Snyder, George L Snyder, Lenore Snyder, God, ethics, morals, religion

The Elephant Speaks
One Man’s Elephant book II

The Cure

read Romans 12: 9-21


            What is the cure for a burn? Do you put a hot iron on it? Or, do you put a cooling salve on it? You do not apply heat to a burn.


            What is the cure for fire? Do you throw gasolene on it? Or, do you throw water on it? To cure a fire, you remove that which feeds it. You remove the fuel, the air, the heat.


            What is the cure for a fever? Do you try to add more heat? Or, do you try to decrease the temperature any way you can? To cure a fever, you place a cool cloth on the person’s forehead. You might even put the person in a cool or cold bath. In desperate times, you might even put ice around the person.


            What is the cure for poison ivy? Do you take some of the ivy leaves and rub it all over the body? Do you use steel wool or sandpaper and remove the skin? Or, do you carefully wash to clean the affected area and then apply a cooling, healing lotion?


            What is the cure for hate? Will adding hate of your own take away the hate of your enemy? Or, can you counter the effects of hate with forgiveness and love? It is a little harder to hate someone when they are trying to be your friend, trying to forgive and forget the differences, trying to understand your viewpoint.


            What is the cure for greed? Does it help the greed in the world if you become more greedy? Or, if you practice honor, integrity, and generosity; might it show others a better way of life?


            What is the cure for bad language? Will using it yourself cure anyone else? I find that if I do not use that language, those around me seem to use it less.


            Does it ever help to get revenge? Will getting revenge make anything better, ever? Treat that which is meant to insult or hurt you with forgiveness. It is always impossible in life to get sufficient revenge to satisfy your feelings of hurt and pain.


            I could go on and on. Hunger, pain, sickness, disaster, betrayal, loss of honor, loss of a job, and on and on. All these things can only be cured by action to counter the effects. Never by actions to reflect or enhance the effects.


            The evils of the world cannot be cured by adding your own evil. They can only be cured by countering evil with good. Good actions counter bad actions.


            Positive to counter negative. Good to counter bad. Love to counter hate. Generosity to counter greed. Honor to counter corruption. This is the responsibility you need to place on your self. God places this responsibility on each of us.


            We have no rights, only responsibilities.






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