Welcome to The Path of Love

The path of love.
It began from the beginning,
for most of us.
Came in the form of family.
A bloodline that brought us into being,
and at its best, allowed us to bloom.
Then sent us on our way with courage,
and a reminder tucked into the pocket
of our heart
which read, “You can always return,
no matter what.”

Its shape then shifted, showing up as friends
who helped us feel seen
and sung our song back to us
when we could not hear it
with our ears alone.

Then somewhere along the way
we stumbled on it again
in the soft touch and sweet stare
of sweethearts.
Through them, love taught us to trust
and helped us discover that who we are
does not end at the barrier of our own skin.

To our surprise, love then expanded
into the fragile gift we call community.
This web of beings bathed us in belonging,
expanded our sense of home,
and called us to see the needs of others
as our own.

And when our family and friends,
lovers and comrades
let us down and broke us to bits,
it was love that put us back together.
Knowing that none of us fully mend,
love also said, It’s ok limp.
I will remain beside you just the same.

That’s when we first heard the strange whisper.
In the heartbreak.
Arising from somewhere deeper
than the things we can touch.
It announced itself
as a love that will not let us go,
even in our fear, even in our failure,
even when we are lonely or lost.

And when that comforting love
seemed the perfect end to the path,
the gift we could rest within
and keep as our very own,
this band of religious heretics
showed up in our lives and told us to share it.
Born from a strange God
who loved and saved all,
they now rally around a sacred assignment
of making that larger love real, here on earth.
They talk of that love that will not let us go,
but they also ask,
“Is our loving large enough?”
They ask that of us over and over again.

And in that asking, we learned that love
can also be demanding,
often leading to the opposite of comfort.
And tough. We learned that It is that too.
Or needs to be.
Not something mean,
but something that persists.
Something within that can be beat down,
but gets back up again.
A love that calls us to never let go,
of it.