“. . . To speak the truth in love, to dwell together in peace. This is our covenant.” Many Unitarian Universalist congregations recite these (or similar) words together each week to honor the covenant of the congregation.
How do you receive a hard truth when it is spoken in love?
Unconditional love for all beings is agape love. It is the love that drives us to connect with others, the love that asks us to work for the liberation of all people, and the love most often associated with the divine by people whose belief systems include that.
How do you cultivate unconditional love for all beings?
When the judge asked us if we were prepared to have our daughter’s adoption finalized, he warned us that this decision was forever. Were we, he asked, prepared to love this child without end? Were we ready to commit to this journey, no matter how overwhelming it might get? We were. -Michael Tino (CLF)
When have you made a commitment of love?
Mania describes a kind of love that is entirely focused on the present moment, on passion or care or the euphoria of new love. When it goes on too long, it is not healthy, but it is natural to sometimes be overwhelmed by love.
When have you been overwhelmed by love?
Compassion for ourselves is a key component of our mental health. It is too easy to fall into a cycle of self-criticism and perfectionism. It is important to learn to forgive ourselves, to treat ourselves as we would want to have our loved ones treated.
How do you stop the cycle of self-criticism?
