I took a winter off from the university to work at a ski resort on Mount Hood. Actually, it was my second winter working there. The first was when I took a year off from school to work and think about what I really wanted to do with my life.
Soon after I started working I met a lovely young woman named Julie who had been hired to work the information desk. I became infatuated with her and we began to date. Even though she had told me about her boyfriend back in Vancouver BC, I began to have the thought maybe I was ready to settle down with her. Long story short, the ski season was interrupted by a lack of snow, she went back to BC and I went off to spend a few weeks helping out on my sister’s ranch.
A week before spring break that year it snowed and I returned to work at the resort. Meanwhile, another lovely young lady named Kathy was on spring break from the University of Washington and had gone to Yakima to visit a friend from Nome, Alaska where she had grown up. While there she found out that another close friend was living just a couple hours south on Mount Hood. She showed up on Friday night with her friend to visit her friend’s boyfriend who worked in the rental shop with me.
I can still picture her standing in the door frame. We all got together after work and I made a date with her for the next morning so I could teach her how to ski. After the break was over, I returned to school in Portland and she went back to Seattle, but we continued to correspond. Another long story short, 40 years later we are still together.
I share this story as an example of the Spiritual Principle of Synchronicity. The term was coined by Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology. Simply stated, it means meaningful coincidences. I like to think of it as God’s way of maintaining anonymity. Two parallel lines of events occur and come together at a significant point. Synchronicities, like miracles, are constantly active in our lives. Those of us on the path of Spiritual Living keep our eyes and minds open to the meaningful coincidences as they occur.
My becoming interested in Julie and thinking about settling down did not cause Kathy to come to Mount Hood. But, had I not had that experience with Julie, I might not have followed up with correspondence to Kathy. And, it was a synchronistic occurrence she changed her plans to come down to where I was working with her friend’s boyfriend. God works in mysterious ways.
Another principle is that of Synergy, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20. Aristotle said it this way, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This is why we come together in churches, in communities, in relationships; because together we can accomplish more than we can alone.
A third spiritual principle is Synthesis. Whenever there is an idea put forth, a thesis, there is a seemingly opposite or contradictory point of view or antithesis. In Spiritual Awareness, neither is right or wrong, good or bad, they are just incomplete. When these two are reconciled we create a higher order of being together, a synthesis. This is a principle I believe more politicians and clergy need to embrace.
The fourth of my Seven S’s of Spiritual Living is Simplicity. “Keep it simple sweetie!” the KISS formula for life. The more complicated our plans and schemes, the less spiritually inspired and the more ego driven they are. “Let what you say be yes, yes or no, no. More than this comes from evil.” Matthew 5:37.
For the last three S’s, tune into this column a few weeks from now when my next contribution will be shared. Until then, keep your eyes and minds open to the meaningful coincidences in your life, the opportunities for shared growth and for a higher order of being together, and keep it simple.
Blessings of peace, joy and love.

Matthew E. Long is senior minister
for Peace Unity Community