How Must We Love?

                                                                       

            I pray almost every night. I dare say that my prayers are conversations with the Almighty since I get answers. It is a dialogue I sometimes open myself up to hear.

            Last night I began by trying to comprehend who or what the Almighty is. The only answer I understood is that It is Love. Love is the fuel that feeds life to all beings. As living beings we share the same sources and we are deeply connected, as in 'we are all one and the same.' We may occupy a different form when on Earth, but our form is simply a transformation of other matters through time. I am a collection of matters that existed in different forms in the past and the matters that surround me today, and when I leave this form behind, it will be part of other matters.

            The part of me that is not matter is the fuel that feeds life. All lives. We share it; therefore, we are united by it.

            Then I ask: what is the reason I exist in this human thinking form? I am aware of the fuel that sustains me and sustains all other beings. I am grateful for the Love that exists in me, and if Love is what sustains life, then I should love more. I should love all beings and as I do so, my own fuel will get stronger, so when I leave this matter, that force will still exist as light that will connect with all the other lights that guide us, and my matter will be actual food for other living things.

            What happens if I allow my matter to decay carelessly and allow my fuel to exhaust? Well, I figure that my matter will end up as more poison than food for other living things, and my life source will get too dense to shine any light. The density of the soul might become a void; a dark hole.

            Nice words, but how do we get to turn these thoughts into practice? After all, I get angry at times, I feel afraid sometimes, and I get frustrated too. There are many forces trying to make all go dark. The "news" bring only tragedies, divisiveness, and despair. It sells!

            To fight against fear and hatred, I feel that I must learn from those who have battled these same sentiments before. Others have seen and felt the same fears and hatred and have managed to overcome them. There are endless teachings about how to reach a more merciful and dignified path. Every civilization has had a guide. Each guide has presented a path that carries symbols that are easily decoded by its people. The language, symbols, and forms may be different, but the goal is the same. And as I mentioned before, we are all united which means we potentially carry the same answers within ourselves. We just need to seek them. But that requires WORK!

            The first step I want to take is to control my thoughts. We create our thoughts. We invite them, feed them, share them. If I want to imagine a place on the beach, I am perfectly capable of creating an image of the beach in my mind. If I wish to create a dinner for my family and friends, I guide my thoughts toward ideas of foods and recipes that may be suitable for the occasion. So, if I wish to get rid of negative thoughts, or negative ideas that surround me, I must be able to wish them away instead of inviting them in and feeding them! It is a decision I must make. It requires much awareness and vigilance because it is too easy to simply let the negative feelings flood our minds. We have gotten too comfortable with them. Our social interactions have become dependent on them. We have created an artificial social and political bond based on disgust and hatred of the others outside of our "circles."

            The hardest part is to break the vicious cycles and avoid "joining the crowd" while still belonging. How must we Love?