Welcome to this conversation
No Strangers - Episode 2: Opting in to The Labor of Love. When Jesus said “love your neighbor as yourself” he named something big, and hard! Revolutionary love is a way to orient yourself for all of your labors of love close to home and in the world. It puts teeth into love and helps us embrace the wonder, grief, anger and joy that all come along with seeing the world as Jesus did, one where there are no strangers.
Episode 2: Opting in to The Labor of Love
What have you learned about love, as it was taught to you by family, friends, partners? How do you personally define love?
“Love is a form of sweet labor: fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life giving – a choice we make over and over again. As labor, love can be taught, modeled, and practiced. “Revolutionary love” is the choice to enter into labor for others, for our opponents, and for ourselves in order to transform the world around us. It is not a formal code or prescription but an orientation to life that is personal and political. It engages all our emotions: Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger protects that which is loved. And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love.” — Valarie Kaur
Revolutionary Love means “No Strangers.”
It is a statement of trust in the deeply woven Fabric of existence. It knows that separateness is an illusion.
Revolutionary Love requires us to opt in.
Perhaps life is a journey of realizing this kind of love. Realizing - seeing it AND making it real, seen in the world. Opting in! What does opting in to loving like this look like in practice?
Revolutionary Love is for ourselves AND others. Hard enough.
But love will not be revolutionary for you, me and our world - until we also love our opponents, those who cause harm.
Valarie Kaur reminds us that to love, all of our emotions are necessary. Wonder is the beginning of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger is the force that protects what you love. And joy... is the gift of love.
Which aspect(s) of Revolutionary Love: love for others, love for opponents, and love for self are most challenging for you to practice, and why?
Revolutionary Love is hard and it’s worth it. You do hard things all the time. What will help you do this hard thing?
Breathe…and Push…(repeat) “We can breathe to draw energy and power into our bodies and let joy in. We can push through fear and pain to become our best selves, including through healing, forgiveness and reconciliation.”— Valarie Kaur
Ask: How am I pushing right now to love (myself, others and opponents)? How am I breathing? Who am I breathing with?
With others. Who are you pushing and breathing with? Who are you grieving with? Who offers you safe places to express your anger? Who is reminding you that you are brave and helping you pause to see and let in joy? No one person can be all these things all the time. This is why you have community. This is why you are community for others.
Practice - Knowing how to love everyone all the time is impossible. Revolutionary Love is not a one-time, all or nothing endeavor. While love is hard and messy, practicing it is a pretty straightforward choice you can make anew with each new breath.
Notice when you are feeling judgemental, self-righteous, frustrated, angry, afraid or defensive with anyone - distant or near, on the news, at home or even with yourself. Turn to wonder, say to yourself
“Uncle, auntie, sibling, neighbor…. You are part of me I do not yet know.”
As you repeat this practice over time, multiple times a day, you will open up new possibilities of connection and begin to realize the revolution that love is. You are brave!
There is always work to be done. Some of it can stop and some of it still needs to happen. But you don’t always have to be the one carrying the pack of the work! This week, take stock