I was given a book about the life of Fr. James Gray, osb. "Bush Dweller". He lived as a "solitary" (it seems he preferred this term to that of 'hermit') in his small rustic dwelling in the bush on Abbey land in Muenster, SK. I didn't have the opportunity to get to know this man well, but I loved him from a distance and saw his radiance of spirit fill the space around him. The book is a collection of essays written by his many friends and loved ones, and edited by Don Ward.
Why is it I'm so proud of this work and so inspired by it? I am overcome with the love poured into it and soothed by the writers contributions...who all confirm in one way or another how James' life of solitude gave him freedom from every pretense, need to impress, or desire to judge or control. His being was so accustomed to silence he created space for people to unfold their deepest, truest self within, without fear.
The reading has given me a way to make meaning of, and pursue more mindfully, my own urban solitude.
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A Little Way
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