Love your neighbour as yourself

Why? Out of a sincere desire to love others and/or to obey God – to be a whole and mature person

How? By joining with others who have compassion for me (friends, community, Jesus/God) (I am not alone in having compassion for me.)

How is it deepened? With courageous honesty and determination – the more I truly see all of who I am (good and bad), the more my self- compassion grows stronger. Repeat after me: I am below average in many ways and yet I am human and have compassion for myself.

What are some results? Paradoxically, it enables change/growth Have to love something before you want to take care of it. (instant gratification is not self-compassion) How is it compassionate to leave a log in our eye?

What are some results? Leads naturally to greater compassion for others and love for God Because….

The beautiful mystery: Self-compassion becomes less and less distinguishable from love for others and for God as it deepens Because, I believe, greater compassion for oneself and for others draws one into an awareness of the unity between self, others and God as it is practiced.

One tension – between: Phil 2 (consider others as more important than oneself) “Oxygen Mask Principle” (need to be able to love and serve others)

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matt ) Ego-self (“separated self” – the self-centred and selfish self that needs the mask, defense mechanisms) Human self – your whole self, all of you (When you love someone else, you don’t love their ego, you love their whole self – including their ego-selves)

For those who want to protect their ego-self will be disconnected from their human self, from others and from God, and those who lose their ego-self for my sake (i.e. choose love of all) will find their whole self. (Matt ) When you genuinely turn toward others in compassion (open to empathy, free of judgement, committed to kindness), there you are in the midst of them.

love your neighbour as yourself What if it’s not “love your neighbour as much as you love yourself” (which is OK but not really a terribly helpful word to many of us), but... “love of neighbour is love of self is love of neighbour is love of God etc.” What if the “as” is saying it’s all one thing?

36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt )