Universal Language of the Soul

1 Corinthians 14:10   There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.

In part, this corruption of language spurred him towards a belief
in what he called “the universal language of the soul”, or language
with no spoken words. A language best heard (or felt) in silence.  Pg. 4 The Visitor

If you have had the patience and perseverance to follow all the blog entries in "The Visitor - Re-Visited" you would be aware that The Visitor is not a simple story.   You would also be aware it is a story that not even the author fully understands, and invites readers to search for their own interpretations.

That said, moving forward, these blogs will start to take a much deeper dive into possible interpretations.  Today's interpretation is focusing simply on a statement made by the narrator on page 4 of The Visitor about "corruption of language", and a belief in a universal understanding that requires no spoken words, no language and perhaps is best "felt" in silence.

However, now as a seasoned reader (if you have followed this far) you are going to start to see more of the influences on The Visitor and perhaps understand why it is not just a Love Story, but a Story of Love.  This deep dive is the beginning of truly understanding what The Visitor is about, and why individual interpretation is actively encouraged by the author.

The concepts of silence, universality, and language are central themes in The Visitor.  The previous blogs on Love explain how the Visitor believes sacred words like Love, Faith (and even hope) have been corrupted to the point the words are now meaningless.  

“Shared, but maybe not emphasized to the same degree, is the strong suggestion that deep within us, in the silence of our souls, we know intuitively the differences between what is right and what is wrong.”

Other sections of The Visitor talk about the need for Love, Empathy, Understanding, Judgement, Pain, Sorrow, Joy etc.  All these are claimed by the Visitor to be universally shared states of the human condition.  This idea of silence, and universal understanding is hinted to in the prologue (pg viii):

In fact, one of the pivotal contextual points in The Visitor is in his search for silence.  That is what partly drives him away to his home outside of the city prior to his death.  This is clear at the end of the section of Crime and Punishment (pg 43) when the narrator shares the following:

Although I still did not fully understand what he meant, he was passionate in his belief that the more he withdrew from everyone, the better he was able to connect with anyone. From his solitude and isolation, he could connect with everyone rather than be consumed by any one. His description of how we are all connected and of how we are all one was beyond a romantic notion. He believed the connection was beyond spiritual. Just as a high tide lifts all boats, the hurting of one hurts us all. He believed there was shared responsibility and accountability amongst everyone.

The idea that there are many languages in the world, each with meaning is not a novel idea.  We are more than aware we don't all speak the same language.  And while a foreign language may sound like gibberish to one not familiar, the support for something deeper is found within 1 Corinthians 14:10

There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.

In the eyes of the Visitor this concept is pushed to the idea that there is even meaning in a language without words.  Reference the poetic parable on Joy and Sorrow to understand at a minimum the Visitor sees "emotional states" as universally shared.

Your joy and sorrow are not yours alone
They are both universally shared states
Unless your heart is carved out of stone
Such feelings are our shared human fate.

The Visitor's assertion that you can "understand" or derive meaning from such universally shared states directly follows the stanza above in the chapter on Joy and Sorrow.

You may witness the pain in the eyes of a stranger
Or smile when someone else laughs.
Or feel the fear when someone’s in danger
As we all walk along a shared path.

The idea of witnessing pain in the eyes of a stranger is the idea that we can "understand" pain in someone without the need for words.  The fact that we may smile when someone else laughs invokes the idea of an innate ability to respond to an "emotional" stimuli.  This is again emphasized in that we can actually "feel fear" when someone else is in danger.

Words are not required to share, in fact all of these examples are actually better "felt" than heard.  Words require translation, are open to misinterpretation and are filtered through a cognitive process.  We are much more in control of the words we utter.  And as such, we can intentionally confuse, manipulate, control and hurt others for whatever purpose we choose.

We are much more responsible for the words we say and the impact of those words.  Again, this concept is not new or unique.  See Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

In the extreme dualism that makes up the personality of the Visitor, it is not surprising that we can draw the conclusion that for the Visitor, words are not only "inadequate" but mundane; where as silence and prayer are sacred.  There are various examples of this duality to be found throughout The Visitor, but they will be highlighted in future blogs.

