Happy True Love Day!
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
It's Valentines Day! How about we transform a Hallmark occasion into an opportunity to celebrate True Love. The kind of love those icons on the ipeace poster are talking about - Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr. They knew a thing or two about what true love really is.
For starters, it ain't easy. It's not about just loving the people in your immediate circle - the ones that agree with you, the ones that look like you, the ones that turn you on. That's a good thing, and hard enough in itself. But the kind of love these peaceful warriors understood, in the depths of their hearts, comes from recognizing that we are all truly, utterly and compeltely, interconnected. This is the kind of love that enables us to actually love our enemies.
Have you ever really tried it? Not just tolerate our enemies, but actually love them. Phew - it's tough! That's fierce love. That's industrial strength love. That's the love that's going to change the planet. Martin Luther King Jr. used to joke sometimes, "we've just got to love the hell out them. You just love them..." This isn't a simple, sanctimonious holier than thou love - no, this is the kind of love that loves right through the ego, the hatred, the misunderstanding, right through to the divine spark that flames inside each and every being on this planet. This love does not excuse them for their actions, does not excuse them for the pain they cause, but recognizes that they are inflicting pain, because they are in pain.
A strange thing happens when violence is met with love. It doesn't know what to do. It knows how to respond to violence - now you're talking, now you're speaking it's language. It's a common practice for police to infiltrate peaceful activists to start them on a violent course of action - inside agitators. Because this allows the forces that be to be justified in an even more violent response. But if we are committed, deeply committed, to non-violence, to love in action, the perpetrators of violence will one day run out of anger.
Yes, it seems impossible in some of these large, seemingly endless conflicts - like the one in the middle east - to hold true to the path of non-violence. But I believe there is no other way. There will be huge costs to be paid, in the standing up for peace, in the standing up for love, as there has been throughout history. In the civil rights movement, many people died, but still, they refused to respond with anything other than love. And eventually, that love, and action - direct action - triumphed.
Ah love. If only we could truly learn to love. If only every breath, every gesture could resonate with love. For some people it's just natural. For others, especially us men, we need to learn. Society in the west has ingrained in us the ethos of "every man for himself." But when you learn, from the inside out, that everyone is yourself, you will discover a huge shift takes place. When we learn the truth of inter-being, when we learn True Love, look out world! Cause here we come - the love warriors of a new millenium.
We can do it - we're here to do it. Nothing could be more rewarding. When we move through the world with our love light shining, the world beams it right back up. And heart by heart, light by light, we can illuminate this world of shadows and terror. We can transform it, from the inside out.
Happy Valentines Day! May peace reign in our hearts, and on this planet.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
It's Valentines Day! How about we transform a Hallmark occasion into an opportunity to celebrate True Love. The kind of love those icons on the ipeace poster are talking about - Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr. They knew a thing or two about what true love really is.
For starters, it ain't easy. It's not about just loving the people in your immediate circle - the ones that agree with you, the ones that look like you, the ones that turn you on. That's a good thing, and hard enough in itself. But the kind of love these peaceful warriors understood, in the depths of their hearts, comes from recognizing that we are all truly, utterly and compeltely, interconnected. This is the kind of love that enables us to actually love our enemies.
Have you ever really tried it? Not just tolerate our enemies, but actually love them. Phew - it's tough! That's fierce love. That's industrial strength love. That's the love that's going to change the planet. Martin Luther King Jr. used to joke sometimes, "we've just got to love the hell out them. You just love them..." This isn't a simple, sanctimonious holier than thou love - no, this is the kind of love that loves right through the ego, the hatred, the misunderstanding, right through to the divine spark that flames inside each and every being on this planet. This love does not excuse them for their actions, does not excuse them for the pain they cause, but recognizes that they are inflicting pain, because they are in pain.
A strange thing happens when violence is met with love. It doesn't know what to do. It knows how to respond to violence - now you're talking, now you're speaking it's language. It's a common practice for police to infiltrate peaceful activists to start them on a violent course of action - inside agitators. Because this allows the forces that be to be justified in an even more violent response. But if we are committed, deeply committed, to non-violence, to love in action, the perpetrators of violence will one day run out of anger.
