“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

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Listen to the PODCAST version of Today’s Contemplation by clicking HERE.

Listen to my song “Mercy Reigns” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

My albums and books Mercy Reigns & Listen to Your Heart are available for purchase HERE. Also available on Amazon.

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Matthew 5:43-45

Jesus said to his followers, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

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These statements by Jesus confound the dualistic mind.

Our minds want to divide the playing field into “either-or” options where one side is good and the other bad, where the good get rewarded and the bad get punished.

Of course, there’s room for that type of structure in society to prevent chaos.

But Jesus says that God is not that way.

God pours out love on all people and everything regardless of worthiness and merit, making the sun rise on the bad and the good, and causing the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Jesus tells us that love isn’t based on merit. It isn’t quid pro quo.

Love is unconditional.

We are here for a reason or this existence is meaningless.

I choose to believe our existence in this earthly realm does have meaning.

I choose to believe what Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

And that human experience is not supposed to be easy.

It’s supposed to be challenging.

How else can we learn the depths of love?

As Jesus went on to say following today’s scripture verses, “For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46)

Yes, we are called to love our enemies!

This will require that we go out of our way to try to relate with such people; that we try to understand them.

We do have to protect ourselves from being abused or injured, but we are called to do so non-violently.

This is a tall order.

But it’s why you and I are here.

To be bearers of light.

To be channels of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion all the while standing for justice.

May we be open to receiving the grace to make it happen.

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Listen to the song of the day “Mercy Reigns” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Purchase my albums/CDs and books by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!