Thursday, March 4, 2010

Look first into your own heart

"Instead of loving what you think is peace, love other men and women and love God above all else. Instead of hating all the people you think are war mongers, hate the appetites and disorders in your own soul which are the causes of war."

Thomas Merton

Merton, of course, nails it. As Americans it is our greed and fear which have fanned the fires of war.

After 9/11 it was "somebody has to pay for this" which lead to the bombing in Afghanistan.

It was our lust for oil that lead to the invasion of Iraq.

It was the uncritical acceptance of the loss of our civil liberties through Homeland Security based on the fanning of our fears with yellow alerts, and orange alerts, and other political chicanery which has lead to our own surveillance and imprisonment.

It was an ugliness in our national character that lead to the use and acceptance and use of torture as a legitimate tool to coerce our fellow human beings.

There is a rottenness in our own souls that is leading to our perdition. The enemy is not out there, the enemy, unfortunately, has taken over our own hearts.

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