Loving Kindness: Embodying Love

Can embodying Christ's love, compassion, and forgiveness truly transform your relationships? Ground yourself with deep, purposeful breaths and the wisdom of Ephesians 4:32 as we invite God's presence into this time of mindful prayer. May God's peace be with you always.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hi, this is Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Welcome to this practice of loving kindness. I'm going to invite you to close your eyes, center in your space, in your body, in your mind, with your breath. In your body, in your mind, with your breath. You may choose to sit upright with a tall spine, you may choose to recline or take your favorite yoga posture, whatever shape center, ground, center, ground, breathe. And now listen for Ephesians 4.32 in the Common English Bible Be kind, compassionate and forgiving.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Be kind, compassionate and forgiving to each other in the same way God forgave you in Christ. As you become aware of your breath, feel the rise and fall of your chest, belly, relax your shoulders, soften, let go and now ponder what does it look like, or feel like to embody this love that Christ offers us, this kind, compassionate, forgiving Christ? What does it feel like to embody that Christ love? And now, welcome, welcome God, welcome the face of Christ into your meditation time. Welcome the face of Christ into your meditation time. Imagine that God is offering a loving light upon you right now. This light is filling you with warmth and peace, and this light of Christ envelops you.

Speaker 1: 2:51

Now repeat after me as you soak in the love of Christ, as you sit in God's presence. Now, may I be filled with love. May I be safe and protected. May I be healthy and strong. May I be at peace. Repeat those phrases again to yourself as you imagine God's love flowing into your heart, filling you with compassion and acceptance for yourself. May I be filled with love. May I be safe and protected. May I be healthy and strong. May I be healthy and strong. May I be at peace.

Speaker 1: 4:24

Now bring to mind the face of someone you love dearly, someone you care about, someone whom you'd like to offer loving kindness today. Visualize this person in your mind's eye and then repeat these phrases silently. You may wish to say their name or simply repeat after me May you be filled with love. May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be healthy and strong. May you be at peace. Now take a moment to see God's love surrounding this person, bringing them comfort and joy, filling them with the love of Christ. See it in your mind.

Speaker 1: 5:42

Hold it before God as you breathe Now bring to mind someone with whom you've had challenges or difficulty lately. Maybe it's a tough relationship or just a sticky situation. This might be someone you know well or someone you don't know very well but are struggling to love. Take a moment and visualize this person in your mind's eye. Now repeat these phrases. Offer loving-kindness to them too. You may wish to say their name or simply repeat after me may you be filled with love, may be safe and protected. May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be at peace. Take a moment to feel God's love working within you, helping you, helping you forgive, to find peace, to embody love in this moment. And now expand. Expand your mind's eye to all beings everywhere, the entire world bathed in God's love, Unfathomable but magnificent. Repeat these phrases May all beings be filled with love. May all beings be safe and protected. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings be at peace.

Speaker 1: 8:19

Take a moment to soak, to soak in this deep sense of connection with all of God's creation, being covered and filled with Christ's light and love. Take a few more deep breaths. Remind yourself that you are filled with Christ's love. Creator, God, we give thanks for your love, for your safety and protection, for your strength, for your peace. Thank you for loving us, for sending Christ to love us and for helping us love one another. In your holy name we pray Amen as you continue your day. Embody love, be love, carry Christ's love forth. Thank you for exploring the gift of God's peace with me.

Speaker 1: 9:52

If you'd like to connect beyond this time, you can find our community at exploringpeacecom. Slash community. You can find my books and more at whitneyrsimpsoncom. Until next time, may God's peace be with you. You can find my books and more at WhitneyRSimpsoncom. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.