A Harmless Way of Being

​President Biden and others last week condemned the deadly attack against Israel by the Hamas militant group as "an act of sheer evil." In the past two days, leaders in the Middle East used the same language to describe the killings that have happened in Gaza. “Pure evil….”
“I was taught that the way we combat evil is an eye for an eye, but retaliation doesn't combat evil. It feeds it. When I can't harm the people who harmed me, I harm the people who love me. What if forgiveness, rather than being a pansy way of saying it's okay, is actually a way of wielding bolt cutters and snapping the chain that links us?” – Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix
“It isn’t a matter of good and evil. It’s a matter of being asleep or awake.” – Evan Hodkins, The School of Alchemy
Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I mend my wounded soul by releasing the feelings that bound me to wrongdoing. I become still, breathe deeply, and feel the release of forgiveness. Now, I vibrate at a higher frequency, abide in the love of God,  and take action in ways of peace, compassion, justice, and goodness. I pray this harmless way of being purifies the hearts of those in the midst of conflict. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.

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