Many of us stand at the edge of darkness, watching cherished rights and values under attack. Each day brings new assaults on democracy, human dignity, and basic freedoms. The constant barrage of troubling news triggers our deepest fears and anger – exactly as intended.
Those who seek to divide us understand the power of emotional exhaustion. They want us reacting from fear and rage, sharing angry memes and helpless protests while they systematically dismantle protections and rights. Like an elephant being trained to accept its chains, we’re meant to learn helplessness through repeated demonstrations of our powerlessness.
But there is another way.
The Path of the Spiritual Warrior
The first step is counterintuitive: we must turn to love. Not the easy love of those who think like us, but the challenging love that encompasses all humanity. We must connect with Source, God, the Universe – whatever name resonates with you – and FEEL that divine love flowing through us.
Here’s a crucial truth: if you’re connecting with higher power and feeling hatred, fear, or condemnation, you are not truly connected. Source is pure love. The Divine is empathy and compassion. As Bishop Marian Budde demonstrated when she asked for mercy for those who are scared – and was viciously attacked for the “sin” of empathy – standing in love takes tremendous courage.
Remember Jesus’s teachings: they centered on love, empathy, and acceptance. His rare display of anger came when he found the Temple in Jerusalem being used for profit rather than prayer. Finding money changers and merchants exploiting worshippers, he overturned their tables, saying “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” This shows his opposition to those who corrupt sacred spaces with greed.
In contrast, when asked about paying taxes to Rome – a highly political issue – Jesus responded with wisdom: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” This teaches us to maintain perspective while standing firm in our moral principles.
Learning from History
Gerda Weissmann Klein’s Holocaust memoir “All But My Life” offers crucial lessons for our time:
- Hope has sustaining power, enabling us to face seemingly insurmountable challenges
- Bearing witness is vital – we must see and share the stories of those being marginalized
- Morality is always a choice – no matter the circumstances, we can choose love and compassion
Practical Actions for Spiritual Warriors:
- Stay Informed Mindfully:
- Follow thoughtful analysts like Heather Cox Richardson
- Get news from multiple reliable sources
- Focus on understanding, not just reacting
- Support Leaders of Love:
- Identify and protect those leading with courage and conviction
- Speak up calmly and lovingly
- Support legitimate organizations directly (after careful verification)
- Be a Light:
- Smile at strangers, especially those different from you
- Create safe spaces in your community
- Share stories that humanize the marginalized
- Choose love over fear, consistently and deliberately
- Maintain Spiritual Practice:
- Ground yourself in divine love daily
- Channel anger into constructive action
- Remember: spiritual warfare is won through love, not hate
The darkness feels overwhelming, but remember – light workers are most needed in the darkest times. Our power lies not in outrage but in steady, loving, determined action. When they expect us to hate, we will love harder. When they push for division, we will build stronger bridges.
This is not passive acceptance – it’s revolutionary love in action. And it’s how real change happens.