The Seeker sighs, as they sit beside the mysterious stranger on a forest-bench.
"Listen," says the Seeker. "You tell me, that unconditional love will change the world. But lets be real. Love won't pay my rent. Love won't help me get a job. I can't feed my kids with love."
The mysterious stranger in his blue, hooded robe, looks at the Seeker confused. "I honestly don't understand your problem. You can live your life and still love. Love is a state of being. Your most natural state of being, to be precise. So why do you seek excuses not to love?"
"Alright," responds the Seeker. "Then tell me: Do you expect me to just love anyone? Am I supposed to love someone who threatens me or my loved ones? Am I supposed to love a terrorist? Am I supposed to love a mass murder or a criminal? Will you tell someone, who was abused... that they need to love and forgive their perpetrators? Will you tell a parent, who lost their child in war, that they should love their enemy?"
"Yes," answers the stranger, without hesitation. "Love is the answer."
"You can't be serious," claims the Seeker with an enraged voice. "There are just people, you can't love. Like the really dark shit, you read on the news...People who enjoy harming others... No one loves these types of people... You can't tell me otherwise."
The mysterious stranger remains calm. "The answer remains the same... Love them with all your heart."
The Seeker shakes their head. "No, no, no... You are being a hypocrite. I am sure that you are just saying this to sound superior. I mean... There are people, who are simply evil! Unlovable! Everyone hates them. Society hates them. If you don't hate them, you are evil as well."
"Is it ever bad to love," questions the mysterious stranger . "Is love something that needs to be deserved? No my friend, you can't ever limit love, because love is infinite... We will go further into the matter of love, another time... If you may allow me, let us rather ask, why do we human beings, judge one another at all?"
"Go ahead," sighs the Seeker.
The mysterious stranger clears his throat:
"We judge people based on their actions, based on their behaviour, based on their societal status, their wealth, their power. We are being judged based on our looks, on our sexual orientation, on our ethnicity, on our religion or ideology. We judge ourself, for our thoughts, words and actions. We compare, we compete and we cause conflict. So why are we judging each other at all?
Can't you see, that all human beings, just like you, are playing a character? A role in their family, at their job, within their friend circles. Don't you see, that they, just like you suffer? Can't you see, that they have fears and desires, just as you do? No matter what they did, there is always a reason, always a motive behind their action. Everyone is experiencing their own story.
Yes, there are some people who did horrible crimes, that are truly unfathomable. But even in the most heinous murderers, hidden deep within, burns the same fire of humanity, as in you. A faint light that experiences all the acts of the Ego as an observer, suffering from what it is witnessing. Those who are consumed by hatred, need love the most. Can't you see, that deep within, those who harmed you, never wanted to?"
The Seeker grunts in dissatisfaction: "Even if, what you are telling me is true. Should I just forget my pain? Should I just forgive them? Let them go freely, without any justice? Why should I do this? Why should I love and forgive humans, who caused me so much suffering?!"
"Isn't that obvious," answers the Stranger with a warm smile. "My friend, don't you see? You are all the people, that you judge and you are everyone, who judges you. You are every victim and you are every perpetrator.
YOU ARE HUMANITY. You are the rest of mankind. You are the story, the game, the play, the experience. You are the fire, that burns deep within every single human being. You are the force of life. You are the Source of all being. You are that, which is unseen.
Perhaps it is too early for you to understand, perhaps you are not ready just yet... But at the end of our journey, when you return here, this will feel like a long forgotten Easter egg. When you have realized this truth, it will be You, playing the role of the mysterious stranger.
If you don't understand, let me show it to you... Walk with me together, side by Side... And you shall see, what I have seen... You will feel, what I have felt. I am telling you: There is something worth saving in Humanity. There is purpose behind our existence. We are here for a reason.
This is why we need to find again that, which we have lost. Let us restore the faith in Humanity. Let us find the light, that burns within. To have faith in Humanity is to have faith in Yourself. Let us find, our truest path. The path of unconditional love, the path with the ALL. Let us renew our faith in Humanity and thus our faith in ourselves."
After finishing, the mysterious stranger stares intensely at the Seeker, expecting an answer. There is an uncomfortable silence between the two, awkwardly sitting on a bench.
"...Well," sighs the Seeker after some time.
"How about... No??! I mean... Like... I don't even fucking know you... And now you come along and tell me all this nonsense. Are you trying to get me into some weird shit? Seriously, I am not interested... So, if you are now finally finished with your long-winded monologue... Will you now please... Please for Fucks sake... Please piss off? Seriously... I can't take it any more... If I hear one more word from your mouth... I will report you to whoever is in charge of this forest here."
"Tell me Seeker,"asks the mysterious Stranger , ignoring their begging for silence. "What is it, that you are actually searching for?"
"By the love of god," trembles the Seeker, shaking in fear. "Please... Please don't tell me this will be continued..."
TO BE CONTINUED