Where 2 or more gather...

Baba meetings have not been one of my 'things'. I find these are usually forums for individuals to vent, ventilate, perform or fade into the background. However, I usually meet one or two people I love to meet, we catch up as much as we can and talk about our favourite subject - Meher Baba. We may also share a bit of gossip or discuss something in the news, but that is incidental.

Where 2 or more people gather in Baba's name, we have a centre. Not a physical centre, a spiritual and emotional centre. The discussion becomes real, we talk about Baba in 'real time', i.e. what is He working on with each of us in our day to day lives. We may find out about one of our Baba family who is suffering, or someone who has something to celebrate - but He is behind it all. We have a real relationship with God, and this makes us have more real relationships with each other.

In contrast, Baba 'meetings' seem me to have become more and more formal. More about a relationship with an organization or edifice and less about the reason behind it all. Reminds me of a guy I knew. He was Jewish, an elder of the synagogue, sat on the board and volunteered for all sorts of events to do with his synagogue. Very Jewish in practice, he would not eat meat that he had not brought over himself - vegetarian if eating out - observed all the holidays and the rituals, etc. I was talking about Meher Baba to him, and out of curiousity asked him what his relationship with God was. He had to really think about this question, and finally after a long pause, said, 'I don't have one.' All that effort to build a relationship with an edifice, but none at all with the reason for that edifice existing in the first place!!! What a waste! I have no relationship with edifices. Not centres, not buildings. I do have a very good relationship with God, however. We understand each other, talk frequently, quarrel sometimes, but always come back to each other with deep feelings of love and belonging. I know that God and I are not 'we' but 'one', though I am not realized, so cannot claim experience of this. But for the moment, 'we' is fine.

So, I am going to work at gathering 2 or more in Baba's name, with no other agendas. And when this happens I will love and appreciate every moment I spend at such a gathering. I spent Saturday and part of Sunday with Sarah McNeill in Hove, this weekend. We talked about our Beloved for some time, and that was enough. It recharges my spiritual battery and I'll go away feeling so much better for it. Thank you Sarah, and thank You, Baba.