Tag: Love

Ripple Out Love

On this day, the 80th anniversary of one of the most wicked acts of annihilation, the bombing of Hiroshima, we need to take stock of who we are or at least who we can be. The threats to humanity and the earth have never been greater. And the ignorance that has allowed it is not backing down.

We’re left with no recourse, but to manifest the greatness that still remains within us: the seeds of compassion and hope, the daring acts of kindness. These are not illusion. These are the tools of the people we are meant to be.

Yes, there’s much to overcome. But with practice and with perseverance we can still change the present course. 

If you’re still addicted to the mass media trap. Stop. There are many independent journalists worthy of our attention. Regardless, take time to cultivate the clarity needed to wade through the irrelevant and to maintain our highest vision. It is available.

And what is that highest vision? Throughout time there have been those who have upheld the strengths of humanity. They have urged us towards simplicity and to engage with the preciousness of life. We have been warned of the follies of greed and power, but more importantly we have been given great tips on the ways out of chaos.

There are two things that can help us now: the appreciation of silence within so that we may hear the directives of our hearts and the appreciation of people who share this understanding. We need community. Find those who support your humanity; those who have learned to make a way out of no way. We do not need to agree on everything, but we do need to ripple out love and understanding.

80 years later… survivors still speak about the horrors of allowing nuclear weapons

and there are people still talking about the possibility of peace…and as human beings, we have choice.

Capacity to Care

Of all the lessons I’ve ever learned, I’m grateful to those who demonstrated kindness and instilled a love for all of humanity within me. In my young life, Christian values had more to do with love and loving, rather than sin and fear of retribution. I could grow my capacity to care. And it felt good.

At a very young age, I learned about the kindness of St. Francis of Assisi, and participated in ripping sheets into bandages to send to leper colonies. It was empowering. And while the concepts of service to humanity or to the divine have transformed within me over the years, I know that the capacity to love and to care is something that can and should be practiced. The heart is indeed a muscle that can be stretched and can grow into a powerful resource. That is my anchor.

When the Pope chose the name of Francis, I hoped he would herald back a time when greed didn’t have such a hold on our lives. He didn’t disappoint. I don’t practice a faith, the hypocrisy is too much for me, but I was grateful as Pope Francis attempted to steer the ship back to the values of humanity that I hold in high regard. This is not meant to be a salute to Francis, but a salute to the qualities of human kind that we shared and that need to be uplifted now. 

Today, we’re steeped in judgement on ourselves and others. We use it as a mile marker to determine our place in the arbitrary hierarchy we believe God has made for us. From the perspective of Love, this is a ridiculous grid to live by. 

No two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Be occupied by Love.

Pope Francis and his capacity for care of Palestinians.

Dipping Into Honey

I had some honey the other day. It wasn’t what I have grown to expect from honey. It had remarkable flavor. I could taste the flowers and it left me wanting more. As I continue to dip into that honey jar, I realize that what I enjoy is the love that went into making it.

In this blurred time when “civilization” is forced to reckon with tremendous failures, I keep coming back to this: I want to feel love. I want to bathe in the exquisiteness of being alive. And I want to share that joy of living with everyone. 

I want to feel the power of kindness. I want to know the depths of compassion. I want to dive into the freedom that no one can take away from me.  The freedom that comes from knowing who I am. Who I am. Behind the labels, behind the beliefs, behind the years of experience, behind what others think. Who I am. Knowing that has made all the difference.

In that knowing is my strength. In that knowing is my compass. You know, that moral compass that seems to be eluding many these days. In knowing my self, I can take action. Without fear.

I must keep walking, even when I fail. To be conscious even in the darkest of times. And to seek the light of others when I need and to offer light when I can. This I can do. Day to day, moment by moment.

It’s a tall order, I know, but it hasn’t kept me from wanting it. We always have choice – allow our humanity to be diminished or emerge victors of the greatest opportunity offered – to be alive and to stay in love. Dip into the honey, friends.