“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
The world needs a lot of love. This era of political and social crises worldwide, we are exposed to the contagion of the negativity that they bring. It is not in our hands to change the whole world, but we can change our own world. The world needs love; a lot of love and that is what we can give. Life is not perfect: not for you, not for me, not for anyone. But the point is in how you look at it.
Love is what the world needs now. But can we love someone who thinks differently, acts differently, and looks different? There is a way to do this and it is called “empathy.”
To have empathy for another person means setting aside our evaluations of that person. Then we actively listen to the other person’s thoughts and feelings and acknowledge we heard them. This doesn’t mean we agree with the other person, just that we understand where that person is coming from and tell that person that we do.
Through empathy, then, we have the power to connect with others at a level that is deeper than attitudes and beliefs. When we truly listen to the other person, we see the other person’s humanity beyond our previous preconceptions. No longer is there a power struggle of us versus them. There are just two human beings willing to listen to each other, heart to heart, without judgment. Then we can connect through acknowledging our common human needs, feelings, and fears.
As a famous saying goes: love makes the world go round. And with everything that’s going on around the world today, that couldn’t be more true. We can all agree that the world would be so much better if we can just learn to love each other.
Yes, it’s not easy to spread love. The older you get, the harder it is to trust, much less love others. But that’s the essence of loving someone. You don’t love them because of who they are or because they love you back. You love because you are capable of love.
“I may not be able to fill someone else but I have a responsibility to empty myself with the hope that it fills someone else. I may not be able to light up someone’s lamp but I also have the responsibility of shinning my light with the hope that it lights someone else. It doesn’t really matter whether we reflect the light through our authentic gifts or whether our authentic calling is to spread it. What matters is that tonight is that the world is dark, cold, and bleak. Your flame burns so brightly. Share your love and warmth with others. Watch the light return”
Where Are You Christmas? I see love in the Air