Fighting evil

Evil does not need to triumph.  Evil wants only to wreak what havoc it can. 
Evil is opportunistic.  Evil does not need good people to do nothing: it just needs us to do less than enough.  
Evil thrives on our fear and self-righteousness; on our failing to recognize it or its approaching shadow, particularly in its seemingly small forms; on our doing less, individually and as a society, than we could do to detect it, name it, and fight it; and on our confusion and quarrels about how to fight it and who should fight it.  
Who should fight evil?  Each of us, as our abilities permit.

March 20, 2016

What shall we do in times of grief and trouble?

Two dear friends of this Meeting have died within the past several weeks.  Others in our circle have serious health problems and other travails.  There are many daunting, complex troubles in our communities, our nation and our world, with no clear let alone swift solutions.  There are refugees by the hundreds of thousands; vast areas of poverty and hunger; and violent conflicts, including between deeply religious people, going on for decades, generations, even centuries.

My favorite Farside cartoon, by Gary Larson, depicts a man in hell, flames all around, jauntily pushing a wheelbarrow - and whistling.  One onlooking demon says to another, “We’re just not getting to that guy.”

When grace cannot be seen, what we still have is a choice: shall we keep and focus on our confidence in grace, or shall we succumb to despair in its apparent absence?

What shall we do in times of grief and trouble?

Do not give up.

Look for grace wherever it can be found.

And strive to represent grace to others.