Quickly however, to understand the "sacredness" of silence to the Visitor we can refer to the poetic parable on Prayer (pg 71):

Prayer is the expansion of your inner self
In prayer, you rise in communion.
Prayer is not a deal you can barter or sell
It is a sacred, silent, union.

The idea of three simple words "sacred, silent, union" pretty much sums up the connections I am talking about.  Although silent - prayer is meaningful communication.  And although the action may be initiated individually, the concept of "rising in communion" shouts a universal connection shared within this act.  The Visitor would argue that we don't really "pray" alone.  This concept is reiterated in the poetic parable below:

Words are not required to speak to the spirit.
If you forget how to pray, then be still.
Stay silent and listen - and your soul - you may hear it
Faith like Grace, is more than free will.

When you can hear, the voices of others
And join in the suffering of what we’ve all done
Without a word, your doubt will be smothered
When you join prayer, with others; as one.

This poetic parable is unquestionably influenced by Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

Again, concepts of communication requiring NO WORDS (in this case actually groanings too deep for words), but rather SILENCE.  The idea of "join in the suffering of what we've all done" found within the Visitor's poetic parable is another call to not only how we are all connected, but an understanding regarding judgement.  Whole sections of The Visitor are devoted to "taking care when to judge".  Words spoken carelessly and without Love are just part of the noise.  Again, this whole central concept sprinkled throughout The Visitor can be traced pretty easily to the Bible.  This time, 1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal

As well as Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Again we can see confluence of influence - Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

The idea of NO WORDS, but rather communication through a more adequate spiritual fashion (prayer being one example) is again influenced by another passage, this time 1 Corinthians 2:13

which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

One more example of the inadequacy of words is found in John 8:43

"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.

It really should be no surprise by now as you are in the midst of the "first deep dive" into interpretation that when the Visitor does speak, (even though he finds words inadequate and would prefer silence) he speaks ONLY in poetic parables.  Influence for this type of speaking is found in John 16:25

"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

At this point you the reader might make the assumption that the Visitor is a literary personification of Jesus.  I can assure you as the author of The Visitor, this is not the case.  As clearly outlined in The Visitor, the Visitor is not Jesus or any other incarnation of a prophet.  

Page 2 of the chapter Corvus makes this clear:

The Visitor could have been anyone. In fact, he would have argued he was everyone…more or less. He was not extraordinary, he was certainly no angel, and he was far from a saint.

So, Who is the Visitor?  

There is an answer, but the answer cannot be given.  Words are inadequate. Be assured however, the Visitor does exist.  To actually find out who the Visitor is cannot be achieved without the background provided by the rest of the books within The Corvus Chronicles.  However, a very strong hint as to who the Visitor is is found on page 10 of the novel where the narrator shares, "If anyone had asked the Visitor who or what he was, he would have simply said:"
I am a part of you, just as you are part of me.
No more, no less; just another guest
Whose time has come to leave.

The last part to touch briefly on in this deep dive before I let you up for air, is to be found within the intersection of these central themes of "universal, language, silence, Love" and the damage done by inadequate words is the idea of the strength and sacredness of silence, to let silence by your message or your last word.  This idea is found in the poetic parable on "Talking" (pg 62):

“Do not be tempted in your need to talk
When you’re driven too hard to be heard
Sometimes it’s wiser to get up and walk
And let silence be your last word. - The Visitor”

The power of silence as a response again is not a unique concept and heavily influenced from external sources.  For example Acts 8:32

 "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

Luke 23:9

And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.

Proverbs 10:19

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Psalm 39:9

"I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who have done it.

1 Timothy 5:13

At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

And finally: two of my personal favourites:

Proverbs 17:9

He who conceals a transgression seeks love, 

and

Proverbs 26:20

For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.

As such, the Visitor is probably prone to not defend his positions.  Afterall, The Visitor takes place three hours before death.  There is nothing to be gained in attempting to defend.  It is not only a strong position, it is the only position.  Again support for this position can be found on page 43 of The Visitor:

He shared how he was no different and had spent far too many years justifying everything he did to others and himself. It took many years and many hard lessons to learn that justification was not called for nor required. If we acted in Faith, guided by Love, there was never a need to defend. In fact, he would contend that defending righteousness only diluted it.

