I believe most of us are familiar with Aesop’s Fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf; a bored shepherd boy cries, “Wolf, wolf, a wolf is chasing the sheep” and the villagers run up the hill to help drive away the wolf only to find the boy laughing at his cleverness.
Still bored the boy tried the ruse a second time with the same results. When a wolf really did show up and he yelled, “Wolf, wolf” the villagers figured he was lying once again and didn’t react.
The moral being, no one believes a liar even when he tells the truth. Ah, if this were only true!
In my youth I can remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident, seeing the reports on the nightly news and pictures in the newspapers and magazines.
This was the basis for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that propelled us into the Vietnam War. Recently declassified documents have shown that the incident never happened.
Recently declassified documents have shown that in 1968 the Nixon campaign subverted the Paris Peace Talks with promises to South Vietnam that he would win the war for them. The war went on for five more years with countless lives lost and the South conquered.
Many believe that the Reagan campaign subverted the negotiations with Iran for the release of the embassy hostages with promises of weapons that later led to the infamous Iran-Contra affair. We went to war in Iraq because of intelligence reports indicating that they possessed “weapons of mass destruction” and that they were preparing to use them against us and our allies. No evidence of these weapons or that they had existed has ever been found.
Lies, fibs, falsehoods, deceits, untruths, inaccuracies, distortions, fictions, dishonesties, disinformation, alternative facts, fake news: with the advent of the internet, these manufactured False Evidence Appearing Real (fear) can circle the globe twice before the truth even wakes up.
These elicit our fight or flight response where we choose between fighting everyone and regretting or forgetting everything and running.
Or, we can follow our Master Teachers leading, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27. We can choose to respond in love rather than reacting in fear. We can choose to face everything and renew. When we choose to respond in love, this is when we are truly born anew. John 3:3.
The world likes to cry, “Wolf!” The world wants us to be afraid. When we are afraid we have given over the power to control us to the world and its agents. When we choose love and let go of fear we regain our connection with the divine power that is God and can choose good orderly direction.
We can respond to world events with love thereby assisting to realize Heaven on earth. Matthew 5:10.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34.
If we are to truly emulate the divine, to follow the leading of Jesus, we must practice forgiveness. We need to let go of past hurts in order to move forward and realize present joys. Forgive everyone and rejoice, this is our opportunity.
Whatever perspective you have on world events, know that it is one perspective. It is valid and true for you.
Yet, it is one perspective. Everyone has a perspective. When we respond with love, we can step back and be open to everyone’s perspective.
If we could see everyone’s perspective, only then would we see the whole picture. Only then would we know God’s perspective. “Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Blessings of peace, joy & love, Rev. Matthew E. Long, Peace Unity Community