Our soul is loved unconditionally by the Lord. We in turn can reflect that love and radiate unconditional love to those we meet.
There are few examples of unconditional love in our everyday relationships. In examples of the greatest love relationships in the world, there always seem to be some conditions placed on them. In the parent’s love for a child, there are expectations. The parent may want the child to behave in a certain way. When the child grows up and the parent grows old, there may be expectations that the child will care for the parent. Thus, the love is not entirely unconditional. In the love between lovers and spouses, there is always some expectation that the lover will make us happy. We want the lover to provide us with the fulfilment we seek. If the lover’s behaviour does not meet our expectations we may argue and fight, and in some cases even break up.
The soul loves unconditionally, because God loves unconditionally. The soul and God are one and the same. If we tap into our soul and look at the world through its eyes, we can not only love unconditionally, but also feel God’s unconditional love for us. The sun does not discriminate as to which flower it will shine upon. It sheds its light on all equally. Thus, roses and violets, tulips and weeds all receive the same light. So it is with God’s love. It shines on us all, whether we are man or woman, Hindu or Muslim, Christian or Jew, Sikh or Sufi, Parsi or Jain. It shines on us no matter what colour our hair, skin or eyes are. When we experience our soul and begin to identify with it, we too can grow in our love of all people.
One of the most powerful illustrations of unconditional love is found in the teachings of Christ. The foundation of Christianity is based on the concept of love and forgiveness. As Christ said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thin enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that have you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
The world is in need of unconditional love. Just as we wish to be loved unconditionally, so too can we love those around us unconditionally.
True love means loving everyone. Saints and mystics point out that if we truly love God, we will love all his children. As Christ said: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
When we tap into our empowered soul through meditation, we can become blind to outer differences of religion, culture, colour and nationality. All can be seen as one family of God, and we can learn to channel the love of our empowered soul to all we meet.