So the message is to take care.  Care with your words.  Care not to defend as those who are asking you to defend are motivated by something you do not need to, and probably should not even entertain acknowledging.  Instead, hold to Faith, and be guided by Love.  And finally, take care when judging.

“John 8:3-11

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more.””

If you made it this far....congratulations.  Go up for some air, but as in any deep dive, take time resurfacing.  

Journey in Love

Michael Paul

Truth and Honesty - Stanza VIII

The "trickster" is a mythological reference used widely in different religions.  Across different cultures and different Faiths they share a common trait of using secret knowledge to confuse (or intentionally abuse) social conventions. 

Such is the way of the tricksters
To diminish the truths you would speak
To confuse all your brothers and sisters
And to hide the truth you would seek. 

In this blog we will explore the poetic parable running through Stanza VIII of Truth and Honesty.  For those who have been reading the previous blogs, they will understand the concept of the "poetic parable".  If you are not familiar with the concept, I would recommend a quick review of the June 19 blog.

In this stanza, you will become more familiar with both the visitor's dualistic views, and be exposed to how he struggles against both the written and spoken word, wishing he could communicate in another way.  This is shared by the narrator on page 4 of The Visitor;

It was probably a natural progression that the more he heard, the less he liked words. The most innocent exchanges became pointless. He began to dread the socially expected small talk. He started to hesitate before speaking, as he worried about how people might attribute
wrong statements to him due to their different understanding between what he meant and what they understood or what they believed they heard, or wanted to hear.

In this poetic parable we see the visitor explain some of his hesitation towards language, as he starts to openly discuss how using words carelessly in our everyday language can diminish truth. 

Truth and Honesty, Stanza VIII - Line I : Such is the way of the tricksters

This line may seem to catch the reader off guard.  Exactly who, or what is meant by "the tricksters"? 

The "trickster" is a mythological reference used widely in different religions.  Across different cultures and different Faiths they share a common trait of using secret knowledge to confuse (or intentionally abuse) social conventions.  For example, intentional misuse of the word "Love" would not be outside the norm of the trickster.  Many readers may be familiar with Loki from Norse mythology who was not only a trickster, but a shape-shifter.  The common connection of all the tricksters is they use intellect, trickery and deceit.  Again, the misuse of the word Love to get what someone wants (calling on the sacred to obtain the mundane) would be a prime example of how a trickster works.  

The warning of the trickster is also cited many times within the Old Testament.  Probably the more well known example is the story of Jacob.  In Genesis Jacob is shown how to trick his brother out of his birthright, and then trick his father out of Esau's rightful blessing.  In each  case Jacob is shown to be intellectual, dishonest, greedy and skillfully manipulative.  In each case he blurs the lines between sacred and mundane.

 Truth and Honesty, Stanza VIII - Line II : To diminish the truths you would speak

Here the visitor flips back to focus on the role of our own actions.  The way of the trickster may be to confuse, but the responsibility still rests with each of us.  To accept common bad practice as normal does not protect us from the impacts of participating in bad practice.  Again, the visitor is very consistent in this message.  As he shares in the poetic parable on Laws

     Try as you must and accepting the flaws
For the best, we must all get along;
But silence or absence from your book of laws
Is no defence against doing what’s wrong.

Responsibility and accountability always remains with each of us.  Even though it may well be acceptable to use the word "Love" for mundane things and possessions, that does not protect you from diminishing you truths you would speak when you use the term Love flippantly.   

This personal accountability is another strong central theme running through the course of the novel.  In fact this concept of personal accountability is stressed on the first page of The Visitor where the narrator of the story literally provides the reader with a warning: 

You cannot unsee what you have seen
Nor unhear what you have heard. 
Turn around now and take your leave
Or you too will own each word. 

This warning basically calls the reader to accountability.  When the veil of ignorance is lifted, you can no longer truthfully hide behind it.  This warning is provided on the very first page of The Visitor to let the reader know that there is a responsibility which goes along with awareness and understanding.   

But again, this line runs even deeper in conjunction with the underlying poetic parable.  By bringing the element of the trickster and awareness together we have added the element of responsibility and accountability - at least as far as Truth is concerned. 

