There is a war raging in the world, and it is a war not of religion, but of the human soul: a war...
Most Filipinos often forget, or choose to ignore, global politics and culture. We are so inward looking that we forget that the world is happening around our archipelago. And if we believe in the “Butterfly Effect,” what happens out there will eventually affect us. And evil is happening out there as it is in our own land.There are far too many countries today where violence is an everyday reality; where surviving for a day is already considered a blessing from the Maker; where people are killed by the hundreds and in the most brutal ways by their own countrymen: Afhganistan (thousands of years of continued tribal warfare, and now terrorized by the Talibans), Pakistan (suicide bombings occur here frequently, same in Afghanistan), Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, and now, Syria.
Homs, Syria: 2015 (source: wikipedia)Iraq-Lebanon-Palestine-Syria: these countries, particularly, boast of thousands of years of civilization – contributing much to arts and architecture, literature, poetry and philosophy. One would think that they would have mastered the art of living harmoniously together by this time. The fact that they don’t is a big lesson to us all.Give the beast in the human heart a playground for violence and it will gleefully prance around and kill everybody around it, including one’s self.
ISIS beheading their captivesThere is a war raging in the world, and it is a war not of religion, but of the human soul: a war of good versus evil.We have to choose as individuals and as a people to focus and nurture the “good within us” – create a garden of Eden; of a just and tolerant society, or a playground for the devil spawns.Empathy and tolerance are much needed virtues that must be taught to our generation – young and old. Without these traits, it will be very easy for certain groups to “objectify” people who do not belong to their “religion” or political party, or any of the various “we-they” type of groups that condition the minds of their followers along such directions. And when people becomes “objects,” it is just an easy step away from hurting them without remorse. For those who can get away with it, torture and murder follow after.In this context, local political concerns pale in comparison to this age-old war.
St. Michael the ArchangelThe eternal battle is fought within us. Light and darkness; good and evil; love and hatred. All these reside in the human heart.Be brave; be the warrior of the light.
About the author
Emmanuel F. Silan, PhD, RPsy
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