The Hope for Healing Human Evil

If you want a fascinating read, check out People of The Lie by Scott Peck. He also wrote the classic, The Road Less Travelled over thirty years ago, but this hidden gem is quite profound since we are relishing in an epidemic of the ego.

When I say that evil has to do with killing, I do not mean to restrict myself to corporeal murder. Evil is that which kills spirit. There are various essential attributes of life — particularly human life — such as sentience, mobility, awareness, growth, autonomy, will. It is possible to kill or attempt to kill one of these attributes without actually destroying the body. Thus we may “break” a horse or even a child without harming a hair on its head.” 

M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil    

A story is told in the book that literally made me close it and understand human evil.

A young boy was brought by his parents to speak to Mr. Peck about his depression after his brother died. His parents just couldn’t understand his troubles even though his brother had recently committed suicide. Mr. Peck had a difficult time getting the young teenager to open up and connect. Since Christmas had just passed Mr. Peck asked him if he received any special gifts.

The boy finally uttered some words, “the gun.”

“Gun?” Mr. Peck asked.

“My parents gave me the gun my brother shot himself with,” he sadly says.

As I read that line my heart burst open for that young soul so confused and trapped in hell killing his spirit each day. The parents truly thought he would love his brother’s gun because where they lived all boys love guns. But as you can see there is something missing— a lack of empathy— a true sense of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. That gun was loaded with so much pain and they handed it right over with a red bow on it.

“Evil then, for the moment, is the force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness. And goodness is its opposite. Goodness is that which promotes life and liveliness.

M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil  

I do have hope though. We are entering a very spiritual era, one full of healing generational wounds. It’s okay to talk about our anger, guilt, resentment, shame and grief. We don’t need to dwell, we just need to open the closet of emotion, stand in there and connect to the feelings. We may cry or feel the need to hit some pillows, that’s okay! Steer those emotions and connect them to the source instead of dumping on the innocent and killing their liveliness.

Take a look at your life and see if you’re handing “the gun” to someone & giving them the very thing that is killing them. It’s okay to stop and apologize to your loved ones. Set yourselves free into a space of love and togetherness. You can do it.

Xx-g.

#ibelieveinpeople

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