Wednesday, March 1, 2017

LOVE DOESN'T ALWAYS WIN

SO LOVE  ALWAYS WIN?

       Sorry, friends. I just don't buy it. I know that 'God' is Love. I believe the concept of God being 'forever' and hence, 'Love' must be forever and therefore. But does that men love must win in the end, if we just wait long enough? Using the same argument, death always wins, because we all die in the end. So nothing we do in live makes any difference.
       I'm having a running conversation on Facebook regarding this, a no-win situation, but one where both of us really have a great deal of hope and faith. We're coming from two very different positions. She believes in the absolute power of LOVE, of God being both eternal and all-powerful, and therefore, where all we have to do is have faith and believe, because in the end, LOVE will prevail.
     I hope she's right. She's spending her time and life doing nothing but just living and enjoying her situation (a rather good one). I envy her in many ways. What a comfortable and worry-free existence. To her, everything in the world, her country, her city and neighbourhood is unfolding as it is preordained to do. It is all beyond her influence. Even more: if she interferes, she is disrupting God's plan, hindering the Way of Love that will all become plain to us, in the end.
    What does she think of the innumerable examples of hatred throughout the eons? She doesn't thing,  really, saying only that "They all ended, didn't they?", thus proving, in her mind, that evil doesn't last and that love always wins.
    As I see it, and I have to think that God's Creation gave me a brain with which to think, that the power of hatred is getting even stronger with time. Ten-thousand years ago hatred might have killed a dozen or so persons, or at the most, a neighbouring tribe of a few dozen. Then we became 'civilized' and hatred could kill many thousands. In the 1940's hatred killed fifty million. Now, one person has 'the button' and can kill the world. How can anybody really believe that the power of hatred/evil is not growing? As our technology has grown, the power of one hate-filled person has grown exponentially. I know without a doubt, that if I wanted to, it would be so very easy to kill many hundreds of people. I only have to look on the  Internet to find many ways.
    But yet, I believe in LOVE and the God of love. I also know that true LOVE has no CONTROL, as all parents eventually discover. By the time their children reach the age of  sixteen (give or take), a loving parent has long given up any idea of control. All they have left is LOVE. The child has by then the choice to accept that love or not, to live in ways of love or to chose others for themselves.
    In this age, I know that love CAN win. The facts, however, tell us that only where many join together in LOVE, do they have a chance at combating hatred. Our books are filled with quotations of people from the past and present who exhort us with warnings of 'good people' doing nothing, of how good wishes, thoughts and prayers allow evil to grow, flourish and spawn. Churches and many 'feel-good' organizations abound, patting themselves on the back in the firm knowledge that because they are loving and helping people, all is well in the world and God is in His place. And hatred grows. If there is a Devil, he must be ecstatic with this self deception and ignorance.
     I am as appalled as any with the rise of Trump and his kind but I am so pleased with the thousands of 'nice' people who are being prodded into action. Hatred can be defeated, time and time again, but only by much, much work and love. Hatred is alive and well all around us, and even within us. This is reality. This is who and what we are. Only if "two or more of us are gathered" in love, can we grow and work for life and against the force of hatred and death. Please, people of good will, however you name yourselves, do not stay alone. If you remain so, you are wasting your lives, allowing hatred to grow in this time of change and crisis. Now is the time to grow yourselves, to reach out and find your life, no matter your age or background.
     Churches, before you die out completely, re-discover your roots of loving action. Lay aside your mere 'beliefs' and need to control. Learn to live in love, to share. We all need your ancient heritage that rebelled against hatred so long ago.
     Yes, dear friend, LOVE can win. Just don't count on it. Count only on people who will empower LOVE. There is always a chance and a hope. I'm trying.
     Continuing to live in hope,
     Anthony





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