The Mystery within... |
Could life’s greatest journey be learning to accept and love everyone and all things unconditionally? Stepping-stones to that end, or puzzle pieces I have found so far, has shown me that breathing from my heart, where the Great Mystery resides, helps me think and act from my heart, appreciating how hard life can sometimes be for the other, and myself. My heart breathing/thinking can lead me to unconditional empathy. Unconditional empathy leads to unconditional kindness toward the other, and myself. By learning to be kind to myself I came to know the transformative power in kindness, and also came to understand I will never regret being kind to others. Unconditional kindness can foster reciprocity and lead to friendliness with whoever or whatever comes my way. Accepting what is, being empathic, kind and friendly to whoever or whatever shows up in my life looks like a lesson plan for loving unconditionally. This is the transformative work of a lifetime requiring much forgiveness, patience and trust.
Could the hard to love be here to teach how to love unconditionally? Could going high when the other goes low shrink our egos and open a path toward mutual transformation? Could breathing and thinking from our hearts grow empathy for the absence of transformative hardships in the lives of the hard to love? Could being patient in the face of oppression highlight the importance of tolerance, respect and sharing? Could responding to violence with loving compassion teach we can’t go wrong with its hopeful forbearance? Could being of generous spirit, wanting good for the other, highlight what is important in life? Could being forgiving of self and all others grow us as peacemakers? Could not blaming, shaming, or imposing guilt when wronged open our hearts to the bigger reality of the Divine Mystery within? Could believing justice will be kind and accomplished over a period of time comfort us? This is the transformative work of a lifetime requiring much forgiveness, patience and trust.
Be curious about the hard to love and their role in our lives. It is how we come to understand the Great Mystery’s work in our lives.
The poet Rumi understood the paradox of unconditional love:
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
What if the hard to love are here to teach us how to love unconditionally?