Being silenced to such a terribly frightening degree as a result of these sort of crimes has shown me the nature of deceit. As is evident to devastating degrees in my own story, unfortunately is also evident in so many other people’s stories. When love is used as a tool to hurt and for selfish gain, so many people are hurt. Deception devastates so many people. Lies have the power to destroy lives. They have the power to cause others to stumble and to lