"My Gun Knows How To 'Love Thy Neighbour'", says the American - and other ideas

Most religions, spiritualities, rationalists agree that "love is the answer". Sadly, today, hate is the answer for many. All the more reason we need love to counter this hate. Jesus even said we must die for others and love those we may even hate.

So what is this love? Whom is our neighbour?

All humans and non-humans are our neighbours. We are all connected and influence one another. For e.g., much of the pollution in China finds its way to California and even to Canada. Of course political/economic policies reach round the world. We are dependent on all of creation. We are part of 'it'. Any dichotomy has been discarded both by science, philosophy, religion and spirituality.

So how do we love?
Love is not merely emotion but act-i-on. Sure we may help  a person on an individual basis but what about a mass scale  Of course it means not to harm. But it must involve justice also. Some practical ways to love:

1. Make all equal - gender, economic, status. No hierarchy. Inequality continues poverty, repression, oppression... When 6 people have more wealth than almost 4000000000 people - there is a problem. When few women are in positions of power - we have a problem. When the rich and corporations don't pay tax and devour the earth - we have a problem. When power exists we have a problem. In Canada, $80000000000 is not paid in taxes, we have a problem! Tax havens amount to at least $24000000000000 for the rich and corporations! Jesus said the rich cannot enter the kingdom of God: just like a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle!
2. Pollution kills the poor and vulnerable: humans and nonhumans. Dumps are put in areas where poverty reigns. In the U.S. many of those residents can't even vote. Their polling stations also have been shut down. The rich go to their cottages in the summer. They can buy bottled water, for which corporations literally steal from poorer rural communities [one is very close to the author - and little or no taxes are paid on a LIMITED "resource"]. The poor live by highways and busy roads. The middle class and up drive to the suburbs - polluting but 'escaping' it. Noise pollution kills: increasing stress and leading to more cancer, heart attacks. 
3. Support local agriculture and organic growers especially. Pesticides, herbicides and the like cause cancer and kill humans and nonhumans. Buying local means less pollution from the transportation and usually local farmers use less toxins than far away ones. But this is relative. If your country has strict government regulations - then this applies. Strong citizen action and government action is needed. The "free" markets just supports whatever brings quick cash. The workers don't matter. Creation [and they are part of it] doesn't matter. The soil [i.e. the source of all life] doesn't mater... You get my point.
4. Grow your own food. You won't force somebody to be your wage slave labourer that way. Farm workers are often abused on many levels. "Even" in Canada, migrant farm workers suffer much. If you have land or even have a pot of soil, it all helps. And see the wonders of Creation! See here for inspiring pics and ideas!
5. Support unions and similar organizations. "Divide and conquer" is the goal of the capitalist/oppressor. Taking away power from the worker means people suffer. Without unions we can be treated unfairly, lose our jobs, get harassed, etc. Obey or be gone - or dead in many cases - either murdered or from starvation.
6. Consume less and buy locally. Workers in China, for example, have no rights. More goods does not mean more happiness. Look to share instead.
7. Welcome immigrants. We all are immigrants, including many indigenous peoples. Watch for a future post on this.
8. Share what you have. Churches, mosques, universities, businesses should fill their oft empty spaces with the homeless. How fair is it to leave a building empty much of the time? People with cottages use their second homes a few weeks of a year. Shame. Why is this accepted/legal? I better watch it I'm sounding like a communist. 
9. Make the climate emergency a priority in your life and country. The poor, Creation and others are suffering now. Scientists say we have 12 years max. to do something! That includes the above things. It requires a practicing of what you say. It means do what your religion, spirituality etc. say. Not driving, not flying, not supporting corporations that rape the earth ... opposing military budgets [almost $1000000000000 in U.S.] ... 
10. Have hope. As Cornell West says:

Hope and optimism are different. Optimism tends to be based on the notion that there's enough evidence out there to believe things are gonna be better, much more rational, deeply secular, whereas hope looks at the evidence and says, "It doesn't look good at all. Doesn't look good at all. Gonna go beyond the evidence to create new possibilities based on visions that become contagious to allow people to engage in heroic actions always against the odds, no guarantee whatsoever." That's hope. I'm a prisoner of hope, though. Gonna die a prisoner of hope.