Love Your Neighbour as Yourself

I talked with people this week who are finding this time of extended quarantine to be increasingly difficult to bear. Some are feeling lonely and isolated. This morning I read the two great commandments and the second one, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, really struck me. I have been taught this commandment means that to the extent we love ourselves, that is the extent to which we can love our neighbour. I found myself wondering if I am doing as good a job of loving myself as I can at this time, both for the sake of my being able to bear with being quarantined, as well as for the sake of being able to reach out to others who need as much unconditional love as I can muster.

I have found my attention drawn to relating to the news much much more than I normally would. Rather than attending to listening to my soul and what she needs, I was reading every available article about coronavirus. On Friday, I decided to fast from reading the news, and spent a day in my art studio, reading other things, relaxing, dancing, and making art. I went into the time there feeling frayed and tired, and came home feeling 100% better. In short,I felt reconnected with my Self.

Each of us will have different ways of connecting deeply with our Selves. It could be by taking a long, solitary walk or a long, hot bubblebath. It could be by walking a labyrinth, or by spending an extended time journalling. It could be by listening to beautiful music while colouring a mandala, or knitting or painting. What is it for you? Once you come to know what you need to do to love yourself, I encourage and invite you to do that today, both for the sake of increasing your own contentment and serenity, as well as for the sake of having more to offer to others.