Cetera is an avid reader and friend of the Tree House, and an occasional commenter.  He currently resides in Wyoming, having given up on Colorado after 10 years and deciding to move his family to a more politically friendly state.  What follows is his effort at communicating Truths inspired by his Christian faith and the Spirit. The first two posts are linked at the bottom, this being the third in a series of five.

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We are all here to support each other, to keep a watchful eye on each other and our Republic, and to fight the good fight when and where it is needed.  Each of us shoulders responsibility we assign only to ourselves, that we pick up voluntarily, and in each of our own ways we promote Truth and Justice.  In short, we are here to keep the faith, because at some level each of us feels that faith under assault or under siege.
For a great many of us, we may never have put into words or closely examined the fundamental principles and truths that we feel inside of us, and what they mean.  I would like to have a discussion on these First Principles over this and several future posts.

Charity touches on a great many pieces of ourselves that we are striving to perfect.  Firstly, charity is an act or action.  We have to choose it and physically carry it out, making it at the very least an act of will.
Secondly, when we are charitable, we are helping others and making a difference in their lives.  We are spreading hope and encouragement in some reflection of the way we receive hope from God.  We are acting as a light in this world, and reflecting God’s light to others.
Thirdly, charity forces us to see “the other” in another person and recognize that this other person has worth.  Without their worth, there would be no reason for the charity.  In seeing that this other person has worth, especially when we have a tendency to look down on those who need charity, we gain a glimpse into our own worth.  We see the spark of the Eternal in them, and we recognize the importance and value that life has.  If someone can see another soul, a child of God, who is loved beyond comprehension, and yet is embodied in a dirty, smelly, unwashed, unkempt, uncouth, and unhealthy homeless person, whether or not that person may have made seriously bad decisions in life to end up there, or whether or not that individual may be limited due to intellectual handicaps, then you begin to get a glimpse of what Divine Love really is.
When we see each other as fellow participants, learning and striving to love, and we help each other along that path by sharing both what we have and what we have learned, we become an instrument of God’s love, and in turn we love each other and Him with an act of will.
An act of charity changes both parties, but it has a much more profound impact on the giver.  Charity can literally be a life-saving event on the part of the one receiving the charity, but it need not be.  It always affirms, for both parties, that someone cares enough about the receiver to give, to help, to be there.  It isn’t always received well, and it can be difficult and painful for both parties.  However, it is the selfless act of will that is performed by the giver that changes the spirit of the giver.  It is an act of love every time, and it always results in spiritual growth and bringing the giver closer to God and his desire and plan for each of us.

In my mind, one of the next biggest things in learning to love others is forgiveness.  Forgiveness is another pure Act of the Will.  We do hurt each other, intentionally and unintentionally.  We allow a lot of things to get in our way, preventing us from loving each other as we should.  We build barriers to love and prevent deeper, more meaningful contact between our families, friends, and neighbors.
Forgiving each other clears away these barriers that prevent us from loving each other with an act of the will.  The barriers are internal to each of us, built there by each of us, and affect only ourselves.  The barriers may have been a reaction to actions or words by another, but these barriers affect only ourselves and our ability to love God and others fully.
Truly forgiving someone can be hard.  It certainly does nothing to alter things physically between parties, and yet it is often one of the hardest things to do.  It opens us up and makes us vulnerable towards the other, and it may result in hurt again.  But once forgiveness has happened, a remarkable change comes about.  I feel lighter and happier when I’ve forgiven someone.  It clears the air, and provides for a fresh start.  It makes an emotional difference in my life, and definitely a spiritual difference.  It opens me up again to being able to love that person or party I have forgiven, and it is that love that seems to spring up and be the positive change in my life.
Forgiveness can certainly take time, and it is not about simply saying words.  It again is an act of will that fundamentally alters the person doing the forgiving.  We must learn to forgive those who have wronged us, as without that forgiveness we cannot truly love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.
In the next post, we’ll cover Leftism’s fundamental disorder, and Satan’s plan, and how all of what we are witnessing is specifically designed to limit acts of the will.
Previous posts in the series:
First Principles, Part I : Why are we here?  What is our Purpose?
First Principles, Part II :  Love and Acts of the Will