Love is one of those things that has its beginnings in a realm far beyond human understanding. It comes from a place that precedes time and its origin is believed by many, to be in God. Love's influence on human affairs was present long before religion. The simplest example of this is the family. Love inspires us to be good to each other and take care of one another as ourselves. Love does not inspire us to harm each other, instead it promotes moral rectitude, unity and peace. It's very natural for us to show Love to those we care about or even a stranger at times; to Love is in our DNA. Love has been our guide from the beginning, and then came the idea of religion. The cause of religion is a noble one; seemingly lofty and moral, but the truth is religion has caused division, upheaval and oppression throughout history (which may be its true purpose).
What about religion makes people come unhinged at times? After all, it's supposed to bring people closer to God, right? But the most interesting things is, religion does not encourage nor require relationship with God. Religion does not originate in the heart of a person where God desires to dwell. Religion comes from the outside; something taught, not inherent. Religion can never accomplish what Love can because it can never provide relationship with God. Perhaps this is why so many wrongs have been committed in the name of religion. But Love is not so. Love comes from the heart, it is a part of a person's being; Love connects us to God and each other through relationship. Love always wants to be in relationship with us and wants us to be in loving relationship with each other.
As a little girl, I remember hearing that God loved me. I will never forget the Love that welled up in my heart and illuminated my mind. It was almost like an energy filled my being; it made me warm inside and left me in a peaceful and Loving state. Maybe you have had a similar experience? That's what makes Love so much stronger than religion to me. It comes from inside and fills me up and empowers me to do things I could never do without its presence in my life.
Love is the only common ground we can all stand on no matter what. It is the one thing that we can look to help us make our world a better place to live especially for our children. Love performs best when we are healthy and our relationships are the better for it, but some of us have been less fortunate than others and need to become acquainted with how to Love and be Loved. We were created to Love and be loved, so let's get back to the basics of being more Loving to ourselves and one another. Then and only then can real healing begin. Let's start Loving more at home, and then let that Love reach out into our communities (smile at your neighbor, lend a helping hand, don't ignore the homeless vet on the corner. Spread Love in your local community, across our nation and around our world.
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