Weekly Newsletter: The Faces of Love, Part One

    The first face of love is to love God, The Divine, The Creator of the Universe, or whatever name we choose to give to that which is above all and greater than self. We love not simply because The Divine loves us—although that is a good reason—but because loving The Divine is our natural response to a perfect deity. For a child not to love a parent is unnatural. Even if that parent is judged by others as unworthy of love, it makes little difference to the child. We love because we are a part of that parent—an extension of their lives.
    We are also an extension of divinity. That which created us, we naturally love. That which gave us life and a world in which to play, is the One we are drawn to in love. Our world is filled with churches, some simple and some ornate, that demonstrate that we love The Divine. 
    Worship is merely a means to express our love individually and collectively. All things begin and end with love. Our existence is meaningless without love. A life lived without love is often a dangerous and fearful life. Even though we may deny love, it doesn’t make it go away or any less important. Even when we don’t feel the love of The Divine, it is always constant and unmoving. Always present, always caring, always drawing us back to that which is greater than ourselves.
    The second face of love is to love ourselves. When done properly, this doesn’t have to involve the ego. We love ourselves not because we are special, but simply because we are an extension of the Creator, or an extension of Divine Love. “Special” implies that one person is better—or in some cases less than—someone else. But, when we understand that all of The Divine’s creations are equally special and that favoritism is not part of divine plan, then we can hold our egos in check.
    I love my children, but if one of them lived as if they were unworthy of my love or as if they were unlovable, I would be disappointed and hurt. I know they are lovable or I wouldn’t love them. My children don’t have to say or do anything to deserve my love. It is theirs and it always will be. They are an extension of me, and I know they have great potential for love. 
    We extend the love for our children to ourselves. We love ourselves because it is healthy, and because the alternative is harmful to our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.