Rage Against Injustice
Injustice easily provokes rage amongst both those subjected to it and others of conscience. Grant yourself this truth, both generally and in specific moments when it is brought on. Do not, however, let it be the end of how you feel, lest you be so consumed by it you shut down and give up, create further injustice, or simply live your life in a miserable condition. This is the error of many who object to the offenses and wrongs of the world.
To find peace in the midst of injustice is not to ignore or suppress rage but to actively choose love, which then becomes the true motivating energy. This can sometimes be a difficult act which must be reasserted moment by moment. But it is the only way to avoid immolating yourself from within.
Love cannot guarantee instant success, but neither can rage. Rage can prompt action, but choosing love as motivator sacrifices nothing in the assertion of facts or point of view. Force begets force begets force, but interrupting trouble with peace allows those who might be willing to hear you to listen. Those who refuse to hear will not listen in either case. Were those who perpetrate injustice in a position in which they could be so easily compelled by force, they would not be so casually and continually unjust in the first place. And without that force, rage has nowhere of any use to go. The peaceful approach, however, has a long history of efficacy, even against the wrongs of those with great power. It is, in fact, so compelling in some cases that oppressors have been known to try to deliberately provoke violence amongst those they oppress so as to justify their own violence in response to it. This is a common bullying tactic.
Where justice is denied or long in coming, love and peace keep those who endure the wait or struggle from falling into malaise and self-destruction. They also prevent the embarrassment - or worse - that can result from becoming irate over a misunderstanding. It is up to each individual to decide in each situation how to enact this ideal. Will you openly object here? Will you give more than was demanded of you there? Will you accept something specific as it is, either permanently or at least for the time being? How can you best help tensions to dissipate? How will you strive for the best outcome? Consider before you act, but feel before you consider. Remember that many who are moved by love first discovered how much they cared by way of their indignation. But then also bear in mind that you will be less turned aside from true peace and love in your heart than from the mere idea of them in your head.
Prayer will aid you in difficult times. Persist sincerely in it, remembering also to give your thanks. You will be shown the way to lift free of your fear and anger. Give rage its due, but no more. It is an honest reaction. But dealing with grievance calls for action, not reaction - first and foremost within your own heart and mind.
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