love

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Ugh, Jesus.  He always seems to be showing up when I want him to politely keep out of my business.

          Nadia Bolz-Weber

___________________________

 

Ugh, Love

Yeah, I know, love is cool!

There is the love that shines through

As the sun rises, brilliant, pink, orange, and yellow

God’s grandeur

 

There is the love that sings in the river that flows

Through the rocks

and in the wind rushing through the trees

 

There is the love reflected in mountains high

And valleys low

 

There is the intense love of a mother deer for her fawn

And the love of an aged horse, nuzzling me over a gate

 

Love is warm, comforting, healing

 

But love is also intrusive and demanding

Because love, if it is really love

Takes us outside of ourselves

 

When we love we see

Everything

We see the beauty

But we also see the pain

 

We feel, everything

The joy, the exultation

The fear, the hate, the anguish

 

When we love we are not allowed

To think only of ourselves

But also of all those who are placed in our path

More

All those who inhabit this planet earth

 

And love impels us

To thus move beyond ourself

 

Yes, Love fills us

With hope, joy, and peace

 

but we cannot contain

what we received

it is beyond our understanding

it is more than we can ask or imagine

 

love overflows

it spills out

 

when we try to contain it

hold it

keep it

it spoils, it dries up, it dies

 

it is no longer love

love must be shared, given, expended

 

love shows up and things change

love shows up, and there goes the hate

love shows up and there goes greed

love shows up and our power and privilege must be redirected

away from ourselves

and used for the benefit of others

(sell all you have and give to the poor)

 

Love, the Beatles sang, is all we need

Indeed

 

What would it look like if we took that seriously

If we took Jesus seriously

Love God

Love your neighbor

Love yourself

 

What would it look like if we voted Love?

Treated the planet with love

Welcomed the stranger with love

Saw those different from with the eyes of love

Used our money with love (not lust)

Responded to hate with love?

 

It would look like Jesus

It would look like giving, and compassion, and forgiveness

It would look like kindness

And welcome

Inclusion

 

Ugh!

Hallelujah!

Ouch!

Yay!

 

Love can hurt

It can cost

But is the most powerful, amazing, rewarding gift

It is our superpower

It is why we are here

 

To love