We are each and everyone of us capable of ugly...that's why we "poor, pitiful few" depend on the Father within us/without us. God is greater than...than I am, than you are, than the country, the world, or the universe for that matter. That is why my inner goal is ever for still more spiritual growth. Without that, I am capable of anything my worst offender is capable of.
Eknath Easwaran's "Word to Live By" today has a profound quote by Thomas A Kempis: It is no little wisdom for a man to keep himself in silence and in good peace when evil words are spoken to him, and to turn his heart to God and not to be troubled with man's judgment.
There are people who are instigators...they are not bad people, it's just in their DNA. They stir the pot of the human condition and see what lands on whom...and who'll keep the pot hot.
When we get caught in that maelstrom, and we will if we are doing it right ("right" being free from fear of making a mistake), our best outcome, our only hope of spiritual growth, is to not pick up the challenge...i.e., to forego the righteous indignation of setting somebody straight. For the indignation will not be at the Instigator but at the target of the Instigator...that's the Instigator's reason for living.
To not pick up the challenge is our Achilles heel for the challenge is always to our ego. It is not the Instigator we pass on by, it is our ego. And my ego Lucy will have none of that without arm wrestling with God about it. How long the contest goes on is a measure of my spiritual growth. The measure being of my willingness to agree with my adversary quickly without selling my soul to keep my idea of peace. We must apply the Sermon as we have learned it or why learn it?
It feels like a fine line we're walking here, but that's exactly what we must walk in order to learn and to rely on: He performs that which is given us to do and the Father within, He does the works and all the many other promises.
The way to live the wisdom Thomas A Kempis spoke of is to keep in mind that nothing is personal to our self, that what we heard is not necessarily what was said...and rarely what was meant if our ear heard ugly, awful and mean. We can be certain sure there was hurt in there somewhere for hurt people hurt people.
If we are ever to live in peace within our own self, we learn to mentally hug 'em and kiss 'em and let 'em go. To do that, we must rely heart, soul, body and brains on God.
Thank you.
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