Dear friends,
The world will always show us reasons not to love.
The news headlines will always find reasons for us to fear.
Once you begin to see clearly, you can’t help but to notice injustice and betrayal all around.
You notice the ways people hurt one another, and cause separation despite our common humanity.
And you could easily decide to shut down, saying, “No more. I’m done.”
But that’s not freedom.
That’s armor.
The great teachers loved despite it all.
They loved because they recognized who they were, and who you are, and who we all are together.
Loving anyway is not naivety.
It’s fierce trust in what your heart knows.
Honor does not die because it was betrayed.
Compassion does not fade because it was misunderstood.
Kindness does not weaken because it was not returned.
When the world breaks your heart, that does not mean your heart was wrong.
It means it was alive.
And an alive heart will always be more powerful than a protected one.
The work is to not let the burdens of the world close you.
The work is to not let the hardships of the world harden your heart.
The work is to not withdraw your care simply because life is difficult.
The work is to become gentler and more compassionate despite the troubles plaguing the planet.
That is true strength, and that is what begins to turn the tides to love.
With metta,
Jack
*This article was inspired by themes from my new book out now, All In This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World.
