Jesus said, "Be passersby."

Passerby is a person who is not attached to a particular place, but always on the move. This is a vivid picture of our divine destiny.

Ancient writings use different images to illustrate spiritual dynamics of our unfoldment. For instance, Psalm 1 compares a man with a tree planted by the rivers of water. It means that our nourishment comes from the Source within. Even when circumstances are unfavourable, we may find support and sustenance in the realm of the Spirit. But we cannot stand at one place like a tree - we are called to move.

"Be passersby." This doesn't mean, of course, that we don't need a home, a steady job, property, family, friends, and good social relationships. All these are parts of our journey. Yet we should not consider anything in our life as permanent and lasting. No matter what we encounter, our attitude should be: "This, too, shall pass away".

There is nothing negative about this statement. Surely, someone may not like it, but truth doesn't have to confirm our ideas and heart yearnings. If we don't want to let go something or someone, it won't prevent our loss. Our attachments always betray us.

Non-attachment doesn't mean indifference. We treasure all we encounter. "Don't value anything in this world", some people say. But why shouldn't we love the world if it is full of God? Non-attachment doesn't have anything to do with superiority either.

Those who say "I am above that", are grievously mistaken. They aren't above - they are below that which they cannot appreciate. If they don't value the world they travel through, they travel in vain. They cannot behold its splendor, so they cannot nourish their soul with its beauty. They cannot learn its wisdom, because they are not interested in this world enough to uncover its hidden treasures. Even more, they cannot fulfill their creative assignment in this world. They perceive the world as a prison or as a place of their exile, not as a field of action.

Most of world-haters I knew were miserable. Their religious emphasis on "not loving the world" was a projection of their sense of unworthiness and even suicidal tendencies. They looked up to God with fear rather than with trust.

Those who see the world as dark and ugly place, "judge by appearances" but lack true spiritual perception. "There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark".

Passerby moves along with Life, being obedient to urges of the Spirit within. As he travels, he learns new things and develops his talents which allow him to serve the world better. The light of God shines through him without obstructions.

"No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, nor does one put it in a hidden place. Rather, one puts it on a lampstand so that all who come and go will see its light."