It’s been a painful experience watching the world absolutely fall apart. All this killing, judgement of others, etc is radical. Radical hate. But what the world needs now is love, sweet RADICAL love!
*What the world needs now, is love sweeet love. No, not just for some, but for everrryyoonnne.* (It’s stuck in your head now, you’re welcome 😉)
So, for today’s episode I want to talk about why (and how) I choose radical love above all else.
Before we get into it. Here’s a little backstory.
I grew up in a Christian/Atheist home. My mom, Christian; dad, Atheist (then it was Atheist and now he just makes up silly jokes about what his standpoint is -“Zen Frisbeeian”was the most resent. Your soul gets sucked out and stuck to the roof and there’s no way down. Haha Dad has JOKES!)
Anyways…I grew up going to church with my mom and sisters every Sunday and Wednesday, and I was the girl at school who got made fun of for being “pure” and a “Jesus freak”.
I was the girl every Sunday and Wednesday in church with my hands in the air, singing God’s praises. I listened to mainly Christian music, and had only Christian friends. I pledged my virginity with at least 80 other teenagers in front of my parents and their parents at my church. This was all in New Mexico, where I attended One Eighty at the Faith Christian Family Church. Where love was love and people were accepted no matter what. Transgressions were forgiven. We learned about how we love, about how we hurt. I had every wonderful experience with this church and would visit again in the future, even though I no longer consider myself a Christian.
Love is my Religion
I might not consider myself a Christian anymore…but I’m also in the realm of not NOT a Christian. And that’s because I’ve come to the concussion that all religions can be my religion and above all else, LOVE is my religion. (By definition this makes me Pagan, I’m cool with that.)
Let’s continue.
To love radically I needed to:
Let go of MY religion (or lack thereof) being the TRUE religion
I had to realize that there are too many reasons why there are multiple religions. I also had to start letting go of every pre-conceived notion that I am, in any way, superior to another. We have grown and evolved as human beings. One religion just does not trump another. My LOVE was not radical when I believed someone was going to hell just because they didn’t believe what I did. That judgement isn’t meant for me. Especially if one’s belief is that, “only God can judge me.”
I had to start letting go of every pre-conceived notion that I am, in any way, superior to another.
Let go of racist tendencies and work at it every day
If you’re actively a racist (this can mean you have tendencies as I do) please read and do the workbook for Me and White Supremacy. Even if you are a person of color, if you’re “white passing” it is also meant for you. I’m struggling through it, but it’s worth changing the way I’ve been brought up to view the world.
Growing up around extended family that would use the N word without blinking an eye bothered the crap out of me. Especially because at that time most of my friends were either Black, Mexican, or a mix. And one of my favorite aunts is half Mexican. I blew up at my grandfather one year for saying something about “the n*****s in Muskegon Heights”. I must have been about 14. I’ll never forget it and I would do it again. I remember him getting angry with me, but I didn’t care. “THEY ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME!”, I said. I just couldn’t believe such hate was spewing out of my grandfathers mouth.
We all, LITERALLY, come from the same place. It’s either African or Asia. I recently took a DNA test (que Lizzo) turns out I’m 0.1% Northern African. That’s way too cool. And I just found a relative…guess what his skin color is!? We share the same DNA but our skin colors are very different. I got really excited because I thought, “DAMN! It’s TRUE! We are all the same! Our skin color means boo!”
DNA just can’t be debated. There’s no better feeling than to realize in such a literal, scientific form, that we are all one and there IS only one race. The human race. Our color of skin has zero to do with the kind of people we are. It’s just melanin. Stop hating. Learn Anti-racism.
Plus, if you ask me… white people are weird, because we evolved to have LESS melanin and less protection from the sun! #sunburnsucks Buncha weirdos *wink*. Seriously though. I’ve always thought racism was stupid, but now after a DNA test, I have proof. Skin color means absolutely nothing. It doesn’t change the person on the inside. (Yes, I repeated this 3 times. I MEAN IT!)
Do the work to change the racist narrative in your mind.
Let others love me
Years and years ago an old friend told me, “LET ME BLESS YOU!” It hit me so hard. I couldn’t believe how blunt it was, but hot damn she was right! I wasn’t letting other people bless ME. Love ME. I thought, no no no, I’m not worthy. But guess what. We all are worthy of love. Because we are alive. Period. End of story. We deserve every human right because we are breathing the same air.
If you’re wondering if I struggle to let people bless me now, the question is a resounding, NOPE! I’ll take all the blessings and love from my friends and family that I can get. If you’re comin’ to bless me, I’m here to receive with open arms! It just took a little bit of humbling myself so I could realize that I was also worthy of that love. Thanks Chelsea. <3
Let other’s be themselves
When I was a child I remember all I wanted was to feel loved, appreciated, and heard. As an “adult” I want the same thing. 100%. Isn’t that all that anyone wants? To feel love? To feel like their presence in your life is wanted and appreciated? Isn’t it so important that you are heard?
Loving others without condition is hella cool and always in style.
It’s the same for our beloved LGBTQ+ community. Being apart of this community doesn’t mean evil. I mean…do I seem evil to you?! It just simply IS. And…as long as someone isn’t hurting anyone with the way they choose to live, then it isn’t on ME to judge them. It’s on ME to LOVE them. Radically. Unendingly. That…arms wide open, we’re HOMIES kind of love.
After all, that’s what Homeboy would have done. I may not be a Christians Christian…but HEY! Jesus is still very much my homeboy, and YES I’m a Jesus Freak. That man was super groovy. There’s just no denying those facts. Loving others without condition is HELLA COOL and always in style. Jesus = super groovy. Facts.
Ps. Ain’t no one looking at my child’s genitals to make sure he can play on a certain team. Let the kids be themselves. Children inherit the Earth. And they are INNOCENT. Let them be who they are. Then, let them change who they are if they want to. Just…let them be kids. Please for the love of all that is good and right. Let those precious children be themselves and play how they want to, be who they want to, love who they want to. Open your heart. Love unconditionally.
Just…LOVE. Radically. Without conditions and judgments. The more we LOVE, the less hate can take over our world. We are all in this together. We all breathe the same air (yes, that hippie shit- it’s science I swear!) We are all here together to do one single thing. Live.
Let’s live in radical love together.
Have you started loving radically? How has it changed your perspective on the world we live in today?
I love you radically (yes, even if I don’t know you- I love you dearly),
Jamma