First though we need to learn what the conditions of Love are, there isn't really any Love in the world
because the world is a neutral canvas upon which we can paint anything we like. Most of the relationships we pursue in the world are not about Love, they are deals we make with one another and what we call Love quickly turns to hate if either party brakes the deal.
Deals are not Love, for Love is completely without conditions of any kind, Love sees only the good and the beautiful in everything, Love does not know fear or isolation for it is free and nothing but sparkles and shines with a comforting radiance that once looked dull and lifeless.
Love knows not of the anxiety of time, it is immortal and at every point in its progression it is AWARE of it's own perfect, Eternal nature...
Yes life is ALL ABOUT Extending Love and painting your canvas to include all the world you see...
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Comments: 66
Jennifer, Love is the natural inheritance of everyone on earth, but it has become so lost in the complexity of ego judgment that it seems like a foreign concept to most of us.
That's OK, when one has had enough of the ego and one truly wants to see the world differently, the universe rushes in and provides.
I promise you that your request was not idle, nor will it go unanswered for this is truly Loves Joy, to spread It's wings giving shelter and comfort to those who would learn to be like ItSelf...
Now we are looking at the conditions needed for a life of Love, seeing the reality that judgment is really just another form of attack is the first one...
Jennifer K., Apr 27, 2008, 3:53pm EDT "
Jennifer, Robin gave you a good answer, but I must add a bit to that ... I had lived most of a lifetime, a half century missing a lot of love in my life. I had thought I knew love as most folks did, I was married to the same wife, had 3 children, with youngest being killed at 18, but I was always looking for more and better love, probably just some peace of self acceptance, the lack of such depressed me to the point of even considering suicide at times ... but when I had finally had enough of such, I demanded "truth" from within, I guess (?), I had never actually believed in a God and I was against religions as I had known them, so I began a reading study mission that took me to attempting a meditation, a seeking withIN (?) ... and within a short period some things began happening, mostly emotions, but as I sought more of it and the understanding of it ... it soon climaxed in a spiritual awakening beyond words to explain ... during that experience I felt and knew UNconditional Love that so exceeded any previous concept of love that I had known of or about, as to take me and everything else to a whole new level. All I knew at the time was that it was so very special ... and above all, it seemed to satisfy my prior needs for Truth ... I knew it had to be related to God ...
I subsequently read for years to better understand it all ... and I now do ... my message for you and all others ... is that it is surely available to each and all ... at any moment they are truly willing to turn their ego (as Robin said) over to it in seeking that ultimate Truth (God)(the ONE withIN), the Truth that surely sets you Free ... seek and ye shall find ... but of course there are many things in our life that must come together at that critical time ... complete willingness and great desire for the "change" is required ... I hope you each and all find it ... there is nothing greater for a human during this life as far as I know of or have heard of ... IMnsHO.
I very much enjoyed this. I came upon it because of your e-mail "[!! In Character - a character development group for writers !!] Letter to a Friend". I've just joined that group, so am not very familiar with how it works. Yours is the first I've read of what I think is the current challenge, or assignment? I hope this response is appropriate for this group.
No one's mentioned it, and I hope I'm not out of line, but did you mean "brakes" or "breaks" in the second paragraph?
Oh, you're right, I'm not a member of ACIM. I thought this was primarily posted to "!! In Character - a character development group for writers !!", since that was what was in the "To" section of your e-mail and I just joined that group. None-the-less, I guess I was supposed to stop over here. Glad I did. I'll check back to see what others are saying. It's an interesting topic.
It's just a great way to write to everyone at once!
It'll never happen in the world but theres nothing stopping it happening in me, or you, or anyone who chooses to replace fear with Love...
Each day may not be a pain free day or even problem free but I can say that I am still thankful. I am filled with love for my fellow man. It's strange, at times I feel like I'm going to burst if I can't share it with someone.
Blessings and love to you Robin
Carla described her thoughts on this in a comment somewhere today, it was so beautiful to read it...
I Love you Patti, and bless you forever sweetheart!
When we say "unconditional love" I think most of us mean a love that doesn't demand things of the loved one, doesn't try to change them, accepts them as they are, warts and all. However, I think there are still conditions on that kind of love, in most cases. Would you love someone if they abused you, beat you, tortured you, imprisoned you? Would you love them if they abused your children sexually? Yes, I am being most extreme here, but that is the point. We do usually place conditions on our loved ones at least that they not be extreme in their mistreatment of us or anyone precious to us.
Love the sinner, hate the sin. It's a tough thing to do, but I think it describes God's love pretty well. I believe that God loves us all, even those who commit dreadful crimes like murder, rape, child abuse. God hates their crimes, but loves them in spite of that.
We mere humans are not so perfect nor so pure in our love. We can try, and to some degree succeed. I think as parents we come closest to the kind of love God represents, and this is appropriate when you see God, as I do, as the ultimate parent. As parents we love our children even when they fail, even when they sin, even when they are afflicted with deep personality disorders. Who loves the sexual murderer if not his own mother?
