Look at those you care about with the look of love
WITH hopefully the he cold of winter now behind us and with spring now in the air, we need to ask ourselves what we can do right now, to improve the beautiful country we live in, to help bring jobs, compassion, mercy, healing and to bring hope and comfort where none seemed to be in the offering over the past number of years?
We can’t just leave it to the politicians and others in various forms of power, we must, each one of us put on the country jersey like our men and women’s rugby teams did at the weekend and get out there and do something for the betterment of one another especially for our children, our homeless, our elderly and our sick and unwell. Sounds like a tall order, and yes it is, but the answer is small, simple and sweet. It’s a simple suggestion that came to me when I was listening recently to one of our own Irish singers, the great Marc Roberts as he sang one of his many John Denver classic’s, “Perhaps Love.”
The melody is playing gently in my mind right now as I write this thought for the week. I don’t know all the words, I just keep hearing, “Perhaps Love”, and maybe, just maybe perhaps love can help us all make a real difference for good, going forward in one another’s lives.
RE-GIFT
This week when you look at your partner, your children, your parents, your friends, your colleagues see them with the eyes of love. That is the greatest gift we can receive and it is a gift we can re-gift! We are equipped with a never ending supply of love. When we look at those we care about with the look of love, we are dismissing that they left their towel lying on the floor (my mother forgives me regularly for this), we are ignoring that they left the fridge door open, we are looking at them with the eyes of love, we are remembering and connecting to the blessing we feel that they are in our lives.
The gratitude that they are sharing this journey with us right now! That they are here now! This is not something to take for granted, and yet we do so every single day, again and again. So, let’s make our homes, our communities, our cities and towns and our country a better place than it has been in the past, one look at a time this week and well into the future. Take a moment to look at and appreciate the ones we love, the ones who are walking beside us, who are working beside us, who are living beside us and who are sharing this journey with us during these difficult economic, faithless and hard times. We all need to be seen with the eyes of love, to be reminded of our greatness and to be empowered by it. It is powerful soul food.
DO ME A FAVOR
Do one more thing for me, when you look in the mirror this week, look at yourself with the eyes of love. Don’t look at the wrinkles, or slight imperfections, look, really look into your eyes, and love yourself. You are here now for a reason, and I for one am profoundly grateful that you are here, and that you are aware enough that you are willing to take the next opportunity to try out as the John Denver song goes, ‘Perhaps Love’ as the answer to all our ills and worries. If we can only remember to do this once this week, we are improving the world around us.
LOVE SIMPLY IS
God has given each one of us a heart to love. It is through our hearts by which he comes to show love and compassion to the world. As God is generous beyond our imaginings, this gift of love is something we must extend not just to a worthy few, but to everyone regardless of our natural inclination or prejudices or racism’s and reasoning’s to reject or exclude. We must extend hospitality, compassion and love to those who are easy for us to ignore or dismiss. For love simply is. Love doesn’t need a reason, love doesn’t always rhyme. But what we have got is a heart to love. Simply use it. Simply give love away. We must welcome everyone without discrimination. Despite our past mistakes, despite our present injustices towards one another, we must welcome each other with love and forgiveness. God turns no one away.
This kind of love and hospitality is beyond our comprehension. Why would God squander his love on us? God’s love needs no reason; God’s love doesn’t always rhyme with human reason. God simply is beyond human comprehension. Likewise, it is the same radical hospitality we must extend to everyone, without prejudice, without discrimination. For love doesn’t need a reason.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
As your thought for the week, see what act of love you can do or give to someone that might need it most and sometimes it is someone very close to you that needs it! Just do it! And may God bless you with discomfort, at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships. So that you may live deep within your heart! May God bless you with anger, at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people. So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace! May God bless you with tears, to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, homelessness, illness, starvation, abandonment and war. So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy!
