In the midst of a world plagued by the Covid-19 Pandemic, a time when the world as a people should be coming together to combat this terror and prevent the continued devastation of human life, we simultaneously face another virus. This virus if not slowed and stopped will have devastating consequences to a country already in disarray.
This virus is a virus of lies, hate and division. It spreads through the air and kidnaps the minds of people by way of lies contained in conspiracy theories, dis information and the bewilderment of people already experiencing social and economic challenges brought on by Covid-19.
One of its components is fear. Fear allows people’s imaginations to be easily manipulated by those who have an agenda which doesn’t incorporate what is best for all, but rather focuses only on those things which benefit the spreaders of this infection.
The interesting thing about lies is they are dependent upon and must be supported by more lies. While a lie may have some resemblance of truth at is core, it is still a lie and is dependent upon other lies to spread it into the minds of the people. Like a virus, lies mutate and grow stronger and become more widespread. Hate and division thrive on disinformation. You see hate always has to have a foe or a foil to support its existence. Division doesn’t divide division. Division like a virus seeks out the weakest points of unity and exploits the weaknesses to divide and destroy.
We hear people crying take back our country and proclaiming they are patriots. They fail to understand the word “Our” which means the country belongs to not only them, but all of the inhabitants despite political affiliation, ethnic background or social economic status. I understand that some who are reading this right now may have differing opinions and deep feelings about the things they have read and have been told was the truth. But I ask, if what you are reading, or what you have been told affects your perception of what is true? You see when you have been told things that cause you to have a fear of something being taken away from you or family it is easy to digest it and it causes your mental defenses to reject any rational that is in conflict with what you have been told. This leads to the divisive remedy of seeking control; take back, fight for, stand against and hate anyone or anything who is not in agreement with what you’ve been told.
The cure or vaccine for hate and division is love. Love is driven by truth. If someone truly loves people, then they understand that people deserve the truth. When we hear people saying take back our country what does that look like? Does it look like last year? Does it look like twenty years ago or even a hundred years ago?
“They told me” and They said” are some of the greatest prevaricators of truth. The information shared is always to provoke fear of loss, a fear of losing control of perceived rights or privileges, and at the same time negating the rights and privileges of others.
Right now in our country hate and conspiracy groups are a mutation of the virus of lies and division. They distort truth and replace it with pliable lies of fear in order to gain control. And once the lies have been digested it becomes hard to differentiate or accept the truth.
Love always seeks to unite and not to divide. Love covers a multitude of faults. Love doesn’t seek to control, but seeks it understanding. Love is not us against them; it’s we and seeking common ground.
In our everyday lives we should strive to see the good in everyone. Every person you see or encounter was once a helpless child dependent on others for love and protection. It is over time, circumstances and life experiences the child is taught to hate or to love. What is broken can be fixed, because God loves all the broken pieces and with his help we can as a country be repaired. If we want to fix what we believe is broken by this virus of Hate and division, we have to start by being an example to others in our actions and deeds.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”