Recently we’ve been reflecting on love.

When we look around our world, we sadly see a lot of hate, anger, and fear.

I believe we have to focus on where we want to go in an expansive way. I choose to put my attention and focus towards love.

Even in a world where there is so much violence and dehumanization, one of the most powerful actions we can each take is to expand the love in our world. I want to move towards love. And if you’re reading this, I hope you’re joining me!

Doesn’t everyone want love?

You might be saying, “Doesn’t everyone want love?”

Of course we want love for our closest family, local community, and the people who look like us or worship like us.

But do our (metaphorical) arms stretch to feel love for those who are different from us - who may be moving through life with different life experiences and opportunities?

Collective ‘Enough-ness’ and the Abundant Shared Future

So much of this comes down to the idea of Collective Enough-ness and an Abundant Shared Future, which we’ve written about on this blog before. In her book on The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, Heather McGhee describes the cost of the “Zero Sum” -- the fixed mindset that suggest that when Black people, or People of Color “win” or get more power or rights, white people lose.

The election - Why this is on my mind now

All of this is very much on my mind these days because of two contrasting visions emerging in our national election - one of a world of scarce resources and “nativist vitriol” – the idea that immigrants (and People of Color) are coming to take “our” jobs, commit crimes, ruin our communities, and ruin our country.

And another, more hopeful and expansive vision in which there is enough for each of us -- and finding the path for each person in our society to thrive is the path for all of us to work on the complex challenges in front of us.

If you’ve been reading this blog for more than a minute, you know that we’re on “the side” of those with the expansive, future-facing vision!

The good and inspiring news: the majority of American people are on this side too. We need to keep taking action - by voting and speaking up - to show that we, the people want this abundant, shared future.

The Jewish New Year and Return

This week, my faith tradition, Judaism, is commemorating the Jewish New Year - and the Jewish High Holidays.

It’s about returning to the people we want to be.

Love is hard.

Truth - love is hard! We get stressed out. We feel we don’t have the capacity. We intend to express love and we get distracted by other goals and ideas along the way.

That’s precisely what presents the challenge: How do you express love? Love may involve being present when friends and family need you; for me, sometimes it’s sitting on the bean bag while one of our teenagers is studying. Or bringing a dish to share with a family that has lost a loved one or is experiencing sickness. Opening one’s home to create community. I believe in many of these together - by breaking bread and sharing laughs, sometimes over games or a nice glass of wine. Those evenings are some of my favorites and how I most enjoy showing the love I have for where I live and the people in my life.

The challenge: Expand and deepen love

At this time, I am challenging myself to deepen and expand love - for those close to me and those further out. I would challenge you to do this too. As we wind down the calendar year and you find more holidays and events, I encourage you to find ways that you can show the love you have for the people most important to you. And how can you widen your circle to beam love to those with different perspectives and experiences - to use your power and privilege to model learning and caring about each other across differences?

Finally, and very directly - love includes voting so that we have the pieces in place to build a society in which everyone can thrive. Now that we are firmly in election season and with a few short weeks until election day, please register to vote, educate yourself on your local issues, and vote for our next president. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris, aligned with my values, and hope you will do the same.

How are you moving toward love right now?