Journal of Sacred Work

Days 313-314 – Organizing Love

   Radical Loving Care is the actually the organization of Love. Love's needs to be structured and disciplined so that it can express itself in the world.

   Nature organizes the expression of Beauty into a flower. The flower is not Beauty. It is an expression of Beauty.

   The care given by the Good Smaritan is not Love. It is an expression of Love.

Faucets 1a copyright erie chapman 2012  The decision you make today to let Love flow through you into a person in need will not be Love itself. It will be your choice to let go of your agenda so that Love may makes its transit through you and into another.

   This matters because it tells us that Love is like the elements of the earth. The air is free flowing until we sew a sail to catch it – to allow it so move our boat across the lake. 

   Water moves mindless of our needs. We must shape a cup to drink it.

   Beyond that, if we attend to the design of the cup we may catch Beauty in it as well as water. For example, look at how someone shaped water's delivery for many pairs of hands  (photo above.)    

   The earth lies ready but will not feed us until we pick or plant or mix. The earth will shelter us and support our endeavors if we structure buildings to sit on it. 

   Across three decades of leading hospitals, it came clear to me that how we organize our expressions of Love affects Love's power in this world. 

   A hospital, hospice or nursing home can organize itself to deliver services. But Love will find no purchase there unless leaders support the training of caregivers on how to express it. Neither can Love find its way through caregivers hands and into patients hearts unless the healthcare culture is structured to support Love's energy.

  The crucial application of this idea comes when you consider structuring Love's expression through yourself. If my thoughts are patterned to determine what I will get for myself out of each encounter, Love will not appear because the intention underneath transactions is personal gain, not loving service.

   Love enters not by force but by invitation. 

-Erie Chapman

Photograph: Seven Faucets – copyright erie chapman 2012

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3 responses to “Days 313-314 – Organizing Love”

  1. ~liz Wessel Avatar
    ~liz Wessel

    What a marvelous image discovered in your minds view, Erie, thank you. An exquisite gift; this very fine and captivating expression of Beauty.
    What comes to mind as I read your mediation is the importance of a clear vision and clarity of focus. When we share in a mission of RLC we can organize efforts towards Love’s actualization with authentic intention, self-discipline, perseverance and a servant’s heart. It is more a way of being, of bringing forth, of birthing.

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  2. Deacon Dan Avatar
    Deacon Dan

    This reflection brought to mind an anticle by Rachel Naomi Remen, “In the Service of Life”. It is worth read. Just google it for a copy.

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  3. Leeann Avatar
    Leeann

    This is a new idea for me. Being a huge romantic the idea of “organizing love” isn’t natural. I want to paint love wildly on the walls. However, after reading the poetry of this piece several times it has slipped past the guard at the gate. I realize my paintings hardly ever find a communicable form. I’ve landed several times on the line “The earth lies ready but will not feed us until we pick or plant or mix”. It invokes the Heart in my hands and feet, hopefully from there into loving action. I need to think about this one over the course of the day. Thank you.

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