SO MUCH LOVE
Some years ago, a dear friend (who reads this blog) and I were discussing the tenets of Judaism versus Christianity. It boiled down to this – in the Jewish tradition – good works and mending the world make up the teaching of a righteous Jew. In Christianity, good works-though important are less than Grace. Grace is the essence of the Master Teacher’s message commemorated this weekend in the remembrance of his life.
At the time, the Jewish people were a bit bogged down in laws…(some 600 to be exact) and this Rabbi put a new spin on the whole idea. He suggested that Law without Grace was incomplete and would only create a lot of crabby law-abiding citizens whereas Grace would set people free. Free from what – ? I like to think free from our troubled minds that ruminate on the future, or regret the past, or try to control every blessed thing that happens.
Both traditions and for that matter, all of the rest -the older ones like Buddhism and Hinduism and the newer ones all claim the major point. Love. You don’t have to be religious and in fact, might be easier if not – to Love. Love is the essence of who we each are…therefore making it natural to Love. It is actually unnatural to not Love or to make Love conditional on so many things – from practices to beliefs. For all that codified effort – do we see a more Love filled world? Has it worked to ease the suffering of humanity? Well, if I go by the headlines – absolutely not.
Yet there is a current running through the evolution of humanity right now that is pulling for Love…from the hardest situations we see (war torn areas) to the need for housing and ways for people to find their place in Life. I am reading a book about a man on death row for 30 plus years who is innocent but due to the laws in Texas has not yet been released. He found his mission in this experience to love without cause – to love when conditions called for hate- to love as an example of what is always possible beyond circumstances.
A kindred spirit is the life of Victor Frankl (a Jewish man of holocaust times) found choice and love to be his compass for dealing with the atrocities of WWII. Each a powerful teacher in their own right – of what is without question – the truth.
Whether this holiday is celebrated as a deeply sacred time for you or for Passover coming up in a few weeks –or you are just happy to see the Easter bunny and chocolate) remember that So Much Love was demonstrated by this Master Teacher – whose intentions are in our consciousness today ( turn the other cheek, forgive 70 times 7, love your neighbor as yourself).
And allow yourself some Grace – grace to be yourself – to know that you are loved – and can always choose to be loving. The pure voice singing this hymn will help – Grace will take you home.
