Seriously...What's Love Got To Do With It?

Feeling a bit confused and disoriented in today’s world? Me too. I keep looking for new angles or reassurances that everything is not collapsing, but where is the love in a world of wars, whether in global trade or with tanks and missiles?

So I have been intentionally seeking out articles and programs about love and compassion. Fortunately, there are plenty of wonderful people working to bring heart-centered action to the rescue. Leaders such as: Scarlett Lewis of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Dr. Marty K. Casey of the UnGUN Institute, and Home for Humanity’s co-founders, Dr. Rama Mani and Professor Alexander Schieffer, who are embarking on their seven-year “One Home Journey,” to name a few of my friends on this transformative love circuit.

Within the Holomovement, which I spend a lot of time stewarding, we also make a serious effort at amplifying love. At the upcoming Holomovement Wave in Asheville, N.C., I might even mention that I think that Planck’s constant “h” (in the quantum equation E = hf) actually represents love spiraling up as angular momentum of action. This flow from the Implicate Order is infusing the world with its loving presence. Don’t worry, we have a panel of experts, including doctors Paul Mills, William Keepin and Shamini Jain, ready to discuss these notions of how love might make a difference during the Wave. We trust they shall give you some new insight into this meeting place of science and spirit.

While I honestly do believe there is a deeper spiritual realm purposefully bringing love into the world, I do have my worries. Considering the current situation, will humanity really be able to make a transformative breakthrough toward higher consciousness? If there is a divine source of some kind, why does it feel as if evil is giving love and compassion a run for it? 

I occasionally express these concerns to colleagues, and one friend, and certainly not the first, was so concerned about my mortal soul that he sent me a copy of William Keepin’s book “Belonging to God.” I’m not a big fan of the G-word because of all the mixed connotations it has taken on over history. Even if we replace the word with David Bohm’s term of Implicate Order, are we meant to submit ourselves to a divine presence and the ultimate faith that we really are all One? 

In his book, Keepin points out the parallels of divine love between the Bhagavad-Gita, the Qur’an and Christian thought, and the depth and care in which he does this makes a convincing case to surrender to something divine, somewhere, somehow. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced philosopher of spiritual philosophy, this book is loaded with wisdom about what love might have to do with just about everything.

Love is also on my radar because I will be speaking at the Illuminate Film Festival in Santa Barbara, CA, this May 1-4, and the theme of the event is “Looking Through the Lens of Love.” Will I be bold enough to confess to this illustrious audience that I am longing to rediscover love in a world obsessed with materialism? Will I be so audacious to admit that, at heart, I am really a hopeful romantic whose preferred genre of film is romantic comedy? Well, why not?  There’s not a lot to lose, and I really am a sucker for happy endings.

Let’s not forget that sometimes things do turn out the way we would hope if we commit to our vision with patience and daily attention. Such is the inspiration from my fourteen-year relationship with Integral Transformative Practice International (ITPI). 

Established some twenty years ago by Esalen Institute co-founder Michael Murphy and his cohort George Leonard, an Aikido expert, journalist and author, ITP has been my primary practice community since I met its members in 2011. Their love comes through their commitment to long-term spiritual practice (with the emphasis on “long,” such as never-ending). I am inspired by how the members of ITP manage to reach increasingly higher levels of personal growth. 

Each year they do a fundraiser, called “For the Love of ITP,” when they recognize a member of their community. This year they have chosen my wife, Laura Rose, and myself, as recipients of the George and Annie Leonard Service Award. We are deeply honored by this, and invite you to join us for the celebration on May 6 at the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael, CA.  

Infused with the love rippling outward from the Illuminate Film Festival and ITPI, Laura and I will then travel on to the Holomovement Wave in Asheville, N.C., on May 23-27. Devastated by hurricane Helene last September, we are taking the Wave to Asheville to show our solidarity and support for their incredible resilience and ongoing recovery amplified by its extraordinary community. 

The Wave promises to inspire a collective vision of transformative possibilities. The long list of prestigious presenters and facilitators will have plenty to say about how love comes into the picture. It will also be an amorous opportunity to connect with and network with all the incredible participants. 

I dare say that immersing ourselves in a conscious, loving community is the best way to return to sanity so we can be of better service to our troubled world at this critical time. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for the news or social media to post about love-in-action. It seems like there are plenty of opportunities to share the love.

I would love to see you at one of these upcoming events.

With love,

Emanuel

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Photo by Ditto Bowo on Unsplash