The Hardest Path

 I'm convinced that the one trait we must be foundationally in possession of, and are so often lacking, is humility. 

I also believe that the vice ravaging the world with the most suffering is and always has been fear. 

What humans are afraid of varies, whether it's fear of losing your way of life, fear of the unknown, fear of losing power or wealth, fear of displeasing a deity, fear of being oppressed yourself, this vice, combined with self-righteousness and pride (AKA a lack of humility) has consistently been the ingredients initiating panic, and inevitably, every war known to man.

I see a lot of fear mongering and a lot of pride in this world, especially in this country. I see it among people from every walk of life, but perhaps not so much as those who call themselves followers of Christ. And I find this ironic, considering that he constantly called his followers to the path of humility, peace, and universal love of each soul as an individual, rather than an ostracizing distrust of another human being born of fear of an entire group.

It's a hard way to live, constantly checking your humility, constantly asking if you are loving each individual individually, if you are fighting the tribal instinct towards fear, if you are falling into the trap of only seeing those who look, believe, and speak like you as fully human, while all others are just not quite as real.

Faith over fear and being entirely steeped in the tea of humility, in my feeling, is the only thing that can bring about peace. And it's funny, really, because fear is the most difficult thing to release, and humility the most difficult virtue to encompass. I hardly think this is coincidental.