If you could become the change you wanted to see in the world as Gandhi urged us to, then let me ask you this: could you be love?

An oft-quoted passage from the bible has this to say on the subject:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Reading this, I thought, What a worthy goal, to embody those qualities. I may aspire to heights like that in my heart, but on the ground, I’m human and often fall short of the mark. Some days, I feel a sense of lack creep in when I’m dissatisfied with what I have, when nothing ever seems enough or right. Other days, envy and competition try to hijack my game when I know I’m know I’m not giving it my best. I will always have days when I fail, get skittish, and flounder.

There’s a beautiful line in a blues tune I heard recently that goes something like this: On the road to heaven, you may stumble and lose ground, but keep on stepping, and don’t never let nobody turn you ’round.

I heard that song during a world music concert where bands played from countries I’d never heard of and singers sang in languages I may never hear again. It didn’t matter much because music has a funny way of resembling love; its message can bypass our brains and speak directly to our hearts regardless of our consent.

Have you ever let it—music and/or love—hover over then crack open and drench you like a rain cloud? I suggest you let it. That brings up the other thing I have to ask: could you be loved?

You might remember that post I wrote about the meditation teacher who reminded me about one of many precious lessons on love by gently guiding me back to the truth that it isn’t something to be earned; we are loved no matter what we do.  Truth be told, I might have come to that conclusion in a hundred other ways that day, but it happened that she was the teacher who appeared when this student was ready.

There are a million ways we refuse the love of others because maybe we’re fearful of what it might cost us. Don’t believe me? When’s the last time you downplayed a compliment, refused a kindness, shredded an apology, or played nursemaid to a grudge? Just watch yourself, watch other people and pay attention when you do.

Being loved calls us to drop our guard and relax back into it, to sink roots down, through it too, to stay awhile and draw it up like it’s the water of life—because it is. Being loved means we don’t need to overthink it either; we get to let it be. Rumi, the ancient mystic said, 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. This may take a lifetime and I’m okay with that.

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