The Weary Traveler (part 2)

What you notice most of all though is the man behind the counter. He’s dirty with smudges and stains on his white apron. He even has that little white hat they used to wear and it’s clear immediately that all eyes are on him, that He is the reason why they are all here. He’s not tall, not beautiful, but in His eyes is love, a love that you have never seen in anyone before, a love you have never felt before. Then at that moment while you were busy looking at Him you realize belatedly that He is looking at you. You want to look away, but you can’t because you know that it is as if you are being seen for the first time. All you pretenses, all your efforts to be strong, all your fears so long and so well covered up, your misdeeds… all is seen. You had always feared and hated the thought of being truly and completely seen, but now that it is here you love it. It is as if you had waited all your life just to be seen completely and fully. You had never ever dared think that the first person to see and know you fully would also be the first to love you completely and truly. All you want is to never have to look away and in a strange sense you realize you are now ready to die because this man has found you, and even more strangely you realize that because of this you are now ready, for the first time to really live.
Then suddenly people are standing up and beginning to leave. Some go and speak a few words to the man privately and you can see that He is speaking to them. Some smile at what they hear, others seem hard pressed, but all are peaceful all are content.
You decide that you will not leave, that you just arrived, that you will explain and the man will understand that you must stay here now. Soon the last two people walk out the door and it’s simply you and Him. You look up ready to explain why you cannot leave but when you look at Him it’s as if you have already said what you wanted to say and He has already listened. Then He speaks, “It’s time to finish your trip.” And you know He’s right. Your journey is not complete; there will be miles to go before you rest.
You rise and walk out the door and into the night again and it’s hard to imagine how much darker it all seems now, now that you have met the Man, now that you have seen the light, but as your eyes adjust you realize that there is something there, something you had not seen before. In the distance, all is not dark. As the last of the people drive into the night you see that around them is a glow, so much less, yet so much the same as the light that is now within you. You turn and look through the door and you know that you will be back and you know that you are not really leaving this place or this man for you are now, his disciple.