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By Carroy (Cuf) Ferguson, Ph.D. Blog 12/29/2020

 

During the holiday season, we all have a deep yearning to be with family and loved ones. In my view, that yearning is the eternal call of the soul toward Unity, fueled and energized by Love.  In that light, Love sees no barriers while Fear does. The expression of Love, however, can take many “forms” and can be expressed and received in infinite ways. We simply need to be “open” to giving and receiving Love in all its infinite “forms” and “expressions.”

It is in the above context, then, that the Truth behind Love is that it operates by “free will”.  It can only be given by the giver.  And, yet, because of ego-based fears, we may miss or distort the Spirit and Essence of Love.  The secret of the wonderful gift of Love, therefore, is to be “open” to the infinite ways that a giver seeks to express it in their own ways and in the best ways that they know how.

The yearning to be with family and loved ones is the soul’s reminder message that we can and have the ability to give and receive Love unconditionally.  And, it is important not to take Love’s infinite “forms” and “expressions” for granted.

What does all of the above mean in the context of COVID?  It means that we must be “open” to Love being expressed in other unique and varied ways that do not involve putting our family and loved ones in jeopardy.  While some have chosen to ignore COVID’s primary message to humanity to figure out once and for all its primary challenge as an interdependent species, in the Spirit of Love I simply want to remind us of that primary challenge.

The primary human challenge is a dynamic tension, flowing from our creative urge for the freedom “to be” who we really are in our current physical form, and simultaneously to embrace our responsibility for our Being-ness. Freedom and responsibility are flip sides of the same coin.  However, when we embrace our responsibility as a Creator or Co-Creator with free will, there is no one to blame. I wrote a brief article about this some years ago (https://www.academia.edu/7522395/A_Primary_Human_Challenge ).

So, with COVID as a reminder, there are free and responsible ways to “be” with family and loved ones that do not invite jeopardy to them or others–zoom, text, FaceTime, call and creatively celebrate with one another using other means to responsibly “be” with family and loved ones.

So, the most Loving thing we can do with and for our family and loved ones, given the context of COVID, is to use our free will individually and collectively to unconditionally give the gift of “being responsible,” not only during the holiday season but throughout the pandemic.  We can do this by observing all the health-promoting advice given to us by our healthcare professionals–that is, continue to practice social distancing, wear masks, wash hands, and only travel if necessary for essentials.

Let us be free, responsible, and Loving during this holiday season and beyond!

— Dr. Carroy (Cuf) Ferguson, Ph.D.

Carroy (Cuf) Ferguson, Ph.D.
Carroy (Cuf) Ferguson, Ph.D. / About Author
Carroy Ferguson is a tenured full faculty member who has been teaching at UMass Boston since 1979. A practicing clinical psychologist, he co-founded two organizations, Interculture, Inc. and Associates in Human Understanding. He incorporates his experience in clinical psychology and counseling into his instructional activities by aiming to assist students in better understanding themselves as learners by examining their own personal circumstances, particular situations, and socio-cultural influences. Professor Ferguson has consulted for General Learning Corporation; A. L. Nellum & Associates; Charles Hamilton & Associates; and has led workshops on topics involving the evolution of consciousness, personal growth, social change, social justice, organizational development, human relations, race relations, and multi-cultural dynamics. He has served on a number of boards (e.g., Association for Humanistic Psychology; The Dimock Center; The Institute for Humanistic Psychology; and others).

In 2006, he was the first African American elected president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP), an international association to give voice to "ordinary people with an extraordinary vision for a more conscious and humane global society." He served for an unprecedented five terms as president of AHP and since 2006 has continued as either either president or co-president. Professor Ferguson also serves as associate editor of The Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
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