The hate spilling into public spaces and political discourse in this country feels to me like a flash flood these days. I knew that river was there, but as long as it kept within its banks I could approach warily and life continued as usual. But now bridges are washed out and the angry torrents are sweeping through all kinds of communities.
It’s frightening to see.
All that anger, all that fear, directed at some evil “other,” is a horrendous force. When some other person, or institution, or ideology comes to stand for everything we detest, we lose the ability to think rationally about the dynamic we’re engaged in.
Things become artificially simple when we disregard the humanity of the other person. It unleashes the darkness within us. When that happens, we lose our own humanity and evil prevails. Jesus was truly looking after us, speaking out of love and concern, when he said “Love your enemies.”
We all need to be asking: What’s behind all the anger? What are we really afraid of? When someone in the media really pushes my buttons and I feel the swelling tide that wants to drown them out, what exactly is going on?
The true answers are not the huge concepts, not the vague generalities, but the specific and deeper things. Personal ones. What am I personally afraid of? What is the source of the anger that is mine?
If the enemy is painted large enough to be an easy target, we don’t have to be specific about what we’re fighting, or clear about what we stand for. To really know our enemy we have to understand who we are, and face what lies within us. That is the first fight, and the one that’s necessary for peace.
I think a lot of the anger is rooted in fear. There is a vague sense of threat that many feel. It is easily exploited by demagogues. The antidote to fear is faith, but that’s a hard message to get across through the wall of noise.
I appreciate the insight in your comment. It’s hard to watch the manipulation that goes on, the cynical exploitation of people’s fears. Fear often shouts down faith, even if faith is ultimately stronger and more enduring.
And the wall of noise…it’s overwhelming. But flowers can grow through concrete; I guess we just keep doing what we can do and trust that it’s enough. Including reminding people about the antidote to fear. Thanks.
This post is quoted on Sherry Chandler’s blog:
[…] Brown looks at hatred that is currently poisoning our political discourse and concludes that we’re fighting the wrong battle All that anger, all that fear, directed at some evil “other,” is a horrendous force. When some […]
I understand your point, Susan, that we need to face our inner fears as opposed to projecting them onto the world. Our lives would change dramatically if that were a universal value, and even if it isn’t, it’s still one worth persuing in our daily lives. I believe that submitting to God and commiting to “good” is the first step. Serving nothing higher than our own will and ego will move us toward the forces of evil.
However, if fear is rooted in anger, it’s important to note that anger is not necessarily “bad.” Fear and anger can make us hyperalert to danger and to threats to our well being. What does evil look like? Scott Peck wrote that an easy way to see evil is “l-i-v-e” spelled backward. When we are prevented by something or someone from living our lives to their fullest potential, we’re dealing with evil, and, in the presence of evil, we often feel fear and anger.
In this age of 24/7 “breaking” news and Internet stories, we’re prime prey for manipulators. All the more reason to know ourselves, to know who we are and what we value and what we stand for. The watery, dreamy, spiritual-Truth-seeking days of Pisces are behind us, and we’re facing the fixed, mental and nervous (certainly “wired”) energy of Aquarius (described as “the humanitarian who loves all mankind but no individual human being”). Aquarius is not happy letting others have their freedom if their view of freedom differs from its own. Another Aquarian concern is with the individual vs. the collective, and aren’t these issues the ones we’re seeing played out in America today.
Some say that the entire universe is engaged in the battle between good and evil, and that the battleground is the individual human soul. Which is why I like your blog. It raises questions to help us engage on the soul level, the one that counts.
Thanks for your comment, Sharon. It’s true that fear and anger can serve to make us pay attention and focus on what’s really going on. The challenge is to acknowledge those emotions and deal with what’s at the root of them, rather than allowing them to blindly drive our actions. Scott Peck’s take on evil is helpful in that regard.
I appreciate your kind words about the blog, too. If the conversation here can help engage people on the soul level, I’m grateful.
This post is quoted on Have Coffee Will Write
[…] Susan Christerson Brown: Things become artificially simple when we disregard the humanity of the other person. It unleashes the darkness within us. When that happens, we lose our own humanity and evil prevails. Jesus was truly looking after us, speaking out of love and concern, when he said “Love your enemies.” […]