Not becoming the thing you hate…

Walter Wink wrote a book many years ago called Engaging the Powers and in that book he had a chapter called Not Becoming the Thing That You Hate…. “We become what we hate. The very act of hating something draws it to us.” It’s a very thought provoking chapter filled with examples of how when one side fought back against some evil, how in its defeat, the “winners” actually inculcated some of the evil aspects into themselves that they had opposed.

I have been holding these thoughts for many years now and I still struggle with the aspect of myself that wants to “go to war” with the things that I feel are wrong or unjust. The idea of “fighting” in of itself seems to be incorrect when put in the light of these teachings.

Wink also explains that much of what we need to be struggling with is our own inner nature that resonates with the evil we see out there in the world. This is hard for us to hear and it is serious spiritual work. Most of the time we like to blame others for the way we feel, the hurts we receive. Even in severe cases of violence like Oslo and this past week in Colorado, we need to look at ourselves and our collective consciousness before we can fix blame on someone or something outside ourselves. And even then, resisting that evil only perpetuates it even more.

I think I want to write something each day in support of Love, in support of Trust and in support of Forgiveness. I want to use those teachings of the wonderful Martial Arts teachers who say use the energy coming toward you, guide it safely to a neutral position….don’t hurt yourself but don’t hurt anyone else either. I don’t want to spread fear. I don’t want to obey fear. I want to watch inside myself closely for any contagion I might be picking up from evil around me, any desire to hit back, to get even, to set someone or something straight. See my inner self. Watch it with that Love, Trust and Forgiveness and offer it up to the HIghest Principle I value. Then keeping my Highest Principle as my aim, I will move out into the world as best as I can.