“When you have nothing to offer, love gives abundantly.”
I have so many love letters that I want to write to the world. I want to write them with my pen, my keys, my actions. I want to write letters to let people know that they are valuable, that they are special, that they are loved, and that they are not alone. I want to write love letters that spread awareness for causes and encourage constructive advocacy. I want to write love letters that encourage joy, wonder, and curiosity. I want to write love letters that inspire you to write your own, because everyone has a unique (literal or not) letter to write. I think, amidst all the tragedies rolling like riptides through our world on a daily basis, we need love letters more than ever. We need joy, wonder, and curiosity. We need hope.
Hope can come in many forms. It may be another person, it may be a positive turn in your day. It can be good news, it can be the chance to start over. It may be a book, a letter, a thought, or even just a kind word.
For many, hope is found through faith. Because so many faith walks are different, the “letters” I have to share with you today span a great many orders of faith. The artistic part is that these faiths are being represented by fragments of their respective illuminated manuscripts. An illuminated manuscript is a body of text supplemented by decoration. This might include borders, illustrations, or ornamental characters. They are truly some of the most exceptional “letters,” at least visually, that I have ever seen.
Fragment of a Kufic Qur’an. 9th–10th century (ʿAbbasid). Bloomington, Indiana University Lilly Library. Source.
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara Dispensing Boons: Folio from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Manuscript. Early 12th century. New York, Met Museum. Source.
Devananda's Fourteen Auspicious Dreams Foretelling the Birth of Mahavira: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript. ca. 1465. New York: Met Museum. Source.
The organization More Love Letters takes the cause of writing love letters very seriously. They encourage strangers to write positive, uplifting literal letters then hide them for another stranger to find. The letter contains the address for the MLL website so that recipients can share their story, a picture of their note, and their thoughts about receiving such a note online. All letters are anonymous. It is a really fun, creative, selfless way to make someone’s day.
Consider writing a love letter today. It doesn’t have to be a squishy, romantic letter - But a word of encouragement, gratitude, or hope. It can be to someone you know or someone you don’t. I encourage you to write by HAND and not by type. I encourage you to seal it up in a real envelope and mail, deliver, or hide it for your recipient to find. Make someone’s day today! You may find that the act of giving makes you day too.
“A real love letter is made of insight, understanding, and compassion. Otherwise it's not a love letter. A true love letter can produce a transformation in the other person, and therefore in the world. But before it produces a transformation in the other person, it has to produce a transformation within us. Some letters may take the whole of our lifetime to write.”
No comments:
Post a Comment