So last night someone let me know I'd help them open up their heart enough to be able to love another freely.
It is not always easy or comfortable to see where the seeds you planted have grown, and often times we will never get to see the results in our life time. This was one of those tangible moments where I knew that love I had shared changed the course of someone's journey, and steered them back on to the path of their own truth.
In a week filled with hate and horror and fear and anger and finger pointing, it is essential that each of us, and I'm talking specifically to you, dear friend of mine reading this, that we dig deep and look for ways out of conflict which are not perpetuating a cycle of hate. Let's stop "other"ing people who have a different view, outlook, approach, aesthetic, skin tone, sexuality, gender, age, ability, level of articulation, temperament, stance to us. Freedom of speech to me is not about saying whatever I want whenever I want with no accountability for actions I have taken, to me, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, in fact true freedom itself is being able to be loving under all circumstances, and when I have done wrong or been hurt, to try and work out how I can work out how to be more loving because of that circumstance. Loving when I am hurt, loving when I am attacked, loving when someone is unkind, loving when I am frightened, loving when I feel you've made me look stupid, loving when I've been stupid, loving towards those who I feel have wronged me. Because hate breeds. It's a poisonous little bastard that breaks hearts, hides down dark ally ways and blows up buildings. And I'm opting out. I'm not playing this accusation olympics as to who is the most wrong so let’s hate them the most this week. I see where it gets us, I've got 2000 years worth of history that shows me that this is not good enough, and it is not building the world I want to see.
So to those of you who have been watching the news this week and have been left feeling helpless, take the power back into your own hands. There is no finite "world" out there, just 7.2 billion peoples versions of what they think and actions they take. So make what you think and the actions you take count. Use the horror and hatred you have seen this week to inspire you to be better, to tone down your level of confrontation and try and see someone else's point of view, to reach out to someone who has hurt you; let their hate fuel your love, because that is the ultimate rebellion. That's when you know they have not won.
Last night, a man I care for deeply, told me I'd guided him back towards believing in his own light. I guess, in the end that's all another human being can do.