What if Love is a gradual unfolding, a sense of feeling at home with certain places, certain people who are kind, thoughtful, helping us live more fully, a way we come to peace with our common grounds and our differences too?
What if loving another dearly, deeply, awakens us in ways not possible if we are afraid to risk being loved passionately, and doing so in return beyond our past experiences? What if love is an adventure in being curious, open, present instead of having any preconceived notion of what love should be like? Love can be gentle, and it can be difficult at times too. Such is life.
May we all learn to see wonder and the magic of being more loving in simple daily living. Part of love is discerning when to let go, when that feels appropriate to. Not always let go of another person, but letting go our own beliefs and trusting more the mystery of love. It takes courage to love. In the 16th century, Martin Luther didn't believe in the Trinity and the place of the Pope in dictating what Christianity was all about. He believed God was more loving and accessible to everyone. He translated the Bible into German so folks could have an individual relationship with God, for in his day, the Bible was the only book many people even had. He came to believe God was too loving to send folks to hell and damnation. He believed God was bigger than fear and forcing people to follow rules often created by men into power, not love. He believed questioning was a basic right on our journey to creating a faith we can live and die with.
What if love requires vision, courage, curiosity, a willingness to become someone we'd never even imagined five or ten years ago? When we share and care for one another, honoring our interconnectedness with all beings, we share a reverence for the web of life, for the sacredness of many paths, not just one. Yes, there will be times of tears and laughter, of being humble as well as vulnerable. And there is a place for anger when we see grave injustices that even today darken the prospects for our survival, individually and on a broader plane as well.
What if love is meant to give us hope, brighten our path as the journey can be long and overwhelming if taken alone. What if love and peace can prevail. What then?
