We all have our preferences, but for the most part, we must admit that our likes and dislikes are often based on external factors such as cultural conditioning, habits, and unquestioned assumptions, rather than really being rooted in love. We should not hear this in a shaming way, but rather as an honest fact of life for all of us humans who spend a large portion of our lives trying to love and support ourselves and those in our immediate circle – egocentrism and the particular likes and dislikes that come from it are, in that sense, a necessary and basic part of life… but not part of the eternal, True Self created for union with God. These preferences become problematic when they restrict the flow of Divine Love through us. There is likely not one among us who hasn’t turned away from a person or a situation because the way they looked, talked, spoke, or dressed, the causes for which they stand, or even their physical appearance was off-putting. Yet, in moments of honest prayer and reflection, we recognize that the love of God flows just as freely to those we don’t “prefer” as it does to us. In contemplative practice, we learn to see our preferences for what they are – not wrong, but not essential either – and to surrender them to the infinitely more fulfilling Divine Love. The flow of Love is unblocked, and we can truly be Christ for others.
Contact us at 314-578-0062 or [email protected]!