At the first yoga class I taught this year I said 2020 was going to be awesome because we’d be able to see things clearly. 🤣 While “awful” is likely a more apt descriptor, it occurs to me we are seeing more accurately than ever before. There’s something about things falling apart that knocks sense into us! I know the lowest points in my life each led to the most extraordinary growth. How about you? So, what might this apocalyptic year be revealing? It seems to me 2020 is a neon sign calling us to embrace and embody the Revolutionary Love Jesus brought into the world. While it’s been 2,000 years since the Christ gave us this Way, we’ve largely minimized or ignored it, because frankly it’s hard and a “bit” crazy! Since I have a hunch we’re ready to follow this path to awesomeness, I wanted to share 4 key aspects of Revolutionary Love.
1) The 4 Directions of Love. Love, in its fullness isn’t a set of does and don’ts or one size fits all, it’s an orientation in life. It’s a four-axis circle, so falls flat when part is missing. Love of self, others, opponents, and Something Bigger and Beyond us (I say God, how about you?) are each vital. Love of self is akin to being a top-level athlete, in that you stay in peak Love condition. Love of others is the communal, giving turn, while Love of opponents is what stretches and pushes us. Finally, Loving the Source of all nourishes, fills, and enables us to do the seemingly impossible.
(2) Love Ethic. The morality of the Revolutionary Love that will change the world is marked by compassionate care, esteem for everyone without exception (remember it’s hard), understanding (truly getting to know people), a spirit of cooperation, and courage. One of the bravest parts of Love is facing our fears, especially of people unlike us.
(3) Work + Wonder. Rooted in the joy that birthed the universe, Love is happy to sacrifice to bless and benefit others. It follows the Way of Jesus who, “For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame” to die for our gain. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV) While Love is a battlefield and certainly hurts, when we get caught up in its Flow it becomes effortless effort, because it is work fueled by wonder. As Richard Rohr says: “This labor engages all our emotions. Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger protects that which is loved. And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love.”
(4) Love Doesn’t Stop. We are just getting started in joining the Divine in making the world a better place because Love doesn’t stop until EVERYONE is healed, included, heard, known, and valued–no exceptions. Truly, Love never ends, but you get my point. We have a long way to go when it comes to healing our racial, political, and other divides to come together as one human family, but I believe in us because God does, and think life is too good not to! How about you?
Love & Hugs,
Lang
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