The exchange paradigm puts us in a prison. The unfortunate thing is some people never realize their spirits are locked away. They sit by the bars and think their small cell is all there is. They don’t realize there are meadows, mountains, and flowers to run through. Thus, the first step out is to realize what we’re in. As soon as we do that, we can start working on the key. It’s hard, the key is very dirty after years of disuse and it might even frighten us in the beginning. But as we clean the key and learn how to use it, we start taking the first steps outside of our cell.
What is this key you ask? Forgiveness. Not holding grudges. Not holding things against another person. Releasing them from the debt they owe you. Not thinking yourself righteous and the other unclean. No longer judging the other soul. Even seeing the best inside that person and loving them though they might not ever love you back. It can be done. You don’t have to be buddies with them. You don’t even have to see them. Forgiving and hanging out with that person are two different things. Sometimes forgiving can lead to a renewed relationship and that is a beautiful, miraculous thing to behold. But at other times, the other person, though you see the best in them, does not see the best in themselves. They are still unsafe for you to be around and that is okay. It shows you are taking care of yourself and keeping good boundaries if you know a relationship with them would be destructive for the both of you. For no matter who hurts the other, both people always get hurt. Those people you can still think well of and love at a distance safe for your soul. Others, you may choose to have a limited relationship with, not close, but knowing there is good for the both of you, you still see and talk to them on occasion but at the same time, remember that as much as you love them, they still have a hard time seeing love in the world around them.
This place outside of the cell is the love paradigm. After you’ve delved into forgiveness for yourself and others, you are then able to wholeheartedly love those around you. This new love paradigm is where you place love before hate, forgiveness before a grudge. This is a love you don’t measure, you don’t keep track of. It’s a love that gives without expecting a return, a love that gives for the delight of giving, the delight of knowing you’ve brightened someone’s way. This love paradigm is where everyone is treasured for the gift they are. It is to look with Divine eyes and then be brought to our knees by the beauty of each person. This love is given freely, openly, unreservedly. This is the love God gives to us and it is the love that we are naturally meant to give each other.
By living in a love paradigm, our souls live free. If we choose to judge instead of love, we are chained to our judgement. In love, there are no chains. We know our strength, we know God’s strength. Then out of that strength, confidence, and self-care, we can pour out our lives into others, even while our own life is filled.
This is a life-giving paradigm and it is so much better than sitting in that cold cell. Only when we leave the cell do we realize how confining the inner prison really was. Only when we take off our shoes and run through the meadows do we see how worth it forgiveness was. How about you give that dirty key a good look? It is made of the knowledge of the love of God for every soul. Let the chains go and take a step out into love.
365-09 #332
As far as I can tell, love is the main thing that can't really be argued out of existence by philosophers and theologians.
Local Evangelical churches tend to be backward and old school in my opinion. I resent being raised to believe the world was ending for sure now. The list of complaints I would lodge is impossibly long.
Still, in the present time Evangelical churches are likely to be more thoughtful of the welfare of the faithful. My brother and sister-in-law will insist this is the case. Okay, I am willing to listen.
My own Evangelical relatives seem hard for me to love.
I know that what I want out of life is the same as what Evangelicals want from life. Yet I suspect them of being white rabbits. I'm referring to the white rabbit in the "Alice in Wonderland" that was following demands and rules for perfectly indefensible reasons.
This is how, I think that people can be in "Violent Agreement," and be quite angry and frustrated with each other. If I think somebody is a White Rabbit, I'll tend to want to reject anything they say.
Getting over it isn't something I find easy.