One of my favorite songs from the 80’s is “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & The News. The first lines are: “The power of love is a curious thing. Make [a] one man weep, make another man sing. Change a hawk to a little white dove. More than a feeling that’s the power of love.” The more I think about it, the more I believe that these lyrics speak a ‘curious’ and ‘powerful’ truth about how I need to manage the walls I build between and around myself and others.
I’ve written about the fact that some walls are necessary and good but others are not. I’ve also said that some walls really need to be torn down because they do more harm than good. Our reasons for tearing down our walls and the way we do it, however, can be more hurtful than just leaving them in place. Have you torn down walls by fighting with a friend over differing beliefs and felt like you won? Are you just fed up with the hateful political talk going on with a friend so giving in seems like the best option? Do you avoid topics like racism or sexism where you disagree with a friend because it’s embarrassing or frustrating? These are not the best ways to manage our walls.
There is a better, or more excellent way to get at these questions. Consider these questions. Do you care a lot about a neighbor who adheres faithfully to beliefs very different from yours? Do you feel like giving in to a friend who is really condescending towards your political views, just to save the friendship? Is it surprising to you that race and sex violence is so prevalent when you and many others you know have good friends of a different skin color or gender? I’m convinced that our challenge with managing our walls is a problem of love. But love is a challenging concept to understand.
I agree with the Huey Lewis song that love is a ‘curious’ thing. Some people have difficulty seeing past the fact that love is “more than a feeling.” Another line in the song says that love is “tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel.” My perspective of the love Huey Lewis sings about is deep, sacred caring for another that allows us to hold on to our beliefs and others to hold on to theirs. It is that sacred love for humanity that is most important. The way I manage my walls is to make an effort to recognize what I believe, what others believe, and still commit to loving self and others in a sacred way, respecting the healthy and necessary walls around us.
We can be great examples of our faith, of our political affiliations, of our skin color or gender, if we care deeply enough and commit ourselves to the practice of sacred love. This is easier to say than do but doing it becomes much easier the more we practice. I love to see the power of sacred love tearing down walls.
Pursuing Peace 