Good and Evil

Tonight, I sat and watched my father watch a show on the History channel called, "Ancient Aliens". I have seen him watch this show many times and tonight, for some reason, I felt compelled to start a conversation about the origin of his set of beliefs. Through our discussion, I clearly saw how our hearts are the same, but our means of communication, our story lines and each of our personal truths differed. Although my father and I seem to differ on our paths to finding truth, there really is only one destination. But there is definitely an openness we can invite into our lives and on our journey that doesn't separate people even more. I could easily see how rigidly clinging on to beliefs can serve as a greater means of forwarding separation, rather than a way to bring people closer to the richness of being alive. When we say that one way is the "right" way, we automatically assume that any other way is the "wrong"way. We divide ourselves daily with the constricting and suffocating ways of "good and evil". Why limit the beautiful expression of existing to one single pathway?

Personally, I have a very deep, clear and resonant relationship with what we call God, the universe and existence, but I don't subscribe the name of God to any exact one thing, or one person. I feel that God is a living breathing, loving presence in each of our lives, not separate from us, but in us. God cannot be contained and God is indescribable. Sin does not and cannot exist because there is no such thing. Sin, or what we imagine to be wrong doings is really only a crime against the heart, a deep pain of separation. I have heard once that we have two modes as human beings: "we are either calling for love or we are extending love". When I heard that expression, I was filled with a glorious relief knowing that the greatest crime and the greatest expression of love to all of man kind was within in my self. I was reminded of my powerful connection to all beings. In the Prophet, by Khalil Gibran (which is one of my favorite books and also a movie soon to be released) he expresses the balance between good and evil as such :

"Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil. For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst? Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts it drinks even of dead waters.

You are good when you are one with yourself. Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil. For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house. And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.

You are good when you strive to give of yourself. Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself. For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast. Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance." For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech, Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose. And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps. Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping. Even those who limp go not backward. But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good, You are only loitering and sluggard. Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you. But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest. And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore. But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?" For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"