But, in essence Robin, you are right. Love is the image we should strive to paint on our own personal blank canvas in this world. We should always strive to love others, to love not only our spouse, children brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and friends but also our acquaintances, our co-workers, our neighbours, our enemires, the diseased and unclean, the homeless, the mentally ill, the warped. We should try to feel for their human suffering, have sympathy and empathy for them and extend love to them. When we fail, as most of us do in many of these tests, we should try again to find the capacity inside ourselves to love.
God, life, love: I believe these words are synonyms. God is the creator of all life. God gave us the power to create life and we do it through our most profound physical expression of romantic love. This is not a coincidence.
I don't know about this. I may love and pray for kids on the street that are hoodlums but I am still afraid to walk their streets at night. I still want the court system to try to work justice in their lives. Of course we should always be aware of their value but I think love sees truth; be it good or bad. and deals with it for the good of the person even if it means discipline.
Your article is beautiful.
However, when we paint our canvas to include all the world we see...realistically...we would have to paint people living lives of worry, stress and pain. Everywhere we look we see problems—poverty, crime, hunger, disease, war and corruption.
Love is truly blind if it sees only the good and beautiful in everything, because that is not reality, that is not the real world.
That is a Utopian state that we all wish were so. Down through the ages, time has not brought us closer to Utopia. So, maybe we just need more time? Surely, if given enough time, humanity will figure it out, and find the way to make a perfect society, where everyone is lovable, yes? NO. That is probably not going to happen.
You confused me a bit when you said, "First though we need to learn what the conditions of Love are..." Then you said, "For Love is completely without conditions of any kind..." Which is it?
Scripture teaches: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
That's sometimes tough! Because we're not God, and not good at turning the other cheek. How long do we love someone who is really "unlovely and unlovable (by worldly standards?)."
Love is a decision, not a feeling, so we must decide to love regardless of the actions of another ... IF we are going to love that person.
The universe is a hierarchy of love. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Most have a propensity to love, but do not know how to make the love you describe, but keep on reaching.
There are problems and situations in life that need to be dealt with for sure. However if we look at others and value them because of who they are and not what they do we will make decisions that enrich their experience and still we can move through the battle ground with love, seeing beauty everywhere.
Love is also responsible and lawful, it is considerate and compassionate and forgiving as well.
10 4 u
Robin, in my opinion, this is a perfect example of a great publication.
I really don't feel compelled to explain to YOU how I came to this conclusion. I think you already know the how and why; As do most of you who have made it this far down the list to the 64th comment to this article. (More if others are posting as I write)
However, for those of you who think you may have landed here on this particular spot by accident and still wonder, "where's the greatness is in so few words?" I'll share this much for your sake. (Only because I'm limited on time here. You can see by these many comments here that there is so much to be said about "Love")
Robin has succeeded in drawing you in on a topic that is priceless and free, so most of us tapped in for more of it because we WANTED more.
Yet, there are some who came here in doubt seeking the cost of such a powerful emotion because deep down inside, they're still holding out on the hope that such love might be at least affordable. That's because we as humans NEED it.
I mean it! Would you have come to check it out this article if it was an invitation to read a "Hate letter"? Some would, because in a peculiar way, they feed off of such!
But if you are this type of person you simply don't know the better. (yet)
Given 33 years of being apart from my Daddy no more than a week to 10 days at a time, there were plenty of opportunity for me to say to him the words "I love you"
So I did. Though, for what ever reason, he never could find it in him to exchanged the expression in the form of words or even a hug or kiss. (This had always been the man of my life, My father! I couldn't help but love him anyway.)
One Christmas Day, after all those years, out of the blue, our lives turned for the better.
When it came time for me to go back to my house, I proceeded to reach out hug him good-by as I always had. This time instead of being non-responsive, he stood and gently embraced me in return. Before I could say anything!
While I was still in shock, he said those precious, valuable words..."I love you baby".
I had always wanted to believe before that he really did love me but until then I could only hope. All that he had ever done wrong vanished and all he had ever done right
made it's way to the forefront of my mindful thoughts of him. That was the best present ever as I watch his actions confirm this statement in the years that followed.
The acknowledgement of love changes everything for the better.
Two months ago, Just before my 50th birthday, I found myself at his bedside while he held my hand tightly onto his not wanting to let go. Over and over in the weeks leading up to that moment he had said those words "I love you" (more than a thousand times as if to make up for all the times he had missed.)
"Do you ever get tired of me saying that?" he asked after telling me once again.
"No Daddy!" I assured him "It's so good to know you love me...How could I ever get tired of hearing it?"
He then told me that he had found out that it takes more energy to hate just one man than it does to love everybody in the whole world.
In his dying breath he said it one last time. "I love you baby" and with that, he used every ounce of energy he had left to lift his head a little, pucker his lips and pull me to him so that he could kiss me.
He was the one kissed me!!! One last time.
Yes, He is gone but his love is still, very real. As always, better late than never.
God bless you if you took the time to read Robin's article and these comments that have followed it. As you can see "Love" is a sensitive subject.
My Daddy's name was John which means "God is love"
Ten for the effort . . . and the purity of the sentiment.