I wonder, is it possible to fight for freedom? Can we be at war and in a place of love at the same time? Can we have freedom without love? To me, Freedom IS Love. There is no FEELING of Freedom without Love.
My Freedom never depends on what others are doing. What I experience in the world is a reflection of my own thinking. I cling to this truth because it IS my Freedom. The minute that I allow myself to believe that my Freedom depends on anything in this world, I’m trapped by my own limiting thoughts.
Liberation is an inside job. If I want to be free from terrorism in the world then I must, as Rev. Karen Russo once said, “love the terrorist within me.”
Through my practice of nonviolence, I feel more Freedom because I no longer choose to torment myself. Through my spiritual practice I shine the light of Love within my own awareness and this is what dispels the sense of darkness.
Where once there was a daily battle, an ongoing war, now there is Peace. It’s real. It’s not temporary. Each day, I behave more like a free person and less like a prisoner. Rather than holding onto anger and resentment I let it move through me and this is a realization of Freedom.
I cannot be satisfied with Freedom of speech. I aspire to live forever in the Freedom to Love without resentment, to live without blame or guilt or shame. No military action can give me that. I must, as Dr. King said, shine the light of love that is already within me. I must know that I am already free.
Civil rights activist Diane Nash said, “Freedom, by definition, is people realizing that they are their own leaders.” Today, I take a leadership role in my own life. I free my mind and discover at least one way I can express myself more fully and more freely. In this way I embody my practice of nonviolence. My daily nonviolent choices set the whole world free.
This week at Living A Course in Miracles I’m offering 2 free classes on Freedom For Real – join me! You can still register right now!