Love
Posted by Jill Warner in Current Event Editorials.
Love is rarely in the news. If by chance it does appear it usually is tied to sex or relationships. Rarely does it dip down into the sublime Love of God—a love so vast it is incomprehensible. The general conversation you find on most blogs or news casts is usually about conflict, controversy, strife, suffering, war, rape, murder, greed, theft—What is it about our collective consciousness that draws us to the dark rather than the light? Good news stations have been tried in the past and they usually fail. People in general tend to crave negativity. There is a deep thirst inside you for something interesting, and negativity is very interesting to your mind and perhaps more importantly your ego which thrives on and is the source of this endless negativity. Yes, there are those occasions that the light shines through and sublime moments of unconditional love inspire you captivating your attention for a moment or two, but these precious few moments are quickly overshadowed by the prevalent spreading of negativity, of pain, of suffering—It is rare to stop and contemplate: How does this suffering arise within you? The common human experience to believe you are your body, that you are at the affect of the circumstances of your life, and you suffer deeply as a result. And perhaps more importantly the natural tendency is to spread your suffering around to your friends and family. Surprisingly you can see this kind of negativity spreading through Christianity. Fear, judgment, prejudice, and even hatred are shockingly acceptable conversations in churches around the world.
Jesus says, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? (Matthew 5:46) You intuitively know the answer to this question—there is no reward for loving those who already love you. The deeper teaching contained within this question is to simply love everyone—unconditionally. How is it that such a simple message is so easily ignored, so easily misunderstood? The recent comments from Coby were the catalyst for this article. It seems after all this time there is still confusion about what is being offered on this blog. Yes, I did have a profound mystical experience of Jesus that led me to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai—but that is not the only reason why this blog started. It was not planned. I barely even knew what a blog was when a friend asked me to write some articles for a wordpress blog she created. You could say it was an accident or divine grace, but I had no idea that it would transform into a global phenomenon. My purpose from the very beginning was very simple—I am here to offer you an opportunity to open your heart and deeply inquire into the teaching of Jesus. What did he say? Where is he pointing? What does he want you to see? This inquiry is simply not for everyone. It can be a very painful seeing, a deep realization that you are living a lie, believing a lie, and suffering deeply as a result. None of the articles that I have written adhere to the dogma presented by churches around the world and in that context this blog is not Christian. It is simply, very simply, an opportunity to open your heart to the profound Love within you. This deep inquiry offers you true redemption, true salvation—the Atonement—and it begins with you. It represents a deep inquiry into the sacred realm of your own Heart. How can this sublime inquiry help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on and even deeper level?
Over 500 years ago a young man left everything, his family, his clothes—the perceived security of money, shelter, and food—he left all of this behind to follow the deep call of God. Inspired by the words of Jesus ‘take nothing for your journey,’ this young man started a movement that evolved into a Catholic Order known as the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans. Over the centuries his fame has grown and he is now recognized as Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the greatest saints the world has ever known. His miraculous mystical experience of Jesus and his fulfillment of his most austere command to leave money behind to trust in the omniscience of God, has inspired many over the centuries to follow in his footsteps. The Washington Post reports that just this week a group of Franciscans walked 300 miles from Roanoke Virginia to Washington DC. A testament to their founder, they took nothing for their journey with the exception of water and a cell phone for emergencies deemed necessary elements for survival in today’s perilous world, and the sandals of old were replaced with the practical comfort of today’s ergonomic sandals or replaced with tennis shoes—a modern accent to an ancient calling. But regardless of their footwear, their journey offers you an opportunity to see something very rare, something most people never even contemplate.
