Operation Love: Conquering the Evil of Our Time, One Heart at a Time
The modern West is a largely loveless society. The signs of misery and spiritual pain are evident everywhere in America: from the struggling homeless and drug addicts on the streets to the rise of mental illness, the signs of a society that does not love its neighbor are everywhere. This situation, amplified by 24/7 social media and technology, has left many wondering what is to be done to destroy the evil overtaking society.
While it is easy to identify problems, it is not always so easy to figure out a resolution. When wondering why society is so evil, we are quick to point out the external. Or, more specifically, we identify other people or external factors. We rarely look within when trying to find the cause of that which manifests in our reality. For example, when a criminal commits a terrible crime against an innocent, it is common to blame the evil within the criminal’s heart. But this is an oversimplification. Society is inherently what we ourselves accept. If corruption is everywhere, it is because we ourselves allowed it.
None of us are perfect. And we live in a society that incentivizes learned helplessness. The mechanisms of power in America likewise do not benefit from a society in which individuals are self-reliant. Entire industries are built upon the premise that the consumer is flawed and the product or service is the solution (makeup, plastic surgery, diets, etc;). If the entire country’s economy requires continued growth in consumption (GDP) and corporations profit from solving consumer problems, a nihilistic, materialistic society is the logical endpoint. Nobody needs an iPod. But Apple sure made catching and hip commercials making plenty of consumers believe they needed an iPod. A company selling diet pills wants consumers who believe they need to lose weight. And a weapons company needs wars to create demand.
American society largely presents status, career, and income as the primary paths to happiness. Inevitably, many are not happy with a purely materialist purpose of life. And for those seeking truth, it is inevitable that they must experience suffering and evil to understand the nature of the world and, more importantly, the human heart. The evil we see is a warning about the potential of free choice. If we do not experience evil, we can not understand the virtue of love nor develop empathy. Suffering helps us develop an understanding that allows us to better connect with others. We probably rarely understand this in the moments that we suffer. But suffering exposes the truth and shows you who truly loves you.
The inorganic politicization of American culture over the last few years is an excellent example of how suffering and conflict ultimately provide truth. If someone will not be your friend solely because of who you vote for, chances are they were never truly a friend. If a loved one demanded papers to sit at the Thanksgiving table, then clearly they impose limits on their love for you. These behaviors are symptoms of a loveless society and anti-social actions have become a “new normal.” How did our culture descend to such a condition? Because we have all fallen short and not made love the highest value.
Those who have faced the villainy of in-person and online Puritan mobs have a legitimate reason to feel anger. Those who have begun to understand the truth of our society and the prevalence of evil have a right to feel upset. But before resorting to an “eye for an eye,” it is important to remember our environment is a byproduct of our choices. If we have not made love the highest value, how can we expect a society to not devolve into a state of evil? Simple gestures such as waving to strangers or complimenting an overworked clerk have become less common. COVID seemingly created a pandemic of abuse of service workers, as people seem to project their anger on those who are obliged to serve them (oddly emulating the behavior of the ruling elite).
When is the last time you saw someone cry simply because they saw the suffering of people living on the streets? Almost everyone walks by the homeless, pretending not to see them, as if looking at them is to be avoided. Because we need not be reminded of the suffering we allow and ignore. Which is a metaphor for a shiny golden cup being clean on the outside and riddled with bacteria on the inside. We have dehumanized our society to escape the moral guilt of the suffering we allow. If it is the government’s responsibility to house the homeless, then we can all feel fine when we see homeless camps because it’s not our obligation to intervene!
Why does America fight wars? Because America has always fought wars. Forever wars make war a normal state of being. Thereby making the loss of life to enrich weapons manufacturers just a fact of American life. And Americans do not value the preservation of life more than the material benefits that destroying life produces. However, it is worth mentioning the US would not invest so heavily in lies and propaganda if Americans would clap like uneducated lab rats without manufacturing consent. The fact that the military conflicts America involves itself in are presented as noble missions to liberate the oppressed is proof that even the American government knows the citizens won’t accept a certain level of villainy.
The problem is the heart of each individual. Each person’s desire to love or hate dictates the psychology and culture of a society. This desire can be manipulated. The powerful can try to persuade the people that evil is virture and that love is hate. But love can not be banned and it is the only method to fight evil. A pursuit of vengeance will end only with a poisoned heart.
Those who do not know love can not be expected to love others. And, sadly, many in America and across the world have not been loved. With the world accelerating to a needless nuclear war, perhaps it is time for Americans to try something different. America can not become a loving country until its citizens decide to transform their own hearts. And maybe this isn’t the path many want. Maybe some believe they are entitled to make others suffer as they have suffered.
As a victim of childhood sexual abuse, I personally could not heal until I forgave the person responsible. And until I did so in my heart, I was not truly free. Forgiveness does not mean sacrificing justice or truth. But until I let go of the pride of victimhood, I could not liberate myself from spiritual nihilism. The realization was simple: evil people choose to do evil things because they do not know love. And until I could grasp why the world was evil, I could not accept the reason I saw evil everywhere is because that is all I chose to see. One day, I decided I would simply be more positive and kinder to others. And my world began to immediately change.
I have seen many ask “but what can we do?” in response to the evil in the world. My suggestion is a true revolution of love. This is something that costs nothing and everyone can contribute. None of us will be perfect in this. But if we do not try, then we lose the right to complain about the evil around us.
My suggestion is to start by doing at least one loving thing for someone else every day and taking time every day to recognize the love in the world.
Wave to and smile at strangers
Compliment the clerk or service worker
Say something kind to everyone you interact with
Tell the people you care about that you love them
If you see someone struggling, be kind
Do random acts of kindness
Be kind to your enemies
Tell others that you appreciate them and that they matter
Avoid insulting others
Love yourself
Embody the positivity and love you wish to see in the world
There are an infinite number of ways to be kinder and more loving. And until this becomes the new normal, evil will continue to spread and dehumanize all realms of society. The mental illness and addiction epidemics in America demonstrate there are a lot of emotionally and spiritually broken people. This is tragic and this should make us cry and hurt inside simply because they are our brothers and sisters and they are suffering. Instead, our culture distracts us from moral and ethical obligations with bread and circuses. Something is terribly wrong for so many Americans to be miserable and emotionally hurt. And what besides love can fix this?