There is a man, who is becoming a better friend every time he steps into our flat, and we give him house shoes, who hails from far off places.

He sits on my sofa, and weaves tales of near and distant past as we discuss life, love, and current events that so deeply touch his heart and home. He is married to a friend, actually, I married them in a ceremony and Andrew was the witness in their legal marriage.

One Christmas, as his wife worked in far off places, he came for Christmas dinner, heavy with sweets from a local pastry shop in his village. We ate and drank caramel vodka, and as we talked about what Christmas met, and told him the story of the Kings who came and bore Jesus presents, his eyes widened. "My people are in the story" he exclaimed.

And we compare religions, for much like him, we were born into one and have learned about others as we work and live and breathe in life. To compare the two extremes is to see both sides of one coin of authoritarianism and control and fear. But he, like us, and like many of both faiths, has no desire for this coin to be placed in our pockets. But rather to live in life, and peace, and justice and mercy and love and forgiveness. To do unto others, and to love God with all our beings. He isn't alone, Andrew and I have other friends of both faiths that live and feel and work in the same ways. They come to our houses, we go to theirs. We drink and eat together, laugh and cry, tell each others stories and lament over the same pains and sufferings.

And then we learn things together. Like how the Magi came from his world. And how his country still protects land owned by those Jews driven out by circumstances beyond their control. And how our country tries to control other places and vice versa.

Today we returned to a table. His Spanish wife longed for paella and we indulged her. She and I with deep inky black rice tinted que squid ink and the guys with veggies and chicken. Wine flowed and laughter and enrage and sadness and tears and happy hugs and lovely moments. And even though we all grew up in four points of this globe, we find love conquers all and food and wine cover the rest.

We hug and kiss goodbye, making plans for a day trip this weekend to see a further off place than where we live. And even through the happy buzz of wine and food, I still shake my head at people from my part of the world that have lost the point, that think if you carry one religon card over another that you are somehow better, or acheived more brownie points for the next life. Because they have forgotten the point. Love God, and Love each other. And that sadness I carry, the lament, runs deep and pushes me further to understand how deep and wide and long that Love really is.