Why countries are considered evil
January 12, 1990
God blesses your lives with God’s presence and with a strength envisioned in the love of your guides.
Much of what you have discussed tonight is centered upon the issues of human relationships, the difficulties of those relationships, the implications of those relationships, and the understanding of good and evil. It has been expressed that evil is a power, that evil is a lack of God, that evil is the result of self-centeredness. In truth, all of these play a part to greater and lesser degrees, but the manifestation of evil is felt most poignantly within the sphere of relationships.
As you have been told on previous occasions, you do not live alone. You do not exist in a kind of physical vacuum. You live in a community of souls. You live within an association of individuals who have their own needs and their own perspectives, their own pains, their own joys. The reactions of others indeed have an effect on your own perceptions of life and upon your own sense of personal goals, desires, fears, anxieties, and joys.
Humans communicate with one another constantly. Whether or not a word is spoken, whether or not a deed is done, there is communication. When an individual enters a room, you can often sense where they are in their emotional being. Interaction and communication, therefore, are a part of your life, and because of that communication, because of your sensitivity, there will be pain as well as joy. There will be events which confirm the presence of God and those that question God’s very existence. These events exist so often side by side.
The question of good and evil is therefore inextricably tied into matters of communication between you and the world around you. Often what is perceived as evil is simply a misunderstanding. At other times what is perceived as evil is the result of your own emotional direction, totally independent of what may actually be happening.
There are few things which are unmistakably evil in all considerations. The obvious ones you know of—killing, torture—but there are also expressions which can be considered evil for some but would not be perceived as such for others. The question of good and evil therefore at times is subjective.
The force of evil of which we spoke is actually a function of the imperfect development of human beings. It is a force in that it directs a shape of life for many. We spoke of selfishness as a root of evil, a self-centeredness, and to a degree that is correct. When humans lose perspective of their interactions with others, the actions which are taken are frequently those which act against the benefit of others, and this is clearly wrong. If one nation has a set of priorities, of activities which shortsightedly are to its best interest, then frequently other parts of the world will suffer the consequences, and that one nation will be considered evil because it is perceived as a threat.
In your dealings with other people, it is essential that you develop a means of response which is unthreatening and supportive. This can only be done in a spirit of love. When you deal with strangers, you may not know them personally, but you can love the divineness which is a part of them. When you recognize that divinity, the nature of your dealings will be changed.
It is easy to act out of anger and hurt, desperation and frustration, for these emotions are natural and belong to the human condition. But these should serve only to indicate the need for action. The nature of that action should always be governed by love and respect offered through prayer for a sense of God's presence. When such an attitude is taken, there is no evil. The results will then be according to God's wishes. Evil is turning your back on God's direction in life.
Impatience has become so much a part of life for everyone. You all want to know what is to happen. You all want to know what to do, know what to say, know how to react, and it is difficult to wait and listen and perceive. But such impatience can be overrun, and you can find a clear sense of direction by listening to the voice of God within you. By allowing that voice to enter your life more consistently, you push back the tendency toward evil, and you advance the strength of good in life.
The frustrations that you feel in your dealings with others, be they associates, friends, children, parents, must be met with patience, must be surrounded by a desire to be guided by God. It is only then that good may come. It is only then that you can be assured that right will be done.
The love of another requires reduction of the importance of self. Try to remove pride and a sense of self-righteousness and impatience. Replace them with a stronger conviction of the unity spiritually that you have with all humanity, indeed all life.
The love of God is not just the love from God. It is the love of God which you demonstrate and express. It is God who provides the example, and it is you who put that love to work. You are the arms of God. You are the heart of God. Without you, God's influence in the world is greatly diminished. You live a human life to grow, but you grow most beautifully by serving the purposes of God in the world about you, whether that is in the community or in the family.
Our prayers are for your continued strength in transferring the example that you know into action that you feel. Our prayers are for your inner peace, stability, confidence, and a sense of rightness in all that you do. We bless your lives with God’s light and warmth and peace.
Amen.