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Yet, we cannot continue to grow in Love, in inclusiveness, in empathy, by alterations in the mind. Changing how I think myself to think is limited, for what I say I think is the locale of the intolerance, the meanness, the for and against. A welcome mind is a fresh mind, one free of a fixed idea of what the other is or is not. In this is clear seeing.
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So, Love is prior to and outside the mind. Mind does not even exists, for mind is a capacity within Presence, not a thing in itself. At best, Love can use thought, yet Love is not itself in thought. All systems of thought, regardless of how apparently true and enlightened, are bound within the limits, including biases, of thought. We, as humans, are still trying to create systems of equality from a place that itself is the source of inequality, and this is a reason my society is still struggling so with racism: not only racism, but the racism of counter-racism. True inclusiveness has never and will never be able to be regulated, no one can be educated into it, no amount of good information or understanding the other will bring it about. Inclusiveness is the fruit of Love. Saying "Love is inclusive" is somewhat a misnomer, for Love is not other than inclusive.
We, then, need to engage a path of transformation from the Heart, where we are already together, one Being being. In moving into and from the Heart, we see differently. This happens naturally. We, then, are not trying to overcome our prejudices, we are allowing them to be seen in awareness. A new understanding of the other arises, an insight, not information about the other,. A nonaffective feeling-into our oneness arises. We come to discern this feeling-into is itself arising from within Life. With this arising is the dissolution of the prior prejudice. Truly, in prejudice, in bias, we are not seeing the other, we are seeing our thought about the other.
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In Grace loving, transformation happens. This does not result from a sense of being commanded by a god to love, a cultural ideal, or that one ought to love. Love arises from within, unlike rules of "should" and "should not," as the pure expression of Being with no added agenda. Rather than feeling one should love or one needs to be inclusive, one responds to the inner summons to be graceful in being a welcoming presence. One desires to embody Grace. This Love embraces even the freedom of disagreeing and agreeing, yet is not touched by such. So, to draw nearer to graciousness, say "Yes" to Grace.
Last,we can appreciate our differences are usually not a problem at all. Certainly, some beliefs bring much harm. We can wisely differentiate, in and by Grace, and even see the beauty in dissimilarity that possibly once was seen to be a threat. Diversity is not a threat, diversity is a gift. Grace cherishes contrast, in Grace we gratefully reverence the tapestry of experience as the artistry of Life. Life diversifies. We are this Life we celebrate and reverence.
*Copyright 2018, Brian Kenneth Wilcox
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