Everyday Crucifixions

I was raised Catholic, and looking back on it, I loved it. 

The singing was fun and beautiful, and it put me in touch with God and Spirit in a powerful, felt way. The kneeling and the sitting and the standing and the kneeling and the sitting and the praying - even though it’s easy to make fun of it sometimes - trained me in intentionality, attentiveness, and reverence. 

I reap the benefits of that upbringing to this day, and I didn’t realize the depth of it until reflecting upon it by writing this post.

With Easter upon us, I want to share with you a perspective that has made a powerful difference for me and some of my clients. 

We crucify each other daily, and we crucify ourselves as well.

We don’t crucify with nails or with crowns of thorns. Most of us don’t spit, or physically beat, or stab others or ourselves.

Here's how we crucify:

We condemn with our thoughts, our words, our gossiping, and our negative and pessimistic energy. We attack with our judgments, our righteousness, our anger, and our mistrust. We dismiss with excuses, justifications, and abandon.

How many years have you been doing this to yourself? How many years have you been doing this to others? 

We don’t mean harm. We do it innocently. We’re letting fear and insecurity decide our actions.

Our uncontained fears and insecurities have consequences. 

Yes, others condemn and attack us too. Of course they do. And, like us, they do so innocently, ignorantly.

“Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Let those of us without sin cast the first stone.

And forgive us too, for we know not what we do.

Above all else, we must learn to love. Not love as a feeling (though that’s nice too), but love as an act of the will. Love as an act of generosity, compassion, patience, blessing, and forgiveness.

Where there is judgment, there is no love. Whether it's judgment of others or judgment of the Self, judgment points us to opportunities to love.

May we all learn to transform judgment, condemnation, and attack - those tools we use to crucify - into gateways to Love. A love of Self. A love of others. A love of the Divine.

A common experience among my clients is an expanded ability to love and be loved. If you'd like to learn how to fall more deeply in love with your Self, your life, and the people in your life, reach out to me and let's talk.

Much Love. ❤️