Other than visiting some temple far removed from "civilization" or the bedside of a few of the praying faithful, what good reason would any loving God have for visiting a place like Earth? And, what should religious adherents expect from such a God, when we consider that humanity has not evolved too much from the barbarians and nomads of 5,000 years ago? We still rob, rape, and kill one another. And, many of those who don't engage in that kind of behavior bury their heads in the sand in seeming acceptance of others' right to rob, rape and kill.
What's worse - that the woman in this story was an accused witch (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/kepari-leniata-young-mother-burned-alive-mob-sorcery-papua-new-guinea_n_2638431.html) or that people stripped her naked, burned her with a hot iron, and set her on fire while still alive? Then, the crowd chased off police and firemen who tried to restore order. Such bizarre behavior brings to mind the lynchings that occurred in America for most of the 20th century. Anger and fear mingled with darkness drove mobs to do the unthinkable.
The irony of most vigilante justice is that the heart(s) of the executioners are often made darker in quenching their demand and thirst for blood. To sense the horror of another human being's suffering and not feel a thing is a sign of de-evolution into something sub-human and beast-like. Thing is - because we use fancy words, have fancy places of worship, and fancier titles to justify our entitlement to the status of being an 'evolved class of beings', we don't realize that our actions dictate something else altogether - a descent into madness.
It would be one thing if the nastiness were limited to warring tribes of men, but the way women are treated in our world is utterly deplorable and completely outrageous. By any reasonable standard of morality and decency, one could conclude that 'modern man' is part of a fallen race. Fancy-it-up all you like, you'd simply be re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
As a collective, are we willing to do what's necessary to pull out of this kamikaze dive into the abyss? Probably not! Evolution demands responsibility, accountability, and work. We have to be responsible for all that we add to hunanity's on-going march into the shadows our greatest glory. Each of us must feel a sense of accountability for our role in whe way the world is today. And, every human must be willing to do the hard work of bringing humanity into a glorious future.
Sadly, most cannot differentiate light from darkness. Therefore, they don't know when they are moving in the direction of the light. Revenge, violence, destruction, and the casting of blame can often appear to be the englightened choice. They offer a brief, seeming clarity to the darkness of confusion. "I know. I will get rid of the perceived problem." But, what if the problem is not an external one? What then? What if the problem exists in each and every one of us? What if that problem is the seed of darkness that lies in almost every human soul on our planet? It is a seed that germinates and grows in darkness. And, in our world, there is plenty of it.
It may sound trite, but this is the reason we have to turn on our heart-light. Some of its many colors are love, compassion, forgiveness, charity, kindness, sharing and gentleness. These are the solutions to a violent and cruel humanity, a race that has a history of marching headlong toward the brink of destruction. Can it be averted? History records a resounding "No!" So, it doesn't matter if I believe in you or our ability to overcome. What matters is that each of us take the charge - to be, do, and demand better. It's the only solution and the only way.
Copyright. James Power. 2013 (Please feel free to share!)
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