A Change in Perspective

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common – this is my symphony.” ~William Emery Channing

I feel as though my whole life has shifted in the past 8 months. I have set myself on a quest for love, and to understand what it truly means to love everyone, without exception. It seems the closer I get to learning how to love everyone, the more I realize that what Paul said in First Corinthians Chapter 13 is so very true. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." 

So how do I put this into practice? That has been my question. I see the embodiment of this as loving everyone who I have considered "other" than me. It's easy to love people who are like me, in thought, action or deed. I believe the first step is to love those who are different from me, and who I have been taught to hate, despise, or consider "less than" for some reason.

I see (or hear of) Christians every day who are filled with hate for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) brothers and sisters. Christians who hate the followers of other religions (or other denominations), simply because they don't agree on the "way" to worship God. And there are many arguments that these Christians feel are valid to back up their hate and fear. But, isn't all that just a clanging cymbal or a sounding gong? 

Love. Choose love. Love first. Once you've learned to love, then see what God is saying to you about those "other" people. Because if you're seeking God through a mist of hate, it may be difficult to hear Him. 

After all, God IS Love.