Change

On the TV news there was a brief article about Martin Luther King, it being the 40th anniversary of his assassination. What caught my attention was the description of him as a man who loved the world enough to want to change it. When I introspected on why that phrase had penetrated my inattention, the following words came to mind:
Love is not love which seeks to change that which it lovely finds.
I identified it as part of a sonnet by Shakespeare – but when I googled the sonnet, I discovered I had mis-remembered it.
Instead it reads:
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
I have sometimes heard Christians affirm that there's nothing we can do to make God love us more, and nothing we do will make Him love us less – which is expressing Shakespeare's sentiments in other words.

Taking these thoughts into the context of other recent thoughts including the poem by Hafiz, 'It felt love', about the rose opening its heart and giving its beauty to the world encouraged by the light, I moved on to an understanding that loving isn't about seeking to change, but offering freedom – granting permission - to change along with the ideal environment to enable the object of love to show its true colours. At church a young lady recently stood in front of everyone and acknowledged that she had felt very ugly when she first joined, but now she feels beautiful – it was really great to hear her acknowledge that, because she does indeed LOOK daily more beautiful, and is a great testimony to the power of love to transform. I guess the beauty must always have been there, but perhaps something in her posture or expression was keeping the beauty hidden until the inner healing released her to show her 'true colours'.

Today's 'A Course in Miracles' affirmation includes the idea that I AM limitless in peace and power. I turned back to contemplating Martin Luther King's impact on the world, and what it takes to change the world:

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  "Be the change you want to see in the world"?


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  "I have a dream …" - offering visionary leadership/ inspiring/motivating others?


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  'Acts of Random Kindness' (from the film Evan Almighty)?

I thought about the 'Challenge Anneka' series – which showed how one person engaging with others, communicating, empowering, etc. could draw together the necessary resources to achieve a shared goal. What changes would I want to make in the world? What would it take?