November 14 – Bring Love
“That where there is hatred, I may bring love. (Today)” — Prayer of Saint Francis
Hatred is such a self-centered emotion to have. It's lazy. Gossip and talking crap about what "they should have done," the mix of disgust and intolerance used to make me feel oddly special—up on a pedestal, looking down on everyone else. It’s a familiar trap, that feeling of being disconnected yet somehow “better.” And ultimately, it only hurts me in the end.
AA reminds us that love and tolerance are our code. We are going to be kind and loving toward all—ALL? Now that takes work. Nobody said it would come easy. These days, it helps to relate more than compare. Somewhere in that connection, peace starts to show up—a little softer, a little more human.
There’s no requirement to join in anger—it spreads on it's own. I've learned to be careful because it can be contagious. Pausing long enough to whisper a quiet prayer for love to surface can be a roadblock for hatred. It can flip the script...sometimes for everyone involved. I heard that Bill's wife, Lois prayed before every meeting to invite God in. That’s become a practice for me too: “God, please let love come before resentment sinks in.”
When’s the last time love guided your response instead of ego leading the charge?
