I watched a video produced by
Off the Left Eye. The title offers a terrific promise.
"Three Simple Ways to Love Everyone"
While I had no expectation of becoming a master at universal compassion, the possibility of expanding my capacity sounded like a good way to invest an hour.
A default can be to cast other people as objects who interfere with our plans. Walking along a crowded sidewalk, or driving in traffic are a circumstance for this. But it also shows up when others disagree with us.
Another tendency is to see others as rivals. When we fall for the appearance that love and attention are limited commodities competition can ramp up.
Both of those traps lose their lure when we wish for another person's happiness. Rather than being a nuisance, they are a precious human being worthy of the Lord's love.
The speaker describes the willingness of angels to put a good interpretation on even regrettable actions.
Those who are guided by kindness, on the other hand, hardly even notice evil in another but pay attention instead to everything good and true in the person. When they do find anything bad or false, they put a good interpretation on it. This is a characteristic of all angels—one they acquire from the Lord, who bends everything bad toward good.
-Heavenly Secrets 1079, Emanuel Swedenborg
It is easy to neglect giving the benefit of the doubt. I know I have. But if I truly aspire to bring heaven to life within my heart, it's a sweet way to begin.
