Many members of my church are taking part in a social justice movement called “Thirty Days of Love” hosted by Standing on the Side of Love: Harnessing Love’s Power to Stop Oppression. This is a wonderful community of people from all religious backgrounds, faiths, and spiritual practices who are united in the common belief that love is the ultimate guiding force of our world. The Thirty Days of Love is “a period of intentional action, service, education, and reflection to focus on this essential work.” You can sign up to receive an email every day with essential questions to consider and reflect upon.

I found yesterday’s message by Alex Patchin McNeill, the Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians, to be particularly moving. I wanted to share his words with you:

“As you move through your day today, I invite you to practice an act of radical love: strive to see the beauty in all people, especially those you struggle with. Part of this practice is recognizing that whether or not we show it, each of us moves through the world hiding scars, covering up what we think the world [would] deem ugly if we were truly seen. It is easy to see beauty and practice compassion toward those we like or enjoy the company of; it is far, far harder to see beauty and practice compassion in the face of people who frustrate us, or, worse yet, actively hate us. Practicing love in the face of oppression is incredibly difficult, but it starts small, with practicing love every time we struggle with another person for any reason.”

Questions of the morning:

• How do you define true beauty?
• Have you ever had the experience of practicing love or kindness in the face of oppression, anger or meanness?