Love is the fundamental connection that can work best to solve differences, even those who are fundamentally opposed to each other.
Gasp. Let's just consider romantic love, not that other really deep one that human nature offers us deep down. Cupid, chocolates, champagne, etc...those are so much easier to consume.
But most religions of the world look at the compassion, the love we show those closest to us, and extend that feeling toward the stranger. When that stranger is modest and has humility, meets certain personal standards of our own...it's pretty easy to offer compassion and hospitality to them.
But if they are in rags, with dirty hair and skin and fingernails, maybe even coughing on us...do we offer them help as well?
Here in North Carolina I've started to look closer at those marginalized people who also deserve to live, be housed and fed and have clothes and heat in the cold. When I stood in line for a free hot meal, they could easily be in front or in back of me. We are all suffering together when a disaster strikes.
And more and more disasters are coming. Not just from weather. But from the politics that are being wrenched from our constitution into a new entity that could be called 'The United States Corporation.'
But lets get back to love. Love your neighbor as yourself. That's what disasters proved (to me at least) works to make communities of people care about one another.
'Standing on the Side of Love' is a great banner that the Unitarian Universalists take along for protests and parades. And yes they even have a tee shirt. This is love to be expressed in tolerance, acceptance, and deep listening.
The hardest form of love is forgiveness. After an argument is one thing. Listening to those who hurt others, and wanting for them to definitely have consequences for their bad behaviors, we can still approach the concept of having compassion for them. Those who hate. Those who speak lies. Those who endanger and even kill others. The most difficult people in the world to love.
It doesn't mean we don't want punishment or some kind of action taken to stop what they are doing/saying, and a kind of consequence equal to the crime.
I'd never make it as a judge in a court seeing victims of abuse, and sending their persecutors to jail. All of them would be the maximum sentences. No not the death penalty. And jail or prison doesn't even match the terror they caused to innocents and their loved ones. I'd want them to undergo similar treatments.
Yep, I'm not quite holy in this regard. "Love thy enemy" is not where I am today. But I'm able to at least say, I'm considering what it might be like to forgive them. Not doing it, not even close.
How can the bombed out citizens of Gaza move and live close to any other civilized society which did nothing to stop the horrors?
Love...
