On the Minister's Mind

Let’s talk about love! We all long for love. We want to experience that incredible feeling of being seen, appreciated, cherished and chosen. We want to know that others care for us, even when we are not in their presence. It is a universal longing.

Our social conditioning told us that a certain “special one” would come and sweep us off our feet or carry us away on a white steed to a castle! We were also programmed to believe that a good relationship lasted until “death do us part”, and anything shorter than that is a failure. Maybe you were also trained to believe that there is a “better half” or a “soulmate” that is hidden out there, waiting to make us whole.

We were certainly taught a lot of strange and unrealistic things about love, and this summer we are unpacking those beliefs and figuring out if they even make sense or are worth carrying around in our energy fields. These subconscious ideas influence how we view ourselves and the things that occur in our relationships. 

Jack Kornfield speaks of these ideas when he writes - "The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are moments when we touch one another, when we are there in the most attentive or caring way. This simple and profound intimacy is the love we all long for."

What he is describing is what I call being a loving witness.  When we have life companions who touch is in attentive and caring, simple and profound ways, we can feel safe and seen. We can be honest and reveal our vulnerability, knowing that our witness is not judging, just supportive.

A spiritual community is usually a safe place to find loving witnesses. It is in the company of others who are connected with that inner source of light and love, that we can unfold in a place of this simple and profound intimacy. We can know that we matter, and we belong. We can learn to love ourselves and others more and more.

I know Jack Kornfield said that these things that matter most are not fantastic or grand, but I kind of disagree! I find that being surrounded by people who care about others and attend to others is absolutely fantastic and I want this experience for everyone.

How’s that for simple and profound?