Sarah's CircleFriends are blessings that sustain our journeys. |
I “love” dark chocolate and puppies. I “love” my husband, children, and grandchildren. Is the difference in degree or kind? I think what I really mean is that I enjoy dark chocolate and puppies. They make me feel good. But loving others? My father used to say that people never really learn to be unselfish until they have children. I think what he meant is that we find we are willing to sacrifice for our children, even if it deprives us. I don’t know if he was right, but it seems true of most people. It’s easiest for our children. They are part of us and very close to us. As we move away from ourselves in concentric circles, sacrificial love becomes more and more difficult. Can I love my friends this way? Probably. What about people in my community? Maybe, at least to a limited extent. I may give up time or money for them, although not as much as I would for my children. What about in our world? It just becomes so abstract at that point. Unless I see a picture of a starving child, because that’s tangible and it reminds me of my own children. It seems that the closer someone is to me, the more likely I am to show love to that person. Yikes! Sounds almost like another form of self-love. Or maybe it’s just that empathy is easier when I can identify with someone or relate to their suffering. The Bible says that even evil people will sacrifice for those they love, but God calls us to more. We have to love when we don’t feel it. This is so hard! I pray all the time that God will help me to be less selfish but I don’t see a lot of progress. --Terese
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January 2022
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