The above picture is about 80% done…and I am getting more and more enthused about its finish, especially considering where I left it yesterday. It turns out watercolor on sketch paper (which is what I use for graphite, but wanted to do a mixed medium) does NOT work, at least in my realm, even with dry brushing and barely any water. So before I ruined it by remaining committed to my original agenda…I pulled up my big girl pants and shifted, and let go of control. I decided I am no longer that person who falls apart when I face a frustrating circumstance. Learning to adapt will be my new super power, So, I chose to believe that the watercolor issue was simply an opportunity for something even better. And, after some problem solving, I changed the mountain scene a bit…I looked up some artistic mountain scenes and came across Shanshui techniques in classical Chinese art philosophy, and am trying now to capture the breath and energy of the mountains, which is a stark contrast to the human face, one full of emotions embraced over a life time. I am grateful to Conrad Anker (the face) and to Jimmy Chin, who took the photographs (which I spliced together)…I hope I brought out the soul in both humanity and of nature…Anyway, there still much to go, but since I suddenly felt compelled to write, I figured, almost done was fine, since I know the ending of the story…

Which also leads me to the theme of this post. Harmony, for Jesus, and for great teachers like Teilhard reshape how we view our daily struggles, work, and spiritual growth through several core intersections:

1. All human work is a vehicle for holiness, in particular, to develop those gifts given to each of us by God to fully develop and share our blueprints to the world.
2. Love is the driving energy that pulls elements of the world together and when we choose love as the driving force we are aligning ourselves with the momentum of the universe.
3. Embracing suffering, setbacks, and growing pains because they are the necessary, messy pressures of spiritual evolution that break open our egos to make room for deeper divine union.
4. When you participate in life, care for others, and consume the fruits of the earth, your life journey becomes part of a grand, cosmic liturgy where matter and spirit are reunited. Teilhard called this the Cosmic Eucharist.
   

So when I think of how to reflect harmony on a higher plane, this is what I learned from the challenge of merging two distinct elements in my art piece. True harmony is never achieved by forcing two disparate elements to speak the exact same language: it is found when we allow their structural differences to complement one another on a higher plane of consciousness. In the physical world, we are often trapped by linear structures-from time constraints, the heavy boundaries of material commitments and social conventions and deep differences in personalities. We often put on armor and build walls believing that we need to defend ourselves against the noise of the world. That noise, however, can be transformed into beautiful harmony when like minded souls, even disparate ones are drawn together to build the future of the world in multiple ways and functions, all of which are simple and sacred expressions of our unique blueprints.

Teilhard and Jesus encourage us to embrace different elements…that is what is absolutely necessary to build not only the Kingdom of Heaven, but to do it in a way that brings harmony, that brings disparate elements together. We were all created uniquely, each with a different function for a reason, to pool together our gifts and become the Body of Christ. The figuring out how to merge distinct elements is the sacred work of those who choose love as the source to move us all forward. The very moment we surrender the need for absolute control and uniformity, and allow a higher law to take over, like a rugged mountain face etched with deep weathered lines of survival and grit, the dense realities of our individual journeys do not compromise our bonds. Instead, when enveloped by a vast, silent field of unhurried time-a sacred sanctuary where words are replaced by telepathic resonance-the roughness of the human world completely dissolves. It is in this space where I find the harmony necessary to keep moving forward. I am thankful we are all unique blueprints with disparate gifts, it is exactly what I try to reflect in every piece of art I create: people are the art of the world. While each person is singular and unique, I see harmony in each piece.

To conclude, I also want to reiterate that love in its many expressions will never limit or define a soul connection. One path may move with the rapid blazing velocity of a chariot, while another moves in the quiet of an art studio, yet when mirrored across the Nooshere, they can balance perfectly. Harmony comes when we find ourselves tamed by a singular unshakeable truth: we already know the ending to the story.