In a book that contains some pretty great wisdom, there is a passage that says that three things will last forever: faith, hope and love. And of the three, the greatest is love. I think that the reasoning behind this, is because with love the other two are much easier to locate and sustain. It isn’t that difficult to find people who have faith and/or hope and yet seem to have very little love in their hearts. But it has been my experience that those who love deeply have never been without the other two.
The concept that “love is greatest” is easy enough for me to understand, however, it pains my heart to think that love might actually be the hardest for many to grasp and hold onto. Even people of great faith can lose it, when pressed and in dire circumstances hope is not easily found. Sadly, from what I see in the world today, on the news and in our neighborhoods it seems that love doesn’t have a fighting chance. I often hear faith spoken of and hope wished for, but I don’t see a whole lot of love.
A short time ago, in a note left behind after a tragic suicide, a simple, but terribly complex request was made: Fix Society.
To me it was a desperate cry asking really for only one thing. Love. While we might not get the world to agree on faith and hoping likely won’t solve mankind’s issues, I have to believe that every living creature is capable of love. No, love cannot solve all the problems and woes of the world either – but it’s a heck of a start. Because if we start with even a little bit of love, maybe we can minimize some of the pain that comes from a lack of it.
If you scroll through images on social media today you will see 1,001 photos and videos of interspecies love and compassion (Seriously. Take a moment and Google images of Interspecies Friendships and get back to me). Animals that are typically thought of as mortal enemies, interact as though they are not hardwired to dislike (and usually kill and EAT) one another. You will see an extraordinary number of cats nuzzling dogs, chicks, birds and lizards. There are plenty of dogs to be seen cuddling bunnies and bears. Fear not, there is no lack of videos of elephants walking and playing with sheep and puppies. You want tigers? I’ve seen evidence that somewhere in the world, those striped beauties lounge around purring while cute piglets snuffle and crawl all over them without fear of becoming lunch. Millions have viewed the clips of wildcats romping with dogs, bears and even man. I have to tell you, the day I actually see footage of a lion and the lamb together, I might begin to believe that even man might be capable of loving across the stupid lines he’s drawn in the sand over race, religion and the simple matter of who one loves.
Yesterday, a loved one posted a letter on Facebook that Thomas Jefferson had written in 1783 to his then 11 year old daughter Patsy, asking her to (among other things) “… strive to be good under every situation and to all living creatures.” While his missive made many requests in regards to her academic and artistic endeavors, I love him just a little more knowing that his closing comments to her addressed the condition of her heart. Reading between the lines, love was there.
So, out of the three, if faith isn’t easily accepted and hope not always found, how does the hardest heart even begin to foster love? Well, maybe starting with the simple, yet profound, idea of just “being good to all. What does that take? I think it takes openness. Open Mind. Open Heart. That, right there – is a basic recipe for love. Sure, we can make it a much more complicated matter than that, but the bottom line for opening the heart to love… is opening the mind. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen (up close and personal) that a closed mind can still find the tiniest kernel of faith and a glimmer of hope, but it must be cracked open — even a sliver — for any kind of love to be let in. I’d like to say it isn’t brain surgery, but in a way, it kind of is, isn’t it?
An incredibly smart (and loving, I have to believe) person once said, “Everyone should have a one-sentence mission statement.” Some of the things found in Corinthians, in that above-mentioned wise book, could be a very good beginning — until you come up with one of your own. But, until then… I’d like to suggest you start with one only word: Love.
xo – t.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw
““I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.” – Mother Teresa
Please pardon any TYPOS (says the woman who IS a walking-talking typo).
My fingers aren’t always in the right place – but know that my heart is.
xo – t.