My answer is that we can judge a person's actions, but not their hearts. To delve into psychology for a moment, rather than spirituality, it's people who are hurt who then hurt others. The deeper or more grievous the wound, the more dangerously hurtful they can become. When they cannot directly strike the person who hurt them, they will hurt the nearest person or damage property, etc. (Haven't we all done this? We couldn't yell at the person who hurt us, so we yelled at our spouse or child, friend or coworker?)
People's actions are right or wrong. When they hurt others or break
laws (and the basis of many laws is preventing hurt/protecting people
and property), their actions must be stopped and they must be held
accountable. But, we must also work to prevent or change those
conditions which caused them to be so wounded and lash out in the first
place.
I wish that I could wave a magic wand and transform every attitude, every action and every word that hurts people into one that helps them instead. Unfortunately, the best that I can do is to cultivate and have within myself the thoughts, words and actions of universal brotherhood: each person is my brother or sister in God's family. God's will is that I love each one of them and all of them, all the time. They were created to be a gift to me, and vice versa. Love (and mercy) doesn't mean that I let them get away with doing wrong or approve their actions, but it does mean that I try to understand the underlying cause of those actions.
When I have an opportunity to help someone, to listen to someone, to learn about someone, I try to do that right away and with love. And I pray, especially when I see so much pain being unleashed in the world. (Believe me, it breaks my heart.)
I pray for God's healing and mercy to change hardened hearts and minds, to heal wounded souls, to deliver us from the hatred (and the suffering) that is at the root of violence. I pray for peace in each mind and heart, and if there must be protests, for someone who will lead others in peaceful protests. In the past, we have had many leaders told us that violence and hatred are not the answers, but some people seem to have forgotten that.
On this Pentecost Sunday, let's pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit--the love between the Father and the Son--on everyone in the whole world. May God heal our deepest wounds and grant us peace.
I wish that I could wave a magic wand and transform every attitude, every action and every word that hurts people into one that helps them instead. Unfortunately, the best that I can do is to cultivate and have within myself the thoughts, words and actions of universal brotherhood: each person is my brother or sister in God's family. God's will is that I love each one of them and all of them, all the time. They were created to be a gift to me, and vice versa. Love (and mercy) doesn't mean that I let them get away with doing wrong or approve their actions, but it does mean that I try to understand the underlying cause of those actions.
When I have an opportunity to help someone, to listen to someone, to learn about someone, I try to do that right away and with love. And I pray, especially when I see so much pain being unleashed in the world. (Believe me, it breaks my heart.)
I pray for God's healing and mercy to change hardened hearts and minds, to heal wounded souls, to deliver us from the hatred (and the suffering) that is at the root of violence. I pray for peace in each mind and heart, and if there must be protests, for someone who will lead others in peaceful protests. In the past, we have had many leaders told us that violence and hatred are not the answers, but some people seem to have forgotten that.
On this Pentecost Sunday, let's pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit--the love between the Father and the Son--on everyone in the whole world. May God heal our deepest wounds and grant us peace.
