Politics of Love

It seems that you can't turn on the TV, check your email, or even log on to facebook anymore without having to witness endless arguing and posturing about politics. Our society and indeed our world has become so polarized on so many issues that it's hard to find anything on which anyone can agree. Quite frankly, I'm tired of all of it. Our passion and haste to accomplish our political goals only seems to be revealing one thing - man's inherent selfishness. Most people will gladly listen to your viewpoint...as long they agree with it. People are quick to jump behind a cause or leader...as long as they get something out of it. Leaders are quick to make promises...that will ensure them more power. 'My rights' seems to be a mantra these days...as if the Universe owes any of us anything!

As I count down the days until we leave for Bali, this storm of political opinions and bickering only leaves me dizzy and I find myself going back to the Source to find some solace. How should I respond to all of this? Well, according to Jesus - with love. In the gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 30-31, He says that there are really only two things to worry about. If we can just do these two things each day, everything else will fall into place: Love God with everything in you, and love others as much as you love yourself. Period.

Now, weigh this against what you see on TV and read in the news. Not a lot of love floatin' around out there, huh? What would happen if our world really started taking those words to heart? For starters, the news networks would probably go broke for lack of drama to report! My brother Chad has a blog devoted exclusively to Love. If you're like me and the endless drone of selfishness in our media is wearing you down, I encourage you to get on over to his blog and start reading. I know that it's time that I started focusing a lot harder on viewing the world though Love's lens. It doesn't matter if you believe in Jesus like I do or you don't - I defy you to have a bad day when you spend it loving others like you love yourself. I dare you to try it. You'll definitely be confronted with and humbled by just how much you actually love yourself! And if you can accomplish loving everyone around you that much, you just had the best day of your life. I guarantee it.

Start by checking out Chad's Love blog - you can click the link to 'Love' on the right sidebar of this blog. Then try to follow Jesus' words, even if you have to start out small. I promise that the weight of all the media garbage and angry viewpoints we live with will start to fall away. I'll leave you with the Master's own words:

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:30-31