LOVE AT THE CENTER

"My religion is love." This phrase had been quoted by so many people of various religions that one cannot credit just one person. Over the years I have inserted into hundreds of letters to friends - both those living in prisons as well as those on the outside. It rings with universal truth and like most things profound, it is simple in nature. 

Love holds the center of one's spiritual life. It cuts through the dogma that can often bog people down and expands our heart. Who could argue against such a pure and clear understanding of what religion can be when at its best. 

As a follower of Jesus I look to his teachings and the life he modeled for us. What I hear and see from him is a message of love and compassion; and from that, spiritual grace can flow through us and into the world.

Love is also the language of perennial wisdom from the mystics, poets, saints, and sages of spiritual traditions throughout the ages. Mahatma Gandhi once said that he considered himself a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, and Confucian. He went on to  join the many who claim love as their religion. The beauty of this universal truth offers a love that bonds us together yet transcends religious structures and institutions. 

In the end it all boils down to love. When I come to the end of my life, I have a sense that I will be judged not by my accomplishments or shortcomings, but instead by how I loved or failed to love.  

Brother Dennis - THE GOSPEL LIFE