I was about to speak to a sizable group that were grieving the passage of loved ones. I sat alone, taking in the presence of the moment, waiting for attendees to arrive. The souls of their deceased loved ones surrounded me and pressed lovingly upon me.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked. 

“Tell them we are One,” they responded in unison.

I felt their message. We’re not us or them, divided by the superficial differences we see. In a deeper more comprehensive way, we are One.

We often think our differences entitle us to or deprive us of divine favor, but we don’t earn divine love or receive it because of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, or behavior. Choices have consequences, but they don’t change unconditional divine love, and they don’t change our infinite worth.

The moment we believe divine love flows more freely to those who eat chocolate chip cookies is the moment we believe it flows less to those who abstain. And, if we believe Heaven loves them less, we feel justified in doing the same. Then we become us and them, the antithesis of Oneness.

The people arrived and filled the room. They varied in many ways, but I saw their Oneness. I delivered the message from their unseen loved ones. Together, we took a small step toward being One.