Yes, it seems impossible in some of these large, seemingly endless conflicts - like the one in the middle east - to hold true to the path of non-violence. But I believe there is no other way. There will be huge costs to be paid, in the standing up for peace, in the standing up for love, as there has been throughout history. In the civil rights movement, many people died, but still, they refused to respond with anything other than love. And eventually, that love, and action - direct action - triumphed.
Ah love. If only we could truly learn to love. If only every breath, every gesture could resonate with love. For some people it's just natural. For others, especially us men, we need to learn. Society in the west has ingrained in us the ethos of "every man for himself." But when you learn, from the inside out, that everyone is yourself, you will discover a huge shift takes place. When we learn the truth of inter-being, when we learn True Love, look out world! Cause here we come - the love warriors of a new millenium.
We can do it - we're here to do it. Nothing could be more rewarding. When we move through the world with our love light shining, the world beams it right back up. And heart by heart, light by light, we can illuminate this world of shadows and terror. We can transform it, from the inside out.
Happy Valentines Day! May peace reign in our hearts, and on this planet.
Comment
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Comment by hugo on February 15, 2009 at 9:54pm
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Thanks and the same wish for you and all people of the world !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs ... Love and Peace ...
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Comment by David Califa on February 15, 2009 at 9:33pm
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Velcrow. You are iPeace soul. Thanks for all the inspiration.
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Comment by isa bueno costa e silva on February 15, 2009 at 9:27pm
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Todos nós somos uma capsula de amor. Colocar em pratica isto, verte uma enorme distância entre as palavras, o sentimento e a ação. Os interesses individuais existem, são inegáveis e mesmo que tristes, razoáveis, necessários, impulsivos, eles ativam esta sociedade competitiva e surda a que pertencemos. Tomara que possamos alcançar esta maravilha utópica! Tomara! Tentarei fazer a minha pequena-grande parte. Peço Luz para meus aceites e minhas decisões. Beijos para todos! Amo.
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Comment by Mari Jonsson on February 15, 2009 at 9:07pm
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Thanks for sharing =)
" Love is all we need...
Hjärtliga hälsningar från Sverige
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Comment by Carla Shepherd on February 15, 2009 at 8:37pm
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I was just talking to one of my students about the importance of this very emotion in, not only letting go of her own distress (boardering on hate) in a situation were her boyfriend's ex-girl was being hateful, but actively letting the conflict disolve by surprising the girl with understanding a ncompassion. We talked about how this girl was acting out of her own fear, and how my student needed to be scure enough in the present love she and her boyfriend hold to bestow a little kindness on this girl and not get ugly back. It is a hard concept to teach young folks, but it is vital at this level. It is a slow "chipping away" process with anyone really -- these reactions are very deeply entrenched. KEEP PUSHING PEACE EVERYONE!
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Comment by Jesse on February 15, 2009 at 8:31pm
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Hear, Hear!
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Comment by barbara l. harrison on February 15, 2009 at 8:20pm
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thank you so much i also do therapy and have become so aware of how my words need to be true, peaceful within myself and examine my own feelings and values thank you so much for sharing your experience. you are a lovely human being love barb
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Comment by Diane Brighton on February 15, 2009 at 7:43pm
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I Too Can Fully Relate as I Too Send LOVe and Light To Those In Darkness ....negativity ...etc .....
Although Some Are Not Affected ...
So As a Therapist Found Can t Help Everyone Nice Sentiment Though ...As Dreamer Still Like To Think Beleive ..Light Overcome s Darkness Need Many Together To Do So In Some Cases As Mentioned Earlier Don t Throw Pearl s at Swine old Word s Apply .........
Pity ...
SAdly ...
LOVE
LIGHT
N
PEACE
To
All
Who Live in Light .....Shine on Regurdless of .............
Shine On .......
Peace
Diane
For Day Of LOVE .........
Unconditional Love
Surpasses True >>>>>
Diane
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Comment by Luiz Botelho on February 15, 2009 at 7:37pm
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!
Much Luv, Light and PEACE, always.
NAMASTê!
Lubas.-
_/|\_
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Comment by Wanda Wilson on February 15, 2009 at 7:29pm
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Beautiful - thanks...
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