Bloggers For Peace – Loving Thy Neighbor As Thyself

Have you ever had classes, such as algebra, and found that when school was finished, you forgot formulas because in your everyday life, you never used that part of math?

Many years ago a brother in Canada named Ken Sheck commented in forums on Compuserve.  That is how we met.  He shared something that sticks with me to this very day.  Man learns by doing.   From classrooms to the kitchen, to jobs — everything we learn comes by doing – exercising – practicing.  When it comes to love however, most of mankind makes the mistake of thinking that we learn love by receiving it and once receiving love, we then learn to love in return.

There is nothing that man has ever learned to do without doing it.

Loves starts with each individual, within each individual, and with first loving self.  It goes hand-in-hand with doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.   That starts with first, doing no evil.

C.S. Lewis wrote about moral choices beginning with virtue.  He wrote:

“There  is a difference between some particular just or temperate action and being a just or temperate man.  Someone who is not a good tennis player may now and then make a good shot.  What you mean by a good player is the man whose eye and muscles and nerves have been so trained by making innumerable good shots that they can now be relied on.  They have a certain tone or quality which is there even when he is not playing, just as a mathematician’s mind has a certain habit and outlook which is there even when he is not doing mathematics.  In the same ways a wan who perseveres in doing just actions gets in the end a certain quality of character.  Now it is that quality rather than the particular actions which we mean when we talk of “virtue.”

For me, this is what Jesus Christ meant when saying he is the Way. No matter the religion or spirituality or no religious beliefs at all, these things are still the foundation of what makes mankind doers of love.   It’s to walk in the manner that he walked in doing no evil, giving to all who ask expecting nothing in return, and forgiving those who ask for forgiveness.  It’s not returning evil for evil.

There are bloggers who blog as an act of love to others.   They give to their readers from their heart.  Joe Bradshaw is one such blogger.  He shares real-life stories, poetry, and art.  On his “About” page, Joe has written:

“Take care of yourself first and all will fall in line” was one of my grandfathers favorite sayings  his other was” love yourself otherwise why would anyone else want to? “Lets Love our world and all that live on it with our hearts and share the light of our maker the gift of love.”  We will make our world a better place for all through the power of our hearts live a life of love and be the change positive share your light.”

Joe’s blog is http://iamforchange.wordpress.com/ and he has recently started another blog where he shares his paintings.  It’s http://artisticlyxpressedthoughts.wordpress.com/

One of Joe’s paintings that is thus far my favorite is “Forget Me Not.”  I hope he doesn’t mind my sharing it here.

http://artisticlyxpressedthoughts.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/forget-me-not-a-painting/

It has over a thousand individually painted flowers, but what really caught my attention is the butterfly that Joe so beautifully painted.

Blackbutterfly7 presents and honors Joe Bradshaw as this month’s  Blogger for Peace.

And Joe, if you should visit, do not forget to accept the Blogging Buddy Award.

Love is the Answer