Catherine, your question is a good one, one almost everyone asks sooner or later. Here is what I think.
We each can control only our own actions and thoughts. We can never truely control anyone else. People have tried throughout human history - torture, violence, war, slavery. Still the souls are free in the end.
When I can accept that I am powerless over any other, but very powerful within myself, I can start to let go of the urge to control things. Then I can trust that if I do right, right results wil follow. It does not matter what others do or don't do. I cannot control them, but I can control myself. I can decide that faith allows me to do right without regard for the outcome, because the outcome will be right - even if it's in a way my current state of mind can't understand.
I know this is hard. Very hard. It helps me to remember that in this world and this reality we are all condemned to certain death. You may think that sounds grim, but in fact it brings real freedom. If I am free to die without fear, then I am free to live without fear, and my wounds can heal.
On Dec 3, 2010 Patsy wrote :
Catherine, your question is a good one, one almost everyone asks sooner or later. Here is what I think.
We each can control only our own actions and thoughts. We can never truely control anyone else. People have tried throughout human history - torture, violence, war, slavery. Still the souls are free in the end.
When I can accept that I am powerless over any other, but very powerful within myself, I can start to let go of the urge to control things. Then I can trust that if I do right, right results wil follow. It does not matter what others do or don't do. I cannot control them, but I can control myself. I can decide that faith allows me to do right without regard for the outcome, because the outcome will be right - even if it's in a way my current state of mind can't understand.
I know this is hard. Very hard. It helps me to remember that in this world and this reality we are all condemned to certain death. You may think that sounds grim, but in fact it brings real freedom. If I am free to die without fear, then I am free to live without fear, and my wounds can heal.
God bless you.