Happy Feast of the Annunciation
What I see is not what I am looking at but what I am looking with.
And so my first and principal duty… is to find my eyes of love.
— Dan Jones
Hi Folks,
Today the church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation. Nine months later we know the rest of the story…
I am always very aware when Messengers of God show up that people become afraid. I think it is because fear is our default setting, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
But fear is not our birthright, our birthright is love. We often think that the opposite of love is hate but St. John in his letter says that the opposite of love is fear, and I totally believe that to be true.
Hate is what happens when you keep someone afraid for too long. The fear crystallizes into hate. Rather than heading that direction I want to return to our birthright, the land of love.
I do have a bone to pick with God’s messengers, because they often begin with “Fear not.” or “Don’t be afraid.” Telling someone to “not” be the way they are is telling people to be inauthentic. I much prefer the messengers who begin with “Peace.” They are inviting people into a space from wherever they may be.
I know that the virus, and its consequences, has us all afraid to one degree or another. Currently most of my fear is not of catching the virus, but can I get my technology to work. My personal practice, when I remember, is first to acknowledge, “I am afraid,” then to take a breath and in my mind, take a step back and breathe again, and then to see what love is calling me to do, in response to the situation I find myself in.
Put on your eyes of love and wonder what love is calling each of us to do.
My eyes of love are very close to my eyes of delight.
And I am delighted to be serving you all in these challenging times.
Rob