|
"Love is the outgoing or yearning of the soul
for that which is excellent." Love is a power and the
most constructive force in all the world. Love much and you
will be brought into harmonious relations will all with whom you
come in contact as well as your surroundings and environment.
"To Live and Grow Young" it is necessary
to understand the psychological effect of love and hate, for they
are the two most important attributes of the conscious mind and
have tremendous effect on human life. Love lengthens
life. Hate shortens it. Hate effects every organ of
the body and the circulation of the blood. To take offence,
to remember slights, either real or imaginary, is to be weak and
miserable. To forgive, unless we forget, is only a
shadow. It leaves a slumbering fire which only forgetfulness
of the slights can extinguish.
The suffering that you would like to cause the
person you hate, you bring upon yourself, while he is not affected
at all. Your hate does not interfere with his digestion or
health and does not produce insomnia. The Japanese plan is
far better. If they suffer any wrong, in place of ruining
their life by hating, they commit hari-kari --in other words,
suicide. In the light of the above facts, how clear is the
psychological truth in the statement of Christ in the Sermon on
the Mount, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt
love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy, but I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you." To one who
has been wronged and hates the person who has wronged him, this
sounds Utopian. He imagines revenge can be gained by hate,
while nursing revenge only keeps our own wounds green; therefore,
Christ's statement is not Utopian. It is good, sound,
life-producing common sense.
The consequences of nourishing hate is harmful and
often disastrous. It produces discordant vibrations which
others feel, repelling those whom you might otherwise
attract. The love thought is a great atmosphere
builder. It builds an atmosphere that attracts. It is
possible by love to change an enemy into a life-long friend as,
perhaps, when he offended you, he had been eating a mixture of
lobster and ice cream, or cucumbers and milk and was not
responsible. He may have repented and desired to apologize,
but could not penetrate your hate atmosphere.
Love is an open door through which even your
enemies will seek entrance. Forgetting the wrong and loving
the wrong-doer, you will gain peace of mind which will be a vital
factor in maintaining health and help you to Live and Grow
Young. It is love that will some day bring Universal
Peace. Christ established no church; led no army. His
sway over the hearts of men was His great love for them. On
the cross he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not
what they do."
Love is the hope of the world. It is through
love that man unlearns anger and hate and learns to catch the
harmonious vibrations of life; learns to keep the mind filled with
glad and healthy thoughts and the body clothed with youthfulness
and beauty.
|
