Welcome to the Molten Golden Teachings with John Records, where heaven, sky, and spirit kiss the earth in support, ground, fuel, and experience, and awakening. How do we live in the face of the horror and evil in the world? The terrorist massacre in Paris is one recent example, and the Holocaust is another. There are so, so many more.
The following prayer was found in the clothing of a dead child at Ravensbrück concentration camp. The prayer says, Remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will, but do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us. Instead, remember the fruits we have borne because of the suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.
This prayer was cited in the wisdom of Jesus, transforming heart and mind, a new perspective on Christ and his message. How can we withstand the horror of this world? Every day, human beings do terrible things and permit awful things to be done. This horror, fully acknowledged, could drive us to madness.
The author of the prayer I just read, who was probably an inmate in the concentration camp, not only was able to withstand the suffering, but acknowledged the fruits of the suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, and the greatness of heart that grows from this trouble. Remarkably, the author also chose to pray that the fruits of the suffering blessed those who inflicted the suffering. Prayed for their forgiveness. I don't know if I could do that.
We can choose how we interpret our world. We can acknowledge the horror and insist on finding the good, even in the horror. And we can give thanks for the good. Some people may even be able to bless those who do evil.
It's a matter of choice. I emphasize this again. It's a matter of our choice. We can throw up our hands and turn away.
We can lament what a terrible place this world is. Or we can acknowledge the truth of the horror and evil and suffering, and by our own choice, find goodness and blessing. Our choice enables the goodness and blessing, which is divinity, to enter the world. This has been a Moulton Golden Mountain Teachings with John Records.
John can be reached at MoultonGoldenMountain.com Produced, recorded, and interviewed by Gustavo Brett at Transform Studios.