Violence shapes and obsesses our society, and if we do not stop being violent we have no futures.” Edward Bond, English playwright
I mention this as a response to the violence of the past couple of weeks here in the United States; the pipe bomb threats, the deadly attack on a Pittsburg synagogue, and the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, CA., are clear reminders that we, as a culture, are vulnerable to this obsession like never before. And lets not forget the most passive form of violence- verbal abuse of others based their race, creed, color and/or beliefs.
The important question is: why do people hate? Hatred is born of fear. Fear manifests itself in countless ways, and violence is one of them. So, let’s explore the topic of fear.
Fear is deeply ingrained in our culture in many ways. We often engage and react in our day- to- day lives from a place of fear, primarily based on survival instincts. Hate and fear actually work together. Why, because fear is the absence of love. Love is our universal true Nature.
Fear is insidious by its very nature because it projects hate. What is the cause of fear? According to The Course in Miracles, fear and hate stem from the divided ego, which separates us from our natural state of interconnectivity with one another and all things. The mere idea of separation from that wholeness breeds fear, and this, all to often, can breed violence.
Fear and hatred are an illusion. They do not exist within love and wholeness. “Remember that nothing unreal exist and nothing real can be threatened. Therein lies peace.” ACIM
Is it not time to begin again?