Truth and Honesty, Stanza VIII - Line III : To confuse all your brothers and sisters

He once again we find the cost.  Confusion.  It is the lack of clarity which causes many conflicts.  It is misunderstanding; whether caused intentionally (as in the case of the trickster) or unintentionally (lack of clarity or common understanding).  It is in the mixing of the mundane with the sacred where the visitor has a lot of spoken issues.  

Case in point is the narrator's description of the visitor when it comes to the subject of prayer in the prologue of the novel;

Saying he may have been “offended” by people who prayed with hope, as if tossing coins in a fountain during difficult times, is probably a bit unfair. I am not sure he would have been “offended”, but he did struggle with people habitually turning the sacred into the mundane.
You would see a flash in his eyes when people used terms like “Love” to describe their favourite meal. To him the word “Love” had been misused so often it was now corrupted beyond any practical use. To the Visitor, Love was a word reserved for the sacred, such as the spirit of another person - not for chocolate or wine.

This intentionality an clarity within a dualistic viewpoint is one of the consistent characteristics of the Visitor.  To him, things were mundane or sacred, hot or cold, black or white.  It is why he sees himself and his views as extremely simple.

Truth and Honesty, Stanza VIII - Line IV : And to hide the truth you would seek. 

Without a doubt there is a play on words in the last line of stanza VIII.  In between "hide and seek" is the truth.  To the visitor, the truth is accessible to us all, and to each one.  He does not go so far as to ever claim a universal truth, but rather, that the journey to truth may in fact be different for each and everyone of us.

Again we see consistency in this message, for example in the poetic parable on Hiding our Nakedness, the visitor says;

There are many different ways to go;
Your journey is not mine.
Trust me, you don’t want to know
The path etched in my mind.

It matters not what you may think
Of where or why I go.
From my cup you cannot drink
Worry not ‘bout what I know.

_____________________________________________________________

So while the poetic parable running through stanza VIII of Truth and Honesty may seem complex, from the visitor's viewpoint it is quite simple and his message is consistent.  Do not accept the social norms of mixing the sacred with the mundane, such as using the word Love to describe your favourite meal.  When you blur the lines between sacred and mundane, you diminish truth.  The cost of diminishing truth is confusion, to yourself and to others.  And in such a world of confusion, you may obscure your own truth you are looking for.

Until next time; I leave you stanzas VI through VIII on Truth and Honesty together.

Journey in Love - Michael Paul

Never say “Love” as a word with no weight
Sacred words should stir from your soul
Nor should you ever speak dark words of hate
As dark words of hate take their toll.

When you claim “Love” in describing possessions
You diminish the meaning of your word
So when you say, “I Love” it may lead to questions
And your true passion may never be heard.

Such is the way of the tricksters
To diminish the truths you would speak
To confuse all your brothers and sisters
And to hide the truth you would seek.

Love - Stanza VII

All these things Love does to you,
Exposing secrets of your heart
So you may see in all you do
That sacred special part.

For those who are following the previous blogs (Interpretation of the poetic parable on Love stanza's I-VI) it will be easy to understand that the visitor is talking about Love as in the "entity" rather than Love as a romantic notion.

For someone not following "the story within the story" (the parable) it is easy to see how this line would be interpreted as meaning; "falling in romantic love has highs and lows, pleasure and pain, and all those emotional tides we go through while in or out of Love, which teaches us who we are."

That notion is not necessarily false.  We do learn who we are from our experiences, whether they are good or bad.  We learn empathy, we learn compassion, we learn through both our mistakes and the mistakes of others.  But if it is truly Love; it is never a mistake...at least if talking about Love from the perspective of the visitor.

Love Stanza VII - Line I : All these things Love does to you,

From the perspective of the visitor; he is talking about Love (the entity) acting on us.  From the pleasure, to the pain, to the sacrifice to the Grace.  This is not "physical" Love.  This is something that is done to us and through us our our journey of life.  

Love Stanza VII - Line II: Exposing secrets of your heart

It can be hard to look inwards, especially when hurting, and see the role our action, inaction, acceptance or rejection had in situations we may suffer.  It is easier to look outwards, and recognize the things that we didn't like, felt unfair, or when we felt betrayed.  It is easier to blame others.  

But Love, the entity (not the emotion) has the power to expose our true feelings.  In complete honesty and solitude.  It is not a judgement bestowed upon us, but the clarity of coming to our own self-judgement and acknowledging our role.  

