Loving Ourselves and Others Part 1

September 15, 2026

Welcome to this week’s Daily Reflections on the subject of Loving Ourselves and Others.

Today I was aware that a stranger felt uncomfortable in my presence. He had arrived at our house to do an estimate for some repair work. His youth and demeanor let me know that he was not experienced in meeting people and quoting estimates for his work. In fact, he had just begun his own business. Oh, how I identified with this young man. I recall vividly my first days and weeks in my work when I was “wet behind the ears” so to speak, and everyone I met could probably sense it.

Today, this nice young man, a carpenter, needed to know he was safe with me, just like the people who brought me along, who helped make me feel safe with them. But it is more than safety that we need. We need to know that we are honored—that our divine nature is recognized even by a stranger and that we are seen and loved as such. I am not speaking of being honored as in receiving an award or commendation but being honored as a divinely created being. And I am not referring to romantic love, but the love and compassion God gives us to share with other creatures on this earth.

This encounter gave me pause to reflect on practices that help bring God’s love into every relationship. Spiritual practices help us love not only the people in our daily lives, but also those we do not know—the strangers who cross our paths, sometimes for only a few moments.

One such practice is to become aware of God’s presence even in our briefest encounters. When we remember that God is already present between us, the encounter is no longer merely between two people, and its brevity is not a limiting factor. In such encounters there are three presences: the other person, us, and God. In this awareness, there is spaciousness, and love lands right in the middle of the circumstance. The awareness of these three energies can make all the difference. We know in our being that the reason for our meeting is secondary to the real reason— to God’s reason. In fact, we may not know the divine reason until each present moment reveals it.

So, what could be some steps to take in loving a stranger in any given situation? We can begin by silently picturing God in our midst and offering a simple breath prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. We breathe in with the word Come and breathe out with the words Holy Spirit. Gradually, the prayer becomes one with our breathing. Without saying anything aloud, we invite the Spirit to shape our presence, our perceptions, and our response.

In our spiritual breathing, invisible walls between us may drop away, we know that we are a brother or sister to the other person, and we experience our common divine nature. We do this from a posture of humility. In Buddhist practice, a bow from the waist can express reverence for another. But there are many ways to bow without physically bending. We bow when we pause instead of hurry past someone. We bow when our face is receptive, our tone is calm, and our eyes are soft. We bow when we listen without preparing our answer and offer another person our undivided attention. We bow when our eyes say,” I understand.” In this way, love can transform an otherwise ordinary encounter into a holy one—right here, right now.

The other person may never consciously realize that we are looking beyond appearances and acknowledging the sacred mystery of who they are. They may not consciously know that we are attempting to see their soul—their essential is-ness—and to witness the divine nature within them. But even if they sense the love on an unconscious level, something good happens. Or they may very well sense it consciously and even participate in it. Just think of the times when it was we who were unaware that another person was affirming the divine in us.

Either way, something has changed— the goodness of the moment emerges. The encounter may carry less of the usual tension, self-preoccupation, judgment, and defensiveness that so often enter human relationships. For one brief moment, both people have the opportunity to sense the presence of something higher. At its deepest, the encounter may be a conscious participation in the divine nature from which love arises.

This does not mean that every stranger will respond warmly. We cannot determine how another person will receive us. Our practice is not a way to control the encounter; it is a way to surrender our presence to God. We do not know what will happen, but we can become conduits through which God’s love enters the world. We soften. We become receptive. We relinquish any need to direct the moment and allow God to reveal what love requires of us now. Even if it only ourselves who become more aware, something good has happened.

Perhaps the stranger before us needs a smile. Perhaps they need patience, respect, encouragement, or simply to be seen and heard. We may never know what our presence means to them. But we can trust that no sincere offering of love is ever entirely lost. We simply relax into the story God is unfolding before our eyes, remembering that even the briefest human encounter can become sacred ground.

The young man who came today responded to my “bows” to him, just as I responded when people honored me and had faith in me. I noticed that during his stay, this young man became more and more comfortable. I became aware of his bows toward me, and something good happened. By the way… he also got the job!

Spiritual Practice

Today, make a conscious effort to invite God’s presence into your encounters with people you do not know—with strangers and with those who may live on the periphery of your life but are nevertheless affected by your presence. Offer the breath prayer, soften your eyes, quiet your judgments, and inwardly bow to the sacredness within them. At the end of the day, journal about what you noticed, both in the other person and within yourself.

Inquiry

When someone truly sees, honors, and humbly acknowledges you, what happens inside you?

Prayer

Dear God, grant me the love and awareness to welcome Your Holy Spirit into every encounter, however brief or fleeting it may be. Help me to recognize Your divine image in every person, the sacredness in every creature, and to become a willing conduit of Your love.

Amen