After another night of
restless worry over the state of our world, I opened my blinds and saw the
first lily of the year. It immediately reminded me of one of my favorite
verses: “Consider the lilies…” Luke 12:27.
There is so much ugliness prevalent
in our current society. Hate spewing in all the political posts and debates. I
take that back, they aren’t debates. They are spiteful arguments, saying
anything to hurt their opponents. Then come the threats of bodily harm. Those
who call themselves righteous want to burn dissenters at the stake, including
children, and they have no remorse! They
have absolutely no concern or empathy for anyone who does not embrace their
ideology to the fullest.
The Bible expressly states
you shall not wish harm on another person — ever. Period. “Whoever hates his
brother is a murderer.” 1 John 3:15, and “Whoever is angry with his brother
shall be in danger of the judgement.” Matthew 5:22. Jesus demonstrated anger
several times over injustices, like the money changers in the temple. The
difference, his anger did not stem from hatred.
Even so, I don’t have to
respond in kind. In fact, I don’t have to respond at all. It would be a waste
of time and effort, anyway. They have no desire to hear anything contrary to
their ideology. Jesus understood this, and often remained silent.
We see this not only in
his condemnation, but also in the martyrdom of St. Stephen in the Acts of the
Apostles. Those with guilty consciences couldn’t bear his godliness, so they
destroyed him.
Evil will always exist.
However, God gives us peace the world cannot touch. To achieve this peace we
must not allow the evil of this world to dominate our minds and hearts. St.
Stephen’s example is ours. While being stoned he held no anger, no animosity,
no hatred. His focus was solely on God.
That was my answer. Focus
on God rather than evil. That doesn’t mean ignore evil, or stand by and do
nothing should I have the opportunity to alleviate suffering, but it does mean
not to dwell on it. I may suffer from the evil acts of others, but with practice,
I can have the peace that St. Stephen lived. Our time of suffering here on this
earth is finite. Our joy in heaven will be eternal.
So, as the next wave of
insanity spreads, I need to step back a moment and remember that God will
eventually win this battle.
“In the world you will
have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33
Well said, Marie!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sheila.
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