If you’ve read any of various Holy Books that we humans rely on for spiritual guidance – such as the Bible, the Torah or the Quran – you’ve likely read of the struggle between good and evil. It’s a common theme. And if you truly believe your sacred text, you should heed it’s advice – don’t give in to evil.
We’ve had a number of unfortunate events involving black people and white police officers. I don’t know much about the thought process involved or what went on inside the heads of the police officers who caused the death of these black folks, so I won’t judge them. I do, however, know that we have been warned to avoid the evil consequences of evil actions. The Bible tells us to turn the other cheek. The Quran tells us to repel evil with peace, and to turn from the haters and say “peace’. The Torah forbids revenge, instead instructing us to be patient and forgiving.
The reason for this advice is that our goal, as a group, is to constantly move closer to God. It’s hypocritical to envision a God who mercifully forgives us our trespasses but encourages us to mercilessly destroy our enemies. The goal is to live in the spirit of love. These evil actions are meant to keep us off track, leading us in the wrong direction. The evil one wins when we follow his lead.
Don’t allow hate and revenge to fill your heart. Instead, do that which God wants – move closer to Him in the spirit of peace and love. Understand that bad things sometimes happen just to tempt us to create more evil and negativity with our reactions. Don’t fall for it. Certainly it’s important that we take steps to stop and prevent evil. But that goal is never accomplished with more evil and negativity. Under circumstances such as these, it’s even more important that we are steadfast in our commitment to love and peace.
All problems can be solved. To know if your solution is in line with God’s plan, simply ask yourself if it comes from a place of love, or a place of hate. It is possible for good men and women to rationally design solutions in a spirit of love, just as it is possible to react irrationally in a spirit of hate and revenge. Don’t allow evil to win. Choose love.