love

probably a lot of you saw/read this post from facebook.
a lot of people have posted it and re-posted it, and i finally decided i'd see what all the fuss was about.
well, it's an interesting  post written about many topics, but it all comes down to what love is and what love really means. and how we, as a whole, tend to lack in the 'loving your neighbor' area.

i thought there were a lot of interesting points in it, but one part i most enjoyed reading was where he broke down different religions and a couple of their main beliefs. there seems to be a theme...let me explain:

*According to Christians, Jesus taught a couple of interesting things. First, “love one another.” Second, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (“Her” being a woman who cheated on her man.)

*According to Buddhists, Buddha taught a couple of thought-provoking things. First, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” Second, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

*According to Hindus, a couple of fascinating teachings come to mind. First, “Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all.” (Krishna) Second, “Love means giving selflessly, excluding none and including all.” (Rama)

*According to Muslims, Muhammad taught a couple interesting things as well. First, “A true Muslim is the one who does not defame or abuse others; but the truly righteous becomes a refuge for humankind, their lives and their properties.” Second, “Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.”

*According to Judaism, their scriptures teach a couple remarkable things. First, “Love your neighbor like yourself.” Second, “Examine the contents, not the bottle.”

i think everyone tends to latch onto whatever religion they believe in {or don't believe in} and decide that's the way it should be for everyone, and if it's not, then they're wrong. at the end of the day, that is not up to us to decide. i should add that i am, in no way, an expert on religion or beliefs or ways of living or anything else, this is just some personal thoughts i felt i should share. as humans, we're prone to make mistakes, and one of the biggest mistakes we make {again - in my opinion} is being judgemental. myself included. if it's a commandment or rule or law or whatever else in the religion that you practice to love without passing judgement, then do so. and it seems from the statements above that most religions teach that.

isn't it interesting how quickly we forget the simple teachings that come from something that we build our lives around? something that means so much to us?

it all comes down to love. for some, that may just mean not making that questionable comment. or for others, maybe it means holding the door open for the person behind you. whatever it means to you, that's what you should do. and show that same love to everyone. we're all the same. all humans on this earth to live this life. we all make mistakes. some more than others. and God will decide how those should be handled.

ok i'm off my preachy box now. i wrote all of the above, and then thought about deleting it. i'm not perfect and i don't mean to portray myself that way at all. i don't like to be preachy; it's just not my style. but when i read that original post, i felt like i should share some of it, as well as some of my own thoughts. so there ya go. let me know your thoughts, please?

in other news, we painted more of our house this past weekend.
pictures to come soon. hopefully.

xoxo.