A weekend retreat and workshop

When I’ve asked “but how do I love my neighbors—my enemies—as myself?” I’ve been told it’s not really possible; Jesus didn’t really mean that… I wasn’t convinced.

You have probably heard by now that the Radical Love Project isn’t just about service. At the core, it’s about following love wherever it leads us. It’s about holding on for life, even when it’s whipping us around corners or dangling us above deep canyons. It’s about searching, relentlessly examining, to discover how love is possible in every moment, and to find out what it will take, what needs to change inside me for me to be able to choose love. It’s a spiritual practice based on our understanding of the gospel taught by Jesus Christ, and informed by Zen Buddhism and other spiritual discoveries.

We are in the beginning stages of planning a contemplative workshop retreat for September 17-19, 2010. We’ve found a beautiful lodge and nature center in Southern Ohio with room for a dozen participants, and it’s less than two hours’ drive from either Columbus or Cincinnati. Tentatively, we’re calling it “Discovering Love in Your Neighbor and Yourself.”

Talking about it, Tracy and I realized that it’s important to us that this experience be available to all, so we’ve decided to offer the retreat at no charge. We trust that we’ll raise enough money to pay for the space and the food, but there will be room at the table for all comers. (Up to 12, that is.)

Here’s the “paper napkin” description that we’ve come up with, so far, after some dinner discussions and long walks.

Discovering Love in Your Neighbor and Yourself

Is it really possible to love your neighbor as yourself? For that matter, what does it mean to love yourself? What does it mean, “the kingdom of God is within you”?

Using a mixture of meditation, communion, and some short teachings sprinkled in, we’ll explore and experience breathing, listening to ourselves and each other, and finding connections. It’s a weekend to take care of yourself and to be taken care of. To nourish yourself with grace & peace, making space for you to discover a love that’s as powerful as you’ve always dreamed love could be.

Ack! Does that sound like hype? It’s hard to know how talk about something I treasure as much as this, without sounding like I’m making it up.

As it comes together, we’ll create a website with details, our bios and experience, information about the practice of Compassionate Attention, and a page about what it means to offer the retreat at no cost, knowing that our needs will be met by donations freely given. Oh, and a donate button. Definitely. Heh.