I Feel Like Crying

I've shed tears at some point during every day of this week. 

Today I cry for 15 more innocent lives in Yola; lost to the evil menace that is Boko Haram. As I do so I'm reminded of the thousands of lives that have been mercilessly cut short in the name of religion. 

Is it really religion? 

Or is it merely a mixture of angst, resentment, hopelessness, and a selfish lust for power and relevance disguised in the name of religion??

Can one man justly kill another in the name of God? For what exactly? 

I cry for the 129 lives that were cruelly snatched from their families; parents mourning their children; loved ones inconsolable as the bitter reality of life without their better half dawns on them. 

And let's not forget the 224 lives decimated by last week's horrific airline explosion. 

I cry tears of fearful concern regarding the likely increase of fascist voices within Europe - calling for a closure of borders and encouraging all around them to look upon foreigners with suspicion and disdain; precisely what the terrorists want - mutual suspicion, fragmentation,bewilderment, hatred, and fear. 

My tears free fall as I wonder how on earth we can ever defeat an ideology so blinded by evil that it shamelessly spouts the absurd notion that the reward for taking another man's life is the warm embrace of 70 virgins in the afterlife. 

Serving the interests of God or Satan???

Boy would I love to see the look on their faces when they get to whatever their afterlife is and realise their reward is something not only completely different but altogether undesirable.

I cry also for the mess we humans have made of this our planet earth. We had everything. We still have everything. But we continue to destroy it - bit by it, chunk by chunk,limb by limb,  life by life. 

And don't you dare blame God!

He gave us free will - the choice to choose whether to do good or bad. Would you rather your son /daughter loves you as a result of his or her desire to do so, or because he or she is forced to??

Too many of us have chosen bad - war over peace; money and power over love; cheating and stealing over service; evil over good. 

Mankind's depraved hunger was taken to new and incredible heights by Nigeria's former NSA chief, who syphoned millions of dollars that were supposed to fight Boko Haram; and as result indirectly caused the death of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. 

But is he more evil than nations and leaders who act in their selfish interests of oil and arms?

I recently heard the sad story of a man and woman at war over the custody of their five year old son. The man relates that he and his ex wife were so focussed on their bitter and frenzied thirst for revenge that they lost sight of the importance of the well-being of their child. It took a frightening dream in which the child completely disappeared as he and his ex continued their bitter duel for the man to realise he had lost focus on what really matters; not him, not his ex, but their five year old son. He swallowed his pride, and allowed his ex to have her way - for the sake of their son's wellbeing. 

I judge no-one. We are all at fault. 

But amongst my tears of anguish and grief are tears of hope. For where there is love there is hope.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear. There is love in us all. 

We just need to let go and allow it to roam freely within us. 

How?

By recognising what is important.

Life, not money

Peace, not war

Humility, not pride

Forgiveness, not angst and bitterness

Unity, not segregation

Selflessness, not 'me'

Service, not fame and power

Selfless Love, not self interest. 

The media has a part to play.

Every Faith has a part to play. 

Governments have a part to play.

But it begins with you and I.