On my mind this week is “community love” or “community in love.”
There is no more powerful energy than love. As these two concepts settled in my heart, I felt I would venture to share my thoughts. This nudge came from an online post announcing the formation of the free non-profit buildbackla.com. On Instagram, their account is @buildbackla. The essence of it is to provide access to vetted services to help the Los Angeles community, traumatized by widespread fire, rebuild safely. The long-term vision is to help communities come together in other regions of the United States. The idea stemmed from the acknowledgment that when disaster strikes, scammers rise — there’s safety in numbers. I’m familiar with this alarming truth because of my efforts to end the crime that is human trafficking.
I responded to this new organization’s announcement:
“These (disasters) are opportunities to build love communities.” Not the ’60s version of drugs and rock and roll, but rather communities that do not harm; they do not judge or shame. Communities that heal, nurture, and support change with love-based policies and culture. No fear, but rather communities steeped in light. What we do as individuals is important. What we do as individuals in the collective is more important. As a Community Visionary, I see this movement creating chapters and expanding their reach.”
One man responded that my vision was a pipe dream and that a fantasy town couldn’t be created in light of taxes, regulations, and greed. He will be correct if humanity wants to hold this belief, but it will never be the truth.
I saw a quote online from author Paul Selig that he had channeled from his guides —-
“A community is a collective identity.”
Yes! That’s the vision I have held for several decades as a Community Visionary. It’s not a vision where everyone necessarily agrees. It’s a vision where, without fear, people respect each other’s ideas without damnation. It excludes no one. It might be called “sustainable,” but there’s no place for that term in such a community because my vision is founded on unconditional love. Sustainability is about control. Unconditional love exists where all is balanced, and we understand that we each express ourselves differently.
What needs to happen for this vision to become a reality?
Laws and policies must be based on love.
The concept of scarcity, where people are afraid to share because they won’t have it for themselves, must be replaced with the will to help each other without expectation.
People support each other honestly without snickering, name-calling, or debasing. The man who responded to my comment responded from a place of fear. He isn’t alone. Globally, there is much fear and distrust of our neighbor. This doesn’t mean we must interact with them, but we must replace our feelings of fear and hatred with feelings of love. Is this journey easy? No, but that doesn’t mean we can’t begin, perhaps fail, then start again and again until it becomes our reality.
What makes the process easier?
Love is powerful and yet, corrupted by so many as they attach negating terms like “Narcissistic love,” “Tough love,” (all tough and no love!) “My version of love” and other truly selfish descriptors. None of those are love. “Love wasn’t put in your heart just to stay. Love isn’t love, ’til you give it away”. Only a giving heart knows true love.