Un-Them-Ing My Life

This week, I’ve noticed several opportunities to find unity in our humanity. I’ve recognized how we all have struggles, joys, hopes, and resistance to living this life well and finding peace and unity with one another through love. This is what I think of when I hear the phrase the kingdom of heaven. I think of how I, Thom Miller, can love my neighbors, ALL my neighbors, here on earth.

In this morning’s journal, I wrote, “I am grateful for my morning ritual of silence, reading, reflecting, and journaling. It is a daily opportunity to remember that I’m using this time for me, to work on myself, to find my center and my foundation first, so I am better equipped to go out and do the work of living, loving, and serving. Finding joy in the being-ness and doing-ness of life. I am grateful for this time to remember that if I am truly to experience the kingdom of heaven and find unity, I must learn to un-them my life. I must learn to remember that my role is to love God and to love ALL my neighbors as myself. There is no them. Any time I am tempted to divide myself into and us/them, I am missing an opportunity to offer love, joy, and peace to this world that so needs it. Lord, help me recognize opportunities to shift from seeing my neighbors as part of them and seeing my neighbors as a part of us in this kingdom of heaven we all share.”

After writing this, I began looking through some of my old journal writings and smiled when I saw this note from two years ago, “There is no ‘them.’ There is only ‘us.’ Love is about connection and belonging. We all belong, and we are all worthy of love. All of ‘us’ are part of something bigger than any of us. This journey to unity with God and love for one another, this family that includes all of God’s children and excludes none of God’s children.” That was a fun gem to find.

Today, may I remember, mine to love. May I love all God’s children and all creation unconditionally. May I do my part to help bring the kingdom of heaven to earth beginning with the un-them-ing of myself. And may recognize opportunities to share peace and love on this journey we share.