"Our Seeds of Love" by Rev. Dr. Christine Emmerling 2/20/2022 (text)
“Our Seeds of Love” Rev. Christine 2/20/2022
For the month of February we’re focusing on the different aspects of love. The title of today’s talk is “Our seeds of Love.” Its about how our loving actions are the seeds that are being planted that will nurture and grow, and make a difference in someone’s life.
I think of Johnny Appleseed, known for his love of planting apple trees, and how the fruit served so many people. Another way is through our acts of kindness. Feb. 14 through today the 20th is Random Acts of Kindness week. Yet, its never too late or out of step to practice Random Acts of Kindness; we can make it a daily event.
We are told the Age of Aquarius is about humanity caring about each other. We’re moving from the “Me or Selfie generation” to the “We generation.” The generation that knows its oneness, and is interconnected with each other and all life.
From the Bible, the disciple Paul teaches us about love in 1st Corinthians 13:1-13; he says it so well:
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
In some Bible translations the word “love” is replaced with “charity.” I think of charity as a form of compassion for people in need. As the word “love” has so many meanings, but the highest form of love is unconditional. I believe Paul is talking to us about having compassion and the kind of love that is unconditional. When living this passage, we’re being spiritually matured and evolved human beings. Its about rising above the “survival of the fittest” to “helping the weak become able and strong.”
Jesus the Christ taught through his parables about kindness, as in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30: A man was beaten and robbed. His fellow men, not to be bothered, would cross the street and go on. Then a stranger, a Samaritan, stopped and tended to his wounds. Then helped him up onto his horse, and walked him to an inn. There he paid for the room and food, and gave clothing. He left enough money with the innkeeper for the man to stay until healed. This is true kindness and having compassion.
In Matthew 5:41, Christ Jesus tells the disciples who shall compel you to walk a mile carrying their bags; to walk a second mile. Christ Jesus was referring to the convention of his time, whereby Roman soldiers as an occupying force, could insist that Jews carry their bags for them for a mile. What Jesus was teaching is that the first mile you do because you must; for the second mile you are doing because you can. Another example of kindness.
From the book Studies in Divine Science by C.L. Baum 1914: “Our feet are to walk the path of love. When we walk in fear and worry unwilling and ungracious, we tire quickly and feel irritated in thought and body; but when we walk in love, we are co-operating with the truth of ourselves and the truth of the universe, and we feel ‘Strong in the Lord and in the power of might.’”
When we contemplate that Presence within, our very Spirit, with great love, an all one-pointed love – that focus will literally draw the incredible power of the universe of love right into our thinking mind and feeling nature. Our entire being changes its vibration of energy and lifts to a higher frequency. We take on the power of love and we speak as that power and behold all things are made new!
In the process we are disconnected from the race consciousness, and false beliefs of error patterns are burned away by the fire of the living Christ within us. The secret is to live that love of the Divine Presence by glancing within many times a day, and to court our Holy Self with total devotion.
Joel Goldsmith from his booklet Love and Gratitude has helped me countless times. Joel says “All human experience is looking to each other. All spiritual experience is looking to God.” He goes on “Man cannot give love and man cannot withhold love, but the kind of love that we receive through man when we look to God for it is the kind of love that makes us eternally happy, joyous, and it is an unchanging love. It isn’t love today and indifference or hate tomorrow. It is love at every level of human experience, but an ever expanding love...
Let God express its love through us with no idea of return. Look not to man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for love. Rather, expect it as the Omnipresent activity of Divine Love.” Joel Goldsmith is talking about that higher unconditional love.
I remember year’s ago while sitting in a waiting room, seeing a plaque on the wall; a quote by Albert Schweitzer. Then one day I really read it, now it had a new meaning for me. No longer just words on a plaque. It read, “If you love something so much, let it go. If it comes back it was meant to be; if it doesn’t it never was.”
During that time in my life I had to let someone I loved very much go. Those words helped me to trust God’s love. They helped me to keep my mind and heart in the right place; while I kept moving forward as I rebuilt my life. Such a lesson in love; I learned about letting go as a form of unconditional love. To love enough to allow the freedom for this person to do what they needed to do; and, this love did eventually return.
Random Acts of Kindness is another way to spread seeds of unconditional love. Its giving with no strings attached. The following is a true story from the book “More Random Acts of Kindness” by Conari Press: This is about a person who had managed to really mess up their life. They were homeless, and begging for enough money to buy the cheapest drink money could buy. One day he was sitting in front of a store panhandling when a woman walked by with a small boy in tow. She ignored his pitch and hurried away.
Suddenly the small boy broke free and came running back. He pulled out a five dollar bill that was almost certainly more money than he had ever held before, and handed it to him. The panhandler was so dumbstruck and sat their staring at the boy. The mother returned with tears in her eyes and gently led the boy away. He returned once to wave and they were gone. The panhandler was so touched by the love of the child that he never had another drink since then. (End of story)
Another story is about a woman who left her violent marriage with just $423 in cash and two small children. She drove aimlessly for hundreds of miles. After sleeping in the car for a couple of nights, she found a rundown old house outside a small town and paid almost the last of her money for rent.
She spent the next day looking for work and came home to their sad and empty kitchen on the verge of tears. Not at all sure they would make it. There, sitting on the sagging front porch, were five bags of groceries, a large box of pots, pans, and kitchen utensils, and a vace of the most beautiful irises. She cried for about 10 minutes before pulling herself together to unpack their miraculous gifts. No note, no explanation.
Today many years later, she still has the old, battered whistle-blowing teapot. Reminding her of the beautiful gift of kindness that was given to her in their hour of greatest need. (End of story)
There are so many stories like these. People through their seeds of love are reaching out and touching lives. Love is light – it lifts our hearts. It lifts our vibration, it lifts our burdens. Love lifts us free in beauty and light with joyous delight!
The following are a sampling of things we can do to being kind:
1. Truly listen to others without judgement.
2. Accepting people as they are.
3. Being courteous to servers.
4. Give more of your time than is necessary.
5. Paying attention to what someone needs.
6. Refuse to pass on hurtful gossip.
7. Talk about what is positive, stimulating, and uplifting.
8. Send or leave a thank you note.
9. Praising and encouraging
10. Just smile.
In the words of Swami Sivananda: “The path of love is the right royal road that leads to the abode of immortality and eternal bliss... it is the clear and open way to God.
There is no virtue higher than love; there is no treasure higher than love; there is no knowledge higher than love; there is no Dharma higher than love; there is no religion higher than love. Because love is truth. Love is God. This world has come out of love, this world exists in love and this world ultimately dissolves in love. God is an embodiment of love. In every inch of His creation you can verily understand His love.
Live in love. Breathe in love. Sing in love. Eat in Love. Talk in love. Pray in love. Meditate in love. Think in love. Move in love. Die in love. Purify your thoughts, speech and action in the fire of love. Bathe and plunge in the sacred ocean of love. Imbibe the honey of love and become an embodiment of love.”
The Course in Miracles has a saying “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” We too can fly like the angels when we take ourselves not so seriously, and remembering to be a blessing by letting our light, our love shine through our acts of kindness.