Love Is All There Is

Activism is about love. Love for the world, for our fellow humans, for animals, for the environment, for peace.

I recently read a book by Evangelical author Rob Bell called Love Wins. His views are controversial because he argues that the concepts of heaven and hell are not just for the after life - they exist here on earth. We make choices that can literally lead to hell on earth or make the world more like heaven.

Activism is about trying to make the world a little better. Maybe we won't make it into heaven, but there certainly is enough hell out there created by a number of forces of greed and power to try to overturn.

More and more, the terms "conservative" and "Christian" are being used in the same phrase. Yet conservative politics often espouse values that are far removed from Jesus' teachings. Cutting social programs, removing health benefits for refugee claimants, an imperialistic foreign policy, tax breaks for the rich and corporations - where are Jesus' values of compassion, loving thy neighbour, caring for the sick and poor - in other words, where is the love?

When you give love, you get love. This is as true for activists as for anyone else. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to be loved. We form a community, we organize events together, we work together for a common cause. That takes almost as much commitment as a long-term relationship.

It's the kind of love that can change the world, both on a large scale and between us as individuals. After all, isn't love all that matters?