Awareness

Around the corner stands a small Russian Orthodox church: Protection of the Holy Virgin Church. It is a tiny building but its blue onion domes help it stand out in this neighborhood of low-slung Eichler homes.

Something else makes it stand out: at 10:00 (ish) every Sunday morning, Protection of the Holy Virgin Church's bell tolls. It's not the deep, throaty toll I remember from St. Johns when I was growing up. This bell sounds more like the bells I heard at Buddhist temples in Kyoto. When I first heard the slightly tinny, high pitched ring, I assumed a neighbor had some sort of bell or gong. This is California, after all. One day, I was passing by the church and heard the bell. I'd found the source of my Sunday morning call to be present. I just heard again a few moments ago and wanted to share.