l One should see the world, and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good - he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad - he and the world is destroyed (Maimonides).
This quote is a potent reminder that evil exists in the world by virtue of the actions of human kind. Conversely by our own actions we are able to usher in the good that most of us are seeking.
I’m also reminded and painfully so, that bad things happen to good people. Regardless of who you are, what you do or where you live at some point you come face to face with some element of evil.
How is manifests itself may vary but, too often it’s a demonstration of the vicious, hurtful actions of one human being against another for reasons that can’t be explored here.
I came face to face with evil on Wednesday evening (February 23) as I made my way home from the Alden Library. The perpetrator was a youth in the company of three other youth. His assault was totally unexpected and unjustified. This was a total stranger who looked at me and decided for reasons best known to him that he should physically attack me.
The unexpected nature of the attack left me speechless and unable to think of a way to defend my self. After it was over I walked home pondering both his action and the actions of his friends who laughed as they walked off together.
Reinhold Niebuhr tells us that “Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to collective behavior of humanity.” In the days following the attack I have asked myself over and over how and why this had happened. I know now that I’ll never find the answer. However, I am inclined to agree with Niebuhr.
When we look on the world today there is ample evidence that our neighbourhoods, communities, societies and our world is broken. Our kids are bombarded with numerous examples of extremism including xenophobia, racism, classism, ageism, intolerance, race prejudice and other forms of behaviour that serves as a wedge between and among people everywhere.
It’s hard not to miss the obvious fact, that when we model this kind of behaviour it is likely to affect how our children relate to each other and to the wider world.
What can we do as individuals and as communities to create critical mass so that the scale will be tipped towards good for our sakes and the sake of our children.
If one person is not safe then none of us are!
This quote is a potent reminder that evil exists in the world by virtue of the actions of human kind. Conversely by our own actions we are able to usher in the good that most of us are seeking.
I’m also reminded and painfully so, that bad things happen to good people. Regardless of who you are, what you do or where you live at some point you come face to face with some element of evil.
How is manifests itself may vary but, too often it’s a demonstration of the vicious, hurtful actions of one human being against another for reasons that can’t be explored here.
I came face to face with evil on Wednesday evening (February 23) as I made my way home from the Alden Library. The perpetrator was a youth in the company of three other youth. His assault was totally unexpected and unjustified. This was a total stranger who looked at me and decided for reasons best known to him that he should physically attack me.
The unexpected nature of the attack left me speechless and unable to think of a way to defend my self. After it was over I walked home pondering both his action and the actions of his friends who laughed as they walked off together.
Reinhold Niebuhr tells us that “Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to collective behavior of humanity.” In the days following the attack I have asked myself over and over how and why this had happened. I know now that I’ll never find the answer. However, I am inclined to agree with Niebuhr.
When we look on the world today there is ample evidence that our neighbourhoods, communities, societies and our world is broken. Our kids are bombarded with numerous examples of extremism including xenophobia, racism, classism, ageism, intolerance, race prejudice and other forms of behaviour that serves as a wedge between and among people everywhere.
It’s hard not to miss the obvious fact, that when we model this kind of behaviour it is likely to affect how our children relate to each other and to the wider world.
What can we do as individuals and as communities to create critical mass so that the scale will be tipped towards good for our sakes and the sake of our children.
If one person is not safe then none of us are!
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