Loving everybody… Is it really possible? I must confess that I am asking myself this question more and more seriously. And yet, theoretically I should be in a position to say “yes” without hesitation, considering my background, my commitment and my responsibilities… This question shouldn’t even arise in the context of a spiritual path, all the more so with Christmas drawing near.
Unconditional love with no ifs or buts and no limits… Isn’t it exactly what they proclaim in the so-called spiritualist movements?
Yet, it seems to me that this claim has become today just like a flag we wave in front of us without thinking. There is something automatic about this statement, a definite “new age” flavor, speaking in terms of caricature, which makes me think of it as a form of conditioning according to the slogan: “everyone’s OK”.
But if we take an honest look at our world, it becomes quite clear that a lot of people on earth are really not OK… and it has always been that way. There are even periods of time when the dark side of human nature flares up in a big way. The times in which we are living are the obvious demonstration of this fact.
Does it mean we should join the fray of those who care little about self-development, even though we may aspire to the expansion of our consciousness, as we call it?
No, I don’t mean that at all. It goes without saying that if we want to be consistent with the ideal we hold to, we have to develop an increasingly loving attitude. This is not debatable.
What is debatable, however, is the manner of expressing a Christ-like attitude in the context of our quest for sincerity and truth. This quest requires discernment, vigilance and courage, because it regularly asks us to affirm our positions and express our disagreements without fear. In other words, it means that we must banish all hypocrisy with which we cloak ourselves under the guise of offering unconditional love to everyone.
Personally, I have seen too many people who didn’t hesitate to claim “loving unconditionally”, while being fully unaware of the mask they were wearing.
It would be wrong to imagine that Christ always liked the people he met and only saw the “good” in them. He did not hesitate to rebuff, shake up or even shock some of them, if it was necessary. It happened to the temple merchants and the Pharisees, as we all know.
Without a doubt, these merchants and Pharisees are still present in large numbers among us today, in all layers of society, even in the best-intentioned circles…
I am not writing for them because they never feel concerned anyway. I am writing for those who see through them and their actions, but don’t have the courage to confront them for fear of being inconsistent with their ideal of unconditional love and detachment that comes along with wisdom. Wisdom?
I would just like to say that before learning to fly to the heights we so yearn to reach, we will first have to learn to act with both feet on the ground, to cultivate discernment, lucidity and courage, to stop pretending, to accept hearing what rubs us the wrong way, and finally to show willpower and strength to fight against injustice.
Personally, I am not afraid to admit publicly that I am not able to love everyone unconditionally. And I am not ashamed of it… When I see all the lies, swindles, despoliations, and all types of violence and injustice shamelessly spreading over our planet, I can’t help but react. And in this I feel close to Christ in the person of Jesus, as He walked the earth two thousand years ago.
Of course, like everyone, I am looking for Universal Love with a capital U and L, the Love He taught me before and is still teaching me today. Through Him, I learned that this kind of Love is not always sweet and rosy. It sometimes manifests as righteous anger, legitimate denunciations and salutary slaps. Furthermore, and this is not said enough, this kind of Love is cultivated by being coherent and opening the eyes.
So if you want my opinion, before we try to love everybody, we should first learn to love what is true, sincere and just. This is already an important step towards changing the world.
It is a wonderful way to learn the secrets of an ever-growing and perfectible Love. It will also keep us from the paths of hatred which are so easy to take, as we all know.
As for me, and this is my second confession today, I don’t know those paths. Neither do you, I hope…
That being said… MERRY CHRISTMAS!… including to those we don’t yet love.
Daniel Meurois, December 2011