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3THE DARKER SIDE OF HUMANITY
It has long been recognised in law enforcement circles that every person is capable of doing anything if pushed hard enough by the circumstances. The only way we differ is the point at which we individually topple. We are all capable of destructive behaviour, of ugly thoughts, words and deeds and perverted imagination. This is not only the way it is, but the way it has to be. If we imagine that Jesus Christ did not find these elements within himself, we are mistaken, for he too was tempted. Had he not been capable of doing wrong, the 'temptation' would have been meaningless. What made him different were not the possibilities, but his vision and his choice. It is not what we are able to do - bad or good - that makes us what we are. It is what we choose to do, and the way we develop our ability to make that choice.
There is a 'negative' side to every human being, and it is an essential part of his nature. The ability to get angry and destroy can be necessary to enforce justice, and the ability to lie must accompany the recognition of truth. There cannot be respect without the possibility of contempt, love without the possibility of hate or indifference and generosity without the alternative of greed.
What creates the 'dark' side of man is not the things that he is capable of, but the walls that he constructs around himself. They are walls built of fear, pride, vested interests and lack of forgiveness. The real danger does not come from what is hidden within, but from the impenetrable barrier that separates the outside from the inside. The problem is not what is in the dark, but the fact that it is dark in there and no light can penetrate. Impenetrable barriers prevent him from taking the long-term view, the broader perspective and the deeper insight. They hinder his sensitivity and compassion for people and things around him - even his own future and deeper self. They guide him into situations that he cannot manage without resorting to things he never believed he would do. They allow desperation to develop around him to the point of bringing out the worst from what lies beneath the thin veneer of civilisation.
Should we therefore tear down all the 'walls' and remove all the 'fences?' No. There cannot be true unity without personal freedom and this requires a degree of separateness. The answer is not the abandonment of individuality, the destruction of privacy and the crippling of personal power, but selective openness and building relationships based on discernment and earned trust. Perhaps it is a little like a good house with some permanent vents guarded by insect-screens, some windows that let in the light and allow us to look into the distance and a door or two that we can open and close at will. We should always be receptive to the voice of the Almighty at the deepest levels of our being, but other decisions about openness are a matter of compassionate awareness and responsible discretion, not uniform policy. Coming to terms with the darker side of ourselves does not require us to deny it, be afraid of it or make futile attempts to eliminate it, but to let the light of wisdom enter and give us the chance to love a bigger self. We then become its master, not its slave.
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