Blog #166--Forgiveness Isn't for the Faint of Heart

Our world has always been rife with problems, but it feels like there is more war, racism, hatred and generally more negativity than any time in my memory. If we look at the world through that lens, it can be extremely difficult to find the goodness and spiritual enlightenment needed to balance it.

The global “war on terror” is creating and perpetuating a massive blame game that appears never-ending. It seems like a continuation of the Crusades, with predominantly Christians and Jews fighting against Muslims. That isn’t entirely the case since some Muslims are fighting against other Muslims and some Christians and Jews are fighting against other members of their own religions. But each group is quick to blame the others for multiple atrocities and insults.

In America, some who call themselves Christians are going so far as to blame all Muslims, regardless of their affiliations and attitudes. They wish to kill, imprison or deport them all, even those who are upstanding American citizens. It is no surprise that some Muslims are quick to blame the United States and its allies for treating them like second class citizens and blaming them for atrocities they may or may not have committed. And since many Jews believe in “an eye for an eye,” revenge is possible against anyone regardless of race, religion or cultural heritage.

This same type of scenario is repeating itself at all levels of society. Republicans in the United States have been back-stabbing each other for many months now over who will be their nominee to run for president. They are mostly homogeneous in their attitudes and beliefs; they are all so much alike, they are repelling each other, like two magnets of like polarity. Their common cause is fighting against Democrats, but until they can find a candidate they can mostly accept, they are swamped by in-fighting and blaming.

One wonders what might happen at their convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21, 2016. All Republican candidates have supported the National Rifle Association, and many support open-carry laws. Yet the convention is prohibiting carrying guns during the festivities.

A brokered convention is possible. Given all the anger and hostility bubbling up from beneath the surface, might a scenario like this lead to fireworks, literally? If those who attend the convention could carry weapons, might some consider violence if they don’t get their way? If so, the cross fire might cost a number of lives. Hopefully calmer heads will prevail, but a lot of vitriol will need to be kept outside the proceedings for it to run smoothly.

There is an increasing undercurrent of anger among black people and other minorities over what they feel is racially motivated treatment toward them. Police in many parts of the country are equipped like armies and are emboldened by their improved status. Blacks are incarcerated disproportionately compared with others and are basically being used as slave labor for private companies in many cases. Simultaneously, some white people are now fearful they no longer have control over “their” country and are blaming blacks and immigrants for their loss of power. When the heat of summer cooks this vile broth, all hell could break loose.

Women athletes are suing their colleges in several parts of the country over what they consider mistreatment by their coaches and support staff. Some of these cases are likely justified, but some of the complaints seem petty and excessive to those who are familiar with how coaches commonly place emotional pressure on their players to perform at their highest level possible. Are these cases all legitimate, or are some women pampered sufficiently by doting parents that their sense of entitlement is excessive for the situation? Blame is being thrown back and forth, with no resolution in sight.

Social media has created its own world, and it is filled with all the blame one can imagine. Bullying via cell phone and computer is common, and some teenagers have committed suicide because of it. Some people are so self-absorbed, they post photos and videos of themselves and others just to brag about how stupid they can be or to see if they can make it “go viral” to get their 15 minutes of fame. Some even post proof of illegal behavior without realizing how incriminating it really is.

For instance, someone took a video of a man raping a friend. Instead of calling police or trying to stop the rape, she continued the video. One wonders what she was thinking. A baby dolphin was caught and brought in to shore just to get a “selfie,” a personal photo with the dolphin. A number of other people came along to see and touch the dolphin, which died during the process. A woman killed a swan while forcing it to share a selfie. It isn’t surprising some wish to assign blame for these immoral and/or illegal acts.

With so much blame to go around, who has time for forgiveness? It seems many of us are too busy playing the blame game to practice what we preach regarding our religious and spiritual beliefs. But in truth, this is a great time for spiritual growth. It’s easy to be saintly when everything is going well. It’s when we are confronted by negative energy and disastrous actions, both natural and man-made, that we are tested to see what we have learned about accepting others as they are and forgiving them for any harm they may have done.

It’s not enough to say we forgive someone. We must also feel it in our hearts and share it with all others through our actions. Only then can we free ourselves from the blame merry-go-round. We are all acting out parts in a play, and we change roles frequently. But in truth, we are eternal energy. Knowing that makes it easy to forgive because there’s nothing to forgive. Blaming others is blaming ourselves because we are all the same. That’s what our spiritual prophets have told us, and that is what some scientists and clergy have come to realize.

A little courage goes a long way. With it we can find the good in ourselves and others. Love will replace blame and fear. We can make lemonade out of lemons.

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