From the Journal of Rev. Laurie Nevin: This is what I know to be true about Love today... Love is indescribable because it goes infinitely beyond intellectual understanding. The body can feel it and “think” it knows it, but the Love I write about goes even beyond all that. As a result of experiencing what love is NOT, the intimate awareness of what Love IS can arise. So here are some musings on Love which are percolating within. Love doesn’t judge right from wrong or good from bad. It doesn’t play games with hearts by dismissing or abandoning on purpose. Love is kind and sees All equally. In fact, It sees Itself in All. No need for stories or definitions to create hurtful dramas. No more specialness or self-centeredness. Love is innocent, pure and free of mental movies. It is the essence and existence of All that is. It is the true Identity of every being and rides on every breath. Love allows All like a blue sky allowing any weather pattern to pass through. It doesn’t gain or lose anything because it is a limitless and changeless Source.
The Skill of Acceptance and Understanding
In the Pride Understanding video “Acceptance and Under- standing”,Gulliver’s teacher explains the importanceof accepting someone for who they are, despite their differences. She points out that accepting someone that doesn’t have the same interest or points of view as us is a very important skill to have, and encourages questions to get to a point of understanding. When Gulliver claims that his new friend is weird, the teacher points out that they aren’t weird, just different.
Accepting someone who is different than us, who has a unique point of view or lives a life less common than the norm is a skill we should all be practicing right now. It’s easy in a time of fear to gravitate to those with similar view- points while vilifying those that see the world differently than we do, but creating two camps of us and them is not what we need right now.
Gulliver’s teacher is right. Acceptance is a skill. A skill we need to practice. Taking the time to listen to someone who sees things differently from us, learning why they feel the way they do and taking the time to understand not only welcomes potential new friendships, but also allows us to grow. Asking questions, looking for similarities that can unite us despite our different values and beliefs creates the foundation for a stronger community and helps expand our own network of support. If someone is different, has a unique lifestyle or belief that isn’t hurting anyone else, shouldn’t we show them acceptance? As Gulliver’s teacher says, it takes a lot of courage to be your true self, and to show your true self to the rest of the world. Having a friend with that type of courage (especially when they show you the same acceptance) is a really good friend to have. Look for the sameness and accept the differences. Maybe that’s what we should be working on right now. To watch the video on acceptance and understanding, go to www.prideunderstanding.ca. These videos have been designed to be acceptable for all ages, to help families start a conversation.
Love is always freely flowing as a verb and not as a noun. It cannot be owned, possessed, or controlled. Where there is Love; there is Life. You are welcome to a “free consultation to chat with “RevNev” about love and any questions you may wish any support with.
“Let’s Talk Love”
PRIDE Villager
Page 4 Issue 8 • Spring 2022
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