Keeping the Sacred Flame

So, it is good to be great-souled.  But how does one do that?

It’s hard work.  It’s a matter of choice, and a matter of effort.  Our souls grow by caring for those around us.  And that does not mean caring only for those we like.  It is easy to care for those we already love, for those we rely on, and for those that rely on us.  It is much harder to care for strangers, for people in power over you that use that power in ways you disagree with, and other such people.

When I say care, I don’t mean we have to approve of everything they do.  I care for people when I disagree with their choices.  But because I care, I cannot lie about how I feel about those choices.  I can refuse to answer – but when we truly care, we do not protect ourselves with lies.  We are lovingly honest – not honest to be cruel.  Cruelty shrinks the soul.  Caring honesty, honesty not for your own sake but truly for the sake of the person you’re speaking to, can make it grow.

And there are times when there is nothing we can do.  At those times, we should be quiet, and loving, and with the person that needs us.  We are all interconnected, and we grow and deepen when we love those around us honestly.

Questions:
How do you love honestly?  How do you care for those around you?
Why must you be honest if you care for the people around you?  How are you honest?
How do show your caring for people around you that are not your family or friends?  How do you care more generally?