It is rare that anyone is every completely innocent.  While the actions of someone else may seem more overt - there is usually some role each of us play in any situation where we may feel as though we have been hurt.  Sometimes its as simple as not being honest with ourselves and accepting things we should not have accepted in hopes for something else.  Sometimes it may be not paying enough attention to the other person or situation but rather being so wrapped up in ourselves that we lose track of both the other person(s) and the situation.  Sometimes it's as easy as not recognizing the hurt we may have caused someone else in the defense of ourselves.  

It's hard to be that honest, to see the role we each play in the losses and hurts where we feel like the victim.  But Love can help us see clearly.  

And sometimes it will actually take the guilt away, especially in situations where someone is innocent.  These are situations where someone else has power or control over someone else.  That power or control can be due to age, to financial, to position.  For example; it is rare that a child can be held to blame in any hurt where adults are involved.  The adult typically has the full trifecta of power (age, financial and position).  In situations where children are exploited the entity of Love can help them see they are in fact fully innocent. 

The reality is the "exposing secrets" according to the visitor will occur.  There is no escape.  This is made clear in numerous parables of the visitor, such as the one on Laws:

And following a law which is inherently wrong
Does little to lessen your crime.
And no matter how good and no matter how strong
We all must account in due time.

This concept is made even clearer by the visitor on the parable regarding Time; and actually may be seen or interpreted as a warning, or an accounting to the secrets within your heart,  Although in the concept of "time" the visitor is talking about how death is not bound by the physical realities of time (physics or speed, mass, velocity, gravity etc), the idea of an accounting and clarity at the end of life (in the concept of eternity) is cohesive to the message of understanding and accounting for the "secrets of our hearts" will occur:

When yesterday and tomorrow converge on today
When everything is, and always has been
Revealed at once, all you do - all you say
When all that has been and will be - is seen.

Love Stanza VII - Line III: So you may see in all you do

The idea that Love enables you to see in all you do, is the idea of a deeper honesty within yourself that cannot be hidden.  It is not the idea of being judged externally - where you will be able to account by means of any defense.  It is the idea that in reality, you really can't lie to yourself.  You can lie to others, and they may not know.  But the reality you know when you are lying to yourself, therefore, you cannot in reality "lie to yourself".  Love makes this very clear.  Love has the ability to make you self-accountable - in ALL you do (or don't do).

Love Stanza VII - Line IV: That sacred special part.

That sacred special part is that part that lives beyond the physical mundane body that will be left here on earth.  The reality is that Love allows you to see that part of yourself that is beyond the face you see in the mirror.  It is that part of you that grows within yourself.  Basically, it allows you to see and recognize your spirit in advance.  Love lifts the veil.  

This is the reality of the visitors message.  You know and can see behind the veil through the power of Love.  You don't have to wait until the crow comes calling for you.  

_________________________________________________________________________

I hope the message of Love as relayed by the visitor is becoming clear.  It is a personal journey of Love that we experience with others, but at the same time, it is to each and everyone of us our own unique journey.   

If you are enjoying the concept of the poetic parables within the prose of the visitor I invite you to check out the full volume of The Visitor; Book I of the Corvus Chronicles now available on this website (see Bookstore) or on Amazon, Indigo, Kindle, Kobo or by ordering at a bookstore near you.  

Until next time, I present to you the first half of the parable on Love, (Stanza's 1-VII inclusive).

Journey in Love; Michael Paul

When Love beckons, do not sleep
And let none stand in defiance of;
Though cost be high and loss be steep
Leave doubt behind and yield to Love.

As sure as Love will lift you high
To heights beyond your reach
To fully grasp; you must partly die
Self-interest must be breached.

And Love will drop you like a bird
Scorched flying near the sun
Do not the dizzy heights disturb
Love’s quest to become one.

For your body; it will bless
And guide you through all weather
While softly naked it will caress
Your body like a feather.

Then it will bind and chain and flog
Till you can take no more
And leave you stumbling in the fog
Alone - lost in amour.

Love will heal wounds of desire,
Then bleed you dry as stone
Love throws you into sacred fires
Where you will burn alone.

All these things Love does to you,
Exposing secrets of your heart
So you may see in all you do
That sacred special part.