enthusiasm has gotten ahead of myself ...

This past week I was both blessed and privileged to meet a gentleman who has embodied in a very real way the concept of being God's finger print in the world ...

Syed Soharwardy is a gentle soft spoken man with a steely resolve, a gentle humour and a deep faith-filled wisdom that he willingly shares with anyone who takes the time to stop and talk with him, or even better, to walk along the side of the highway with him ...

Yesterday morning, I very briefly accompanied him as he began his daily walk ... we chatted briefly before I bid him well for the day and we departed ... watching him walk along the margin of the Trans Canada Hwy left me with the realization that my life is better for having shared, even briefly, in this remarkable man's journey ...

Syed is not looking for money ... he is not looking for fame ... he is looking for like minded people who share is abhorrence of violence, and who, like him want to see our world become a better place with more than just an absence of conflict and violence ... in the fullest spirit of Shalom/Salaam/Peace, Syed seeks a God given peace that surpasses all understanding, and transforms our world into the place, God willing it could and should be ...

One step at a time, this gentle man is doing his part ... and he is inspiring others to do the same ...

Thanks for stopping by Syed ... it was good to meet you ... and it was a joy and a treat to host you and Hassaan, Yassir and Haris in my home ... Go with God !!

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