God teaches us to be loving and forgiving. God teaches us to be selfless, humble, and sincere. God teaches us to "treat others as we wish to be treated."
But anyone who lives in the real world knows that there are times when sweet-talk just doesn't work. When being the "nice guy" doesn't help anyone. Keeping an open, loving heart doesn't stop us from being trampled by those who are selfish, mean or spiteful. In fact, being a loving child of God is often cause for more pain from shallow insensitivity, more suffering than immediate reward.
Many people who do God's work have very sensitive hearts. They are sensitive to the suffering of others, which is what compels them to act. They are sensitive to the repercussions of harsh words, because often they feel the harshness of others far too keenly. However, something that God has taught me over time is that love does not always mean acquiescing to others. Love does not always mean being the first to cave in a situation. Love does not always mean being a peacemaker.
Let's not forget Christ's words: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Christ came to teach us not only how to resist evil, but how to conquer it. When I first became a believer, I was very worried about what others thought of me. I was worried about offending people, because in my young mind, offending people was the same as hurting people, and hurting people was against God. But now as I grow older, I can see that sometimes you need to offend people. Sometimes, in order to get people to listen, you have to step on a few toes... or kick a few shins... or full-body tackle someone to the ground.
This is where love comes in. Love is not only meant to be an open door into your heart... it is also meant to be the armor that protects you. Let God's love be your armor. When you strike out to do God's work, don't let the rejection of other's hurt you or cause you any doubt. In fact, let the rejection of others bring you joy, because their rejection is a sure sign that you are being heard. The truth of your faith needs to be heard, especially by those who don't want to hear it.
The fear of hurting others can often stop us from doing God's work, when sometimes what someone really needs is a smack upside the head. It is good to avoid being needlessly callous and belligerent... but if you're feeling like the odd-man out, like the crowd has turned against you, like you have an endless amount of adversity with your peers, stand tall and speak louder. If there are people around you who are being needlessly mean and judgmental, who are straying down the wrong path, who are making selfish mistakes in their lives and disregarding your shining example of truth and faith, don't be afraid to shake them up a little. Bringing people back to the right path is not hurting them. Also, denying things to people and breaking promises is a-okay as long as you are doing it to protect them. If you have to make someone shed a few tears in order to straighten out their lives, then do it. More often than not, people will leave fuming, then come back later with an apologetic insight.
Don't strike out at people because you are personally insulted... strike out at people who you see hurting themselves and others. Be a strong voice and a strong role-model. Don't take sh*t from people who claim to care about you but their actions speak differently. God doesn't want you to abuse yourself. God wants your faith to be as straight and true as a sword, so we can pierce through evil and open the hearts of our fellow man.
How open is your heart?
How strong is your armor?
Now strike out boldly, and don't be afraid of adversity -- speak loudly and with truth, and see what God's Word can do.
This is from the Dhammapada of Buddha. Don't take it out of context of other teachings of Buddha which talking about doing for others and not self. This has a different meaning, I think:
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Evil is done by oneself
by oneself is one defiled.
Evil is left undone by oneself
by oneself is one cleansed.
Purity & impurity are one's own doing.
No one purifies another.
No other purifies one.
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Don't sacrifice your own welfare
for that of another,
no matter how great.
Realizing your own true welfare,
be intent on just that.
And from 'Abdu'l-Bahá:
"O ye beloved of the Lord! The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul. Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all humankind—except for those who have some selfish, private motive, or some disease of the soul. Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief, because, far from awakening them to the error of their ways, it maketh them to continue in their perversity as before. No matter how much kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie the more, for he believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him but too well, and only remain silent out of your extreme compassion.
Briefly, it is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. For in all physical respects, and where the animal spirit is concerned, the selfsame feelings are shared by animal and man. Man hath not grasped this truth, however, and he believeth that physical sensations are confined to human beings, wherefore is he unjust to the animals, and cruel.
And yet in truth, what difference is there when it cometh to physical sensations? The feelings are one and the same, whether ye inflict pain on man or on beast. There is no difference here whatever. And indeed ye do worse to harm an animal, for man hath a language, he can lodge a complaint, he can cry out and moan; if injured he can have recourse to the authorities and these will protect him from his aggressor. But the hapless beast is mute, able neither to express its hurt nor take its case to the authorities. If a man inflict a thousand ills upon a beast, it can neither ward him off with speech nor hale him into court. Therefore is it essential that ye show forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and that ye be even kinder to him than to your fellow man.
Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals. If an animal be sick, let the children try to heal it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let them quench its thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests.
Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent. Surely those without sin should receive the most kindness and love—all except animals which are harmful, such as bloodthirsty wolves, such as poisonous snakes, and similar pernicious creatures, the reason being that kindness to these is an injustice to human beings and to other animals as well. If, for example, ye be tender-hearted toward a wolf, this is but tyranny to a sheep, for a wolf will destroy a whole flock of sheep. A rabid dog, if given the chance, can kill a thousand animals and men. Therefore, compassion shown to wild and ravening beasts is cruelty to the peaceful ones—and so the harmful must be dealt with. But to blessed animals the utmost kindness must be shown, the more the better. Tenderness and loving-kindness are basic principles of God’s heavenly Kingdom. Ye should most carefully bear this matter in mind."
"The fear of hurting others can often stop us from doing God's work, when sometimes what someone really needs is a smack upside the head. It is good to avoid being needlessly callous and belligerent... but if you're feeling like the odd-man out, like the crowd has turned against you, like you have an endless amount of adversity with your peers, stand tall and speak louder."
ReplyDeleteThis whole post comes with exactly the right message, at exactly the right time, for me. I have gone about speaking my truth in a convenient way, not making too much waves, like a whisper, for the fear of how others might react: what if they think I'm crazy, what if I'm not up to the task of convincing people, etc. Backing down too easily, conceding more ground than I really need to. Apologizing for my opinions. And now I find myself getting really angry when a few people express their disagreement with what I'm saying, calling my sources "bulls***" and so on. I even got angry with my best friend for taking a spiritual perspective on what was in my mind an earthly issue. That anger was a big red flag. Now I'm working on accepting my anger, understanding, forgiving. I don't see any other way out of this hole. Anyway, your post is a great encouragement for me to soldier on and stand taller, once I work through the ego-hurt that's hindering me at the moment. Thank you!
"Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief, because, far from awakening them to the error of their ways, it maketh them to continue in their perversity as before. No matter how much kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie the more, for he believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him but too well, and only remain silent out of your extreme compassion."
ReplyDeleteHi Billy!
Yes, both of the quotes you posted above are what I am getting at. I think people who try to do God's work are usually motivated out of compassion and love -- and it's easy to be hurt or offended when we are trying to be the shepherd, to lovingly tend the flock. But we must press on. I know exactly what you mean when you say "apologizing for your opinion." I've given up on that. The majority of people are mediocre, ignorant, and most of them certainly don't understand God. Doesn't mean I love them any less... but I'm certainly not putting any authority in their hands over my own faith.
Anger is the natural response. I get frustrated too, with atheists for sure, but especially with my fellow believers who come off as lukewarm and uncertain. If you're going to have faith in something, Have Faith!
When it comes to speaking to others about faith, I have found that it's almost impossible to change a person's mind by logical arguments. Logic is an easy place for the ego to grab hold, especially when that logic is founded in the experience of physical, sensory-based reality. Logic is just another function of the body, the animal. I try to engage people on their own territory, especially through my actions and testimony to answered prayers, and I have seen slow, small incremental changes in those around me... but I have yet to make one person drop their bags and run headlong into God. I think, actually, that that is for Him to do... we are simply the walls that guide them to the finish line, so to speak... God is the one to light the fire under their ass*s....
I also don't necessarily try to change a person's faith... I only try to strengthen it... and where I see no faith, I try to plant a seed....
I know what you mean about logic,and that the heart is the place of revelation, but I've seen several people become Baha'is who are still Baha'is and strong who needed the logic and reasoning that was missing in their religious experience. Such as their religion telling them that only those who have been baptised and believe in Jesus Christ are going to be saved.
ReplyDeleteWhen their mind and heart were quickened they became believers. I had a young man come to a teaching table I was at who became a believer the next day. He said nothing had made sense to him before hearing of the Baha'i Faith, that it made sense to his mind and heart. He is still an active Baha'i, teaching the faith.
I believe God created our minds to be used, of course, in conjunction with our hearts.
And God would not give us unreasonable things to believe.
But once you've seen the sun you don't need proofs and arguments to know it exists.
Love and Peace,
Billy
I agree Billy, great words! :)
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