I probably have known thousands of people in my life.

For the sake of argument let’s call it 7128 (It’s just a number!)

But imagine how many people the Mind of God knows.

Imagine those countless faces scattered across time and place

and the myriad details of each life seemingly so far beyond

measuring or remembrance. In the Mind of God each

act, thought, idea, and gesture, careless or crafted,

is noted, recorded, and preserved as if our often troubled

and ragtag lives were actually important in the scheme of things.

Some call this the Akashic Record derived from esoteric philosophy,

containing all human experience and the history of the cosmos.

a kind of “universal supercomputer” in the contemporary view.

But I am a minimalist. I would like to compare the Mind of God

to a friend who frequents outdoor cafés and loves to watch

humanity’s comings and goings and the sweet minutia of lives.

(Please do not think of this comparison as frivolous.)

When my friend sits at cafés and watches those milling about

there is kind attention lavished on those who pass by.

She is genuinely interested but knows that she cannot interfere

in any real way—only watch the passing parade of souls totally

oblivious to her interest, diligent actors in their passion plays.