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When Jesus teaches us to love others as we love ourselves, he is not simply imposing a moral injunction. Stephen R. Covey, in “Love Enough For All,” writes, “We are all a part of one another and so, interwoven; it’s kind of a divine architectural ecology that encompasses us all and cannot be violated.” Therefore, the Christian teaching on Love is not given only that we might obey God or be good persons, and certainly not just so we can be good Christians.
Jesus' universal wisdom teachings does not impose anything secondary to Creation upon us, nor do the universal wisdom teachings of other traditions. The teaching on Love arises from Reality, as do all the universal principles in varied traditions. Being a part of one another, we are a singular ecology of persons. Being one, being interwoven, violation of any one person is violation of the whole, and every action has a consequence. Love is the only natural way of living among ourselves, for we ourselves are one Person.
Learning to practice love of others, then, is not simply a thing we can choose to do, based on personal conviction. Such universal principles arise from insight into and respect for the nature of Reality; they are not subject to personal, cultural, religious, or moral conviction. We cannot choose to ignore these teachings without personal and collective consequence.
To love our neighbor as ourselves is a teaching on how to be a human being, not for being a more religious person. Anything that is taught religiously and is not about being a more whole, natural human being needs to be discarded as worthless. Jesus is simply saying, “Reality is Love, you are all one, love is the means to bring helpfulness and wholeness to the whole Body of humankind. Since you are in Love, Love is your natural birthright, your responsbility, your way to joy.”
Spiritual Exercise
1. Describe the difference between seeing morality as arising from the nature of Reality and morality as arising from an external authority?
2. How do you feel and think about the following statement?
To be spiritual is to be a more whole, natural human person.
Prayer
I desire neither earthly kingdom,
nor even freedom from birth and death.
I desire only the deliverance from grief
of all those afflicted by misery.
Oh Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real;
from darkness to light;
from death to immortality.
May there be peace in celestial regions.
May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome and
may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May thy wisdom spread peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to all and to me.
Om Shanti [Peace], Shanti [Peace], Shanti [Peace].
*Mahatma Ghandi
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union, can be ordered through major bookdealers.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
The People of the
United Methodist Church
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