By Forrest Rivers
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, it has become painfully obvious just how fractured society has become as a result…. particularly in America. For example, the virus has revealed the shocking and unconscious able disparities that exist between rich and poor. It has also demonstrated that the line between fact and fiction in the media has been badly blurred due to sensationalized and partisan reporting on all sides. Finally, the emergence of anti-shutdown protests in US cities shows that we can’t even agree on whether to continue with extreme social distancing measures or to begin re-opening the economy. Frustratingly, it would appear that politics (the world’s current expression of collective ego) has divided us again. However, in these times, the negative consequences of such separation are felt more profoundly due to the high stakes of both the public health and economic crises. At the time of this writing, we are approaching a quarter-million global confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and countless millions of people are now out of work as a result of government-mandated shutdowns. In response to both crises, anger and frustration have begun to boil over among certain sections of the world population. The question now becomes: how can we collectively meet this moment in a manner that alleviates suffering while also pushing us closer toward the positive end goal of world peace? The answer to that question is radical love.
When Jesus, that inspiring saint, and sage, was nailed to the cross he uttered these words: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Those powerful words were extended as a prayer of forgiveness for his tormenters. They were also an expression of the highest form of radical love. When Gandhi guided his beloved India to independence through leading a dangerous 24-day Salt March (which eventually cost him his life) that too, was an example of radical love. Martin Luther King Jr. endured beatings, death threats, prison, and eventually his own assassination to liberate his nation from the scourge of racial apartheid. He too expressed the fullest vision of radical love. And, when Vietnamese monks self-immolated themselves in protest to South Vietnam’s persecution of Buddhist monks, that too was an act of radical love. Of course, each of the above beings is rightfully remembered for their willingness to surrender their lives in pursuit of oneness. However, one does not need to become a martyr in order to act in accordance with this divine principle. Fortunately, there are many acts of radical love that we can now all engage in to relieve such widespread suffering and hardship. Examples include:
- feeding the hungry
- Providing clothing for the poor
- Caring for the sick
- Attending to those who have lost a loved one due to the virus
- Uplifting elderly neighbors in isolation
It is especially telling, that the great Indian Saint, Neem Karoli Baba, taught his devotees that the act of feeding the hungry was itself such a high expression of radical love that it could be used as a path to one’s spiritual enlightenment.
It would be wise for us all to resist being emotionally pulled into the political drama of our leaders’ response to this pandemic. For the sake of humanity, it would be much more constructive for us all to make ourselves instruments of service and lead with our hearts. After all, this is the essence of radical love: treating the suffering of others as if it were your own AND having the courage to alleviate another’s suffering even if it may come at a steep personal cost to you. The display of that very courage is what imbues the expression of love with its truly radical component. In the end, this pandemic represents a rare opportunity for us all to undergo a paradigm shift in consciousness from one focused on self-serving egoic ends to one grounded in the spirit of service and loving-kindness. We are all connected. We are all one. It is now time to start living that way!
Author Bio:
Forrest Rivers is a lover of the Earth and author of the book: The Hippie Revival and Collected Writings(https://www.amazon.com/Hippie-Revival-Collected-Writings/dp/1515396959). He lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Feel free to reach out to Forrest through email: forrestrivers4@gmail.com or leave a message on his website: forrestrivers.com
