The dark side

Has there ever been a period in human civilization where humans have not been the victims of and exploited by fear. Slavery, the Inquisition, the Crusades, wars, the Holocaust, European colonization, the list is endless. Every human being has fears and has a dark side. When these are accumulated and manipulated we can become convinced that we are drowning in a tide of darkness.

But there has never been a time in human civilization when we were without hope and courage. There were always individuals and groups to remind us of this: Ghandi, Martin Luther King, the grandmothers who raise their grandchildren,  those who run food pantries, doctors in war torn communities, advocates for the poor, the hungry, those searching for a better life. This list is endless too.

Crime statistics (crime is actually going down) and terrorist killings (we kill one another in higher numbers each day than terrorists kill others) make us fearful. But these are not messages to run inside and hide, but rather messages to go outside and help.