Sometimes people who pursue an explicitly spiritual path box themselves into a mold of the ideal peacemaker. They want to be non-violent and live a karmically clean life. They walk away from any form of conflict and would rather live in tranquility. This makes sense if we want to live a tranquil life.
The unfortunate part of this is that they are human and are equipped with emotions for a reason. And if all our emotions aren’t given their proper outlets, our spiritual path may be stunted.
Some of these emotions are unpleasant, such as fear and anger, but they are also part of our well-put-together systems. When I was growing up I was taught that Jesus was the Lamb of God: Meek and mild, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers. But I also had several example of Jesus’s anger.
He tossed over the tables of the money changers and threw them out of the temple. He rebuked the barren fig tree. He rebuked his disciples for deserting him and turning on him. He was not meek and mild at all. But notice that he wasn’t standing up for his personal self. He was standing up for his mission.
If he had stood up for his personal self, he would have fought the Roman soldiers who crucified him. He would have protested. But no. It wasn’t about his personal survival. He was on a mission that was bigger than that. All truly spiritual people are not interested in their own physical survival but they can be very fierce when it comes to the world of the spirit.
The unfortunate part of this is that they are human and are equipped with emotions for a reason. And if all our emotions aren’t given their proper outlets, our spiritual path may be stunted.
Some of these emotions are unpleasant, such as fear and anger, but they are also part of our well-put-together systems. When I was growing up I was taught that Jesus was the Lamb of God: Meek and mild, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers. But I also had several example of Jesus’s anger.
He tossed over the tables of the money changers and threw them out of the temple. He rebuked the barren fig tree. He rebuked his disciples for deserting him and turning on him. He was not meek and mild at all. But notice that he wasn’t standing up for his personal self. He was standing up for his mission.
If he had stood up for his personal self, he would have fought the Roman soldiers who crucified him. He would have protested. But no. It wasn’t about his personal survival. He was on a mission that was bigger than that. All truly spiritual people are not interested in their own physical survival but they can be very fierce when it comes to the world of the spirit.
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