Balancing Radical Love and Boundaries
A New Thought Perspective on Justice and Liberation (Part 1)
For many years, before I was a minister, a teacher, or even deeply aware of my spiritual path, I was a ski instructor. The mountains were my sanctuary, the crisp air my meditation, and the balance required to glide down the slopes a metaphor that would later shape my understanding of life itself. Skiing, at its core, is about fluidity, strength, and knowing when to go with gravity, and when to hold back. Too much force in the wrong direction, and you lose control. Too little, and you falter. In skiing, as in life, radical love requires a balance of surrender and discipline, openness and boundaries.
As I deepened my journey in New Thought, I came to understand that Love is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling—it is the highest law of existence. It is the force that holds everything together, the divine intelligence that moves through all things. But much like in
skiing, where control and letting go must coexist, I have come to see that living from a place of radical love is not about being passive or accepting everything without question. Instead, it is about standing firmly in Truth while embodying the wisdom that Love demands of us.
Love as the Foundation, Not an Excuse
One of the first things you learn as a skier is that hesitation is dangerous. If you don’t commit to your turns, if you don’t trust the rhythm of the mountain, you set yourself up for failure. Love, too, requires commitment—it is not simply a passive state but an active engagement with the world. Ernest Holmes, in The Science of Mind, reminds us:
“Love rules through Law. Love is the Divine Givingness, and Law is the Way. Love is spontaneous, but Law is impersonal.”
Love, like skiing, must work in accordance with its principles. It does not mean allowing anything and everything in the name of peace. It does not mean standing by while injustice, harm, or dysfunction continue. I have seen in my own life, in friendships, relationships, and spiritual communities, what happens when love is used as an excuse to avoid hard conversations or necessary boundaries. Just as a skier must know when to adjust their stance to meet the terrain, we too must recognize that love without boundaries ceases to be love—it becomes enabling.
Howard Thurman, a mystic and theologian whose work deeply influenced New Thought, stated:
“Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you.”
Silence in the face of harm is not love; it is complicity. Just as a skier must sometimes make the split-second decision to take a more challenging route to avoid danger, we must discern when love requires us to take a stand.
Boundaries as Sacred Responsibility
On the slopes, there are times when you must say no—to an unsafe trail, to an overconfident student who wants to push beyond their skill level, to conditions that could put you at risk. These decisions are not made out of fear but out of wisdom. Similarly, in life, boundaries are an expression of self-love, an act of love for the world.
When I first entered ministry, I struggled with this. I wanted to be available to everyone at all times, to be a source of endless compassion and patience. But what I discovered is that without boundaries, I was not actually serving love—I was depleting myself and allowing dysfunction to persist.
As metaphysical beings, we recognize that what we allow in our consciousness shapes our reality. Setting boundaries is a declaration of self-respect, of knowing one’s worth and refusing to participate in dynamics that are out of integrity with our highest spiritual vision. Just as I have had to pull struggling skiers back from the edge of danger, I have also had to lovingly but firmly remove myself from spaces and relationships that were not aligned with my calling.
Taking a Stand as an Expression of Oneness
Many misinterpret Oneness to mean that we should never resist or oppose anything. However, Oneness does not mean we ignore injustice—it means we recognize that when we stand for justice, equity, and truth, we do so for the collective, not just for the individual.
Rev. Dr. David Alexander, a contemporary New Thought leader, speaks often about the intersection of New Thought and liberation theology. He teaches that Love must be embodied in our activism, stating:
“Love is the foundation, but love without justice is sentimentality. If we are to truly practice Oneness, then we must acknowledge that any system that oppresses, marginalizes, or denies the inherent worth of others is out of alignment with Truth.”
Martin Luther King Jr., deeply influenced by New Thought principles, declared:
“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
Taking a stand does not mean we are separate from those we challenge; rather, it means we love enough to call for transformation. We love enough to speak truth. We love enough to say, “No more.”
When I was a ski instructor, there were times when I had to push my students beyond their comfort zones—when I had to say, “No, you can’t stay on the easy trails forever. It’s time to grow.” That, too, was love. It was not always easy, but it was necessary.
In Part 2, we will explore the art of spiritual discernment, the role of meditative inquiry, and how we can embody love and justice in our everyday lives without losing our spiritual center. Just as in skiing, where each turn requires awareness, skill, and trust, so too must we navigate the slopes of our spiritual and social lives with intention.
Until then, I invite you to reflect on this:
“How can I stand in love so fully that my boundaries and my activism become a living demonstration of the Divine?”
May we all have the courage to love fiercely, set boundaries wisely, and stand boldly for Truth.