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Abstract

Beginning with the moment when he heard the call of the son he hopes to adopt without ever having actually seen, met, or heard him, the author traces the journey of the adoption process. This autoethnographic work explores ways of communicating “otherwise than being” (Levinas, 1998) in “metaphysical,” sacred, phenomenological encounters (Levinas, 1969) suggesting there is more to human relationships and communication than language or non-verbals and that the “more” is, for lack of a better term, a “spiritual” and sacred experience. This essay touches on communication ethics, interruption, spirit, infinity, the trace, and conscience in the realm of human interaction opening up the possibility for communication to connect us in unseen ways.

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I Heard the Call,but He Wasn't Actually There

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