All You Need is Love 2020
There’s a sign that I drive past on my way to work every day, it reads: This billboard available and there’s a phone number in large digits. Would it seem I was squandering money to rent that space to say – the Beatles were right, all you need is love…but Jesus said it first! Now that I have this in my head, I smile every time I see that sign. One day, I’ll get the nerve (and the money) to do it!
I’ve been reading a book in which I thought the author said the opposite of love is fear. I was sure that’s what he said, because in my mind I immediately thought – no, the opposite of love is hate. When I went back to check this fact, I couldn’t find that statement anywhere. He says we need to transform fear into love; he says fear and love cannot exist within us at the same time, he never says one is the antithesis of the other. But let’s look at it that way for a moment (since I have so many thoughts already supporting that point of view).
When we consider all the civil unrest happening around us – are these actions driven by hate, or fear? Is fear perhaps the very thing that feeds the hate which drives the violence? How can we stop the cycle? We might think it’s impossible for us, ourselves, to do anything to stop this madness. But let’s think again. Do we take part in hateful, hurtful dialogue on Facebook? Do we get into heated discussions with people who don’t think the same way we do? Do we get angry just thinking about these people who express views different than our own? How can we change this pattern? We should always consider, if we think things need changing, how we ourselves might change. How can we bring more positivity into the world around us?
If we take a moment, in quiet prayer and meditation, we’ll soon realize – love is key. We can’t always agree with everyone, even by educating ourselves; trying to see things from another’s perspective. But we can accept their thoughts and opinions with love. Jesus got angry on occasion, but he did not lash out at everyone who opposed his teachings; love was at the heart of everything he did.
When my sons were small I would say to them ‘do not use the word hate, it’s a bad word. You can say I dislike intensely, but never say hate!’ If hate is fueled by fear, let’s replace fear with love. Sing it with me – sing it loud – All you need is love!