What's Love Got to Do With it? (Only everything)

As I continue to interpret Desiderata, the next line for consideration is:

"Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity & disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass."

First of all regarding this matter of my stated interpretation; does that mean mine is the final word on Desiderata? Absolutely not! It's how it speaks to me now and how I relate it's teachings and wisdom to different aspects of my life. Another time, my deepening understanding or new life experience, might have me telling a different story.

The message I receive through this particular passage is to spare myself the disappointment and suffering of "giving up on love." I understand love to be always present, all the time. It is my resistance to love, that can run interference and not allow it in my experience. The good news (depending on how one looks at it; is, that regardless of whether one perceives a lack of love from those around them - I (they) can always be the channel through which love is allowed to flow.

I can't very well lament the lack of love (in the world, in a particular environment, in my relationships etc. - if I'm refusing to bring love to the situation (allow love). This would be another one of those "responsibility" scenarios. Responsibility not implying that it falls on my shoulders only to be willing to be a channel of love; but a defining of "responsibility" as my ability to respond (with love) or allow the love (already) present to flow freely through me.

Each person is called to be an expression of love in the world. It doesn't mean everyone answers that call. We are all free to decline the invitation. No question I have blamed other people, God, love itself, for pain that I associated with "opening to love" - or allowing myself to be what I perceived as "vulnerable." It didn't occur to me that love was never lacking, what was, was my willingness to be an expression of love. I created the "aridity" - and then through my own projection I became disenchanted with this "poorly performing" love that wasn't meeting my expectations.

Francis of Assisi set out a wonderful guide in the form of his prayer:

Which begins My Creator, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love....... etc.

I believe after I complete the Desiderata writing I will move on to this beautiful prayer - so I won't transcribe the whole thing here now.

What I glean from the prayer is that his suggestion/guidance/request, is that in response to various darkness/negativity etc. - he's not saying, go ahead and dish out retribution, offensive responses etc.

He's asking that it be found and enacted from within him (through him) the various faces of love.

A response of love will transform all scenarios of duality (i.e. win/lose ... lose/lose) to win-win!!

Frankly, nothing could be simpler. However, I'm not saying that it's easy.

R. O'Neill (June  25, 2018)