Freedom to Love

We discussed how we have desires related to security, pleasure and power which are properly characterized as addictions (http://gordon-feil-theology.blogspot.ca/2017/05/what-is-gods-love.html). They are not needs.  They trigger unhappy feelings when we do not satisfy them.  These feelings can be extremely painful at times.  They can totally engage us and distract us from a path of healthy productive behavior.

Our tendency, when experiencing these feelings, is to try to dynamically affect what’s happening so that we get what we want. We try to force situations and circumstances to change into conformity with what we believe would eliminate those painful feelings triggered by those addictions.

These separating emotions and the resultant actions we take in order to compel life to conform to our desires result in a destruction of our tranquility.  Instead of experiencing a peaceful awareness that all is well, we experience a pain that keeps us from loving.  Love is an attitude, and that attitude finds no home in the mind that is consumed with life’s hurts.

If we want to be able to love, we need to get rid of those addictions.  We can have preferences instead.  If I agree to watch a movie with you and it turns out to be a total yawner for me, my pleasure addiction can cause me to feel bored, irritable and impatient.  Those are separating emotions.  They are me rejecting what is happening.  They are me refusing to accept my here and now.  I will want to force a change.  I may complain and even argue with you about it.  I may leave. I may lose myself in other thoughts.  All are ways to force the situation to change.

Instead, I can choose to be free of those addictions so that I am operating from a peaceful perspective in which I am centered (not being pulled this way or that by my emotions).  This is a principle from which Paul draws the admonition to “cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.”¹ (II Corinthians 7:1).  When I am centered, I then have freedom to love.  I have freedom to accept what is happening, be cool with it, not be wrapped up in resultant painful emotions, and allow love to preoccupy me.

Tomorrow's Election

Tomorrow’s the provincial election here in B.C. I guess I’m supposed to vote, but it is a confusing choice. 

The parties have littered the landscape with their gaudy placards. Am I supposed to choose on the basis of placard color? I suppose I’d go Green then.

How about what the candidates say? I haven’t heard much of that. In fact, all I have heard is the liberal candidate, David somebody, saying in ads that he’s the right choice because he was in the Olympics. I have not been able to connect the dots on THAT one. He does have a very nice placard design though.

The plainest placard is the one sprinkled around town in favor of the Vancouver Island Party.  I was surprised when those appeared. One might be forgiven for thinking me too old to be surprised by anything, but sometimes……  Well, I went to their website. It doesn’t tell me a lot, but it does make clear that these folks want this island on which I live to be a separate province from BC. 

So what doesn’t it tell me that I might like to know? WHY we should be a separate province, for one thing.  How much will taxes increase to pay for a new and separate government?  That’s a lot of employees and bricks and mortar. Will we have to buy the Legislature from BC?  And all those other provincial government buildings also?   None of that is on that website so far as I have seen, but there is something about wanting to address climate change. Not sure what that party thinks it can do about stopping the climate from changing. Or maybe I misunderstood and they want it to change? Who knows?

The missing placard is for the Conservative Party. Apparently we don’t have a candidate in this riding. A big national party, and no candidate in this provincial riding.

Yeah, this is confusing.