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200 words, apathy, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Fear, Good Samaritan, integrity, kindness, life, love, peace, Purpose, Relationships, The Golden Rule, world issues
Insofar as an appropriate degree of self-love is received, held, enjoyed, trusted, and participated in, this is the same degree to which love can be given away to the rest of the world. You can and you must “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 19:19)—for your own wholeness and for theirs. Without this full flow in and out, we frankly have many “constipated” believers. – Richard Rohr
In yesteryear if you weren’t putting others ahead of yourself, it was frowned upon. You were selfish, self-centered, entitled, narcissistic. After all, you must ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
I didn’t really catch the ‘as yourself’ bit until I was in my 40s. What a relief! I could also love myself, set healthy boundaries, take steps toward self-care. Live in peace and harmony with you.
But when I see what’s happening in the world today, how horribly we humans treat other humans who don’t think like us, believe like us, live like us, I wonder has the pendulum swung too far. Has it become all about me and how my corner of the world is affected by you? Do we now fear instead of love our neighbor?
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
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