Re-Birth: Shedding The Self.

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that today (yesterday) Pope Francis was delivering a Lenten Prayer Service in St. Peters Basilica. I was very touched and moved with the words he had to offer, especially when he said:  

Very timely words, as I was reflecting on the idea of love a few days earlier. I thought about love, and our interactions with others. When there are disagreements, we are charged, angered, and all of those artificial secondary emotions begin to take over. We resort to laws, regulations, and think of ways to prove and justify what we have felt. But there is a huge difference, to that of justification and the covenant with God, Source, higher being, or any spiritual belief that we hold; even the Atheist who holds the belief of no God. God does not judge. This is what differs from God and the Human. Humans are reactionary. These processes are built within us, because we strive to defend anything we feel is threatening, or if we have children, we want to ward of anything that we feel is threatening, or going to harm our off-spring. So we protect. But what about those who have threatened us, hurt us, or harmed? Do we stop loving those? When we are faced with these types of hurts, where there is no resolve, we have to simply say-you walk in your peace, and I'll walk in mine.

     But if we seek to salvage or maintain relationships we must shed the self. Metaphorically speaking: we must die, and continue to die, until we have learned to give love selflessly. We can think of the body that sheds skin every eleven months. Isn't that a wonder? We get new skin every eleven months. In the same sense we must shed the self, in order to learn how to love and give out love. Also the word "die" or "shed" does not mean to loose or give up something in this context. It means to give up something, but to give to gain. Through the shedding, or the part of the self that must die, we must become re-born. We are born, and re-born, and give life through the feelings of feeling lifeless, and for this to happen, there will be struggle, shedding of the self, but remember we do gain the self. This is the ultimate salvation, that can be viewed, as we reflect upon the crucification of Jesus, who died, but was re-born ultimately to give love to all.

"You believe that the Christ of Nazareth was put to death and rose again. I do not say you err in that belief; but if you refuse to believe that the gentle spirit of love is crucified daily upon the dark cross of your selfish desires, then, I say, you err in this unbelief and have not yet perceived, even afar off, the love of Christ. 

You say you have tasted salvation in the love of Christ. Are you saved from your temper, your irritability, your vanity, your personal dislikes, your judgement and condemnation of others? If not, from what are you saved, and where have you realized the transforming love of Christ?" (James Allen)

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on March 9th, 2018.
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