PEBBLE
It’s easy to love the world when everything is going well.
The real challenge is to love the world when everything is falling apart.
~Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, shared by Joe in New Jersey via LinkedIn
BOULDER
Oh, sure, beneath the surface of this world is a deep old sorrow that’ll break your heart, but beneath that, what if there’s love, too, ready to geyser up to the sky like Old Faithful–an abundant, inexhaustible force just waiting to be uncratered?
~Sally Franson, a passage from her novel Big in Sweden
PONDER
Valentine’s Day is this week, which makes it a fitting time for our annual love-themed Ripples. And honestly, the world sure could use a little more love right now. There’s just one problem…
It’s really hard to love the world right now. It’s such a mess. And it’s hard to know how to show love when it seems like there’s so much hate out there.
So what does love look like in times like these? Well… maybe it depends.
Maybe love is truth-telling: standing up and speaking out.
Maybe love is curiosity-seeking: sitting down and reflecting inward.
Maybe love is working extra hard to seek common ground.
Maybe love is finding new ways to articulate our differences.
Maybe love is overlooking some of the yuck so we don’t lose sight of the yum.
Maybe love is staring unflinchingly into the yuck—and not turning away, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Maybe love is renewing our commitment to action.
Maybe love is resting to manage fatigue.
Maybe Love is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite musicals, Shucked. There are a couple of lines that get me every time:
Maybe love is like a seed
A little sun is all it needs
A little rain and so it goes
It grows and grows and grows and rose from dust
Maybe love just needs a little love.
One reason love matters so much—especially in hard times—is this: underneath hate—ours and others’—is often a messy mixture of unprocessed pain, fear, and frustration. Love is a steadying force that helps us find our footing again.
Maybe love just needs your little love?
Peace,
Paul
P.S. If you’re looking for extra love this week, you can peek at our archive of love-themed Ripples, or the Google Doc compendium of love-themed quotes we’ve used over the years.