Love Them Anyway

I am in Ft. Morgan, Alabama right now, on the gulf coast that has been hit hard by the oil spilling out deep at sea. This ares is such a special and beautiful place, and it has broken my heart to see the images of the tragedy and hear the grim news. I have always felt a connection to the ocean - to the dolphins in particular, as it seems they find me whenever I am on the beach or near bay waters.

This morning, I went on my first walk on the beach, not sure what to expect. I went there to pray and send love to the entire situation, for I know that what will make it better is not blaming and finger-pointing, but the willingness to BE LOVE - to ask, "What can I offer to make it better." I believe fully in the power of prayer - if it is backed by pure love - love that is forgiving and unconditional, rather than judgmental and resentful. During this crisis, I decided that what I could offer was an energy of love and goodness, laying down the need to blame angrily, knowing that it would not be productive toward a solution at this point.

Our tendencies in this world when things go wrong are to look for who to get mad at or who to point the finger at in blame or retribution. There are times when it is helpful to understand what went wrong and why in looking toward solutions, but when the crisis is getting deeper by the day, it is time to focus our collective energy on good, knowing that the problem is somehow here to teach us something, individually or collectively. Because I love the ocean, and particularly the gulf coast, I felt that urge to get angry at someone too, but then realized what a blessed opportunity this was to overcome those negative emotions and send love in a difficult situation. I remembered that at other times of my life, that practice had been so important in my spiritual journey, and each time I had been able to do that, I had gained so much peace in my soul, love in my heart.

Jesus taught followers to love unconditionally...to offer forgiveness even when it might not seem deserved. We often talk about following Jesus' example, but rarely do it in situations where deep emotions are involved. If He could forgive the unthinkable, then we should too, realizing that everyone involved in the problem is only human, and that mistakes do happen, even in controlled situations. When Apollo 13 had mechanical errors that meant its moon mission failed and disaster was impending...a nation and a world prayed and sent hope to those who were trying to fix it. We owe the same to this mistake...because it is our world together, and we have to be together in correcting the problems.

I believe that love and understanding are the energies that create miracles. At times, I have been accused of being a weirdo or a crack smoker for thinking so (smile), but I have seen so many miracles occur as a result of that thinking - that laying down of anger, resentment, judgment - so I know I am not the one off base here! In our thinking, blaming, angry world, we put out energies that only bring us more strife; yet if we can shift into a better energy we will reduce and often eliminate that strife, learning that it is all our doing - our illusion - created from our negative perspective.

When I sat on the beach and said my prayers, I sent love to the earth, the ocean, the animals, and yes, to the BP workers, asking that they be blessed with divine wisdom that would help them identify a solution, asking that they would be able to withstand the unimaginable pressure so as to think clearly and fix the problem. As I said my prayer, I felt a rush of peace and joy over my soul, and at that very moment, a school of dolphins appeared right in the waters before me, surfacing in pairs and groups. They had not come gradually down the shoreline, but surfaced right in front of where I was sitting, and lingered as if to tell me that they felt the love...that they need the love and good vibrations...affirming what I already knew deep in my soul. As I watched them in wonder, feeling that deep connection to them, I asked for a sign that we could do this - that we have it within us to find a solution and a miracle. They began to dart out of the water, not in their usual soft arc, but like race boats in pairs, jumping and leaping here and there, swimming at great speeds. It gave me peace. I believe dolphins are like our spiritual pulse-takers - knowing where we are in our hearts because they pick up on energy so keenly. The dolphins know something about this crisis - they know that it is an opportunity for us to change for the better, an opportunity for us to band together rather than bickering for political gain or lobbying efforts, for us to practice love and forgiveness, to appreciate our beautiful world and commune with it rather than working against it.

This experience brought up thoughts of one of my favorite quotes, one alleged to have been on Mother Teresa's wall in Calcutta, where she reminds us to forgive and love in every situation. The gift will be our own:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

This is not between you and them...or us and them...your choices in every situation are between you and God. Will you choose love or hatred? Kindness or revenge? Gratitude or resentment? Compassion or judgment? Will you offer positive or negative energy? The choice is yours...and your choice will determine your outcome in your own life. In choosing what you put out, you are declaring what you want back.

I hope that all will join me in sending sincere love and prayers to the gulf region, setting aside the anger for at least a moment. This is a grand opportunity to just BE LOVE.