I had a personal experience with Father while I was in Barrytown in 1975, which taught me a great deal about Father’s relationships with others. I’ll relate it here. I was in the first 120-day training under Rev. Sudo. Father had come and spoken with us. He didn’t leave Barrytown right away. All the trainees continued with our normal afternoon activities. We were in the process of creating Father and Mother’s path. Shortly after we got started, the word was passed on that Father was further down on the path. A number of us dropped what we were doing and immediately went to see him.

I was one of the first few individuals who arrived. Father was seated on the ground at the base of a tree, overlooking the lagoon. At this point the path did almost a U-turn and the tree was located at what would be the bottom of the U. Father was sitting facing the woods, and thus those who began to gather around him. I plowed my way through the brush until I was about five feet directly in front of him, and positioned myself leaning against a tree. One by one, the trainees began to gather. Some were sitting, some standing. All just being with Father.

As inevitably happens, someone offered to sing a song. Someone else recited a poem. As I stood there listening and watching (I am always fascinated by Father and how he reacts to events and people around him), I began to ask myself, "Should I offer a song or something?" As I did so, I heard Father’s voice inside me speak to get my attention. Father’s heart reached out to mine, enveloped it, and drew it back inside him. Father then began to show me how he loved each and every person there. As each person would offer their contribution, he would explain to me, "If I look at this person, they’ll freak out; so I’ll just sit here, and take my shoes off and pick my toes." Some people he would look at directly. For some he would stare off into the woods.

The expression on his face would change. Each time he would explain to me why his external reaction was that way, and give his heart and love to them. Because my heart was enveloped in his, a piece of me was given also.

We spent a very long time gathered together there on the path. I never offered a song, but then I had already offered my heart. After Father left the path, he departed for East Garden. My team gathered together to pray. I then asked God never to let me forget what Father taught, though certainly the lesson was one that can take a lifetime to completely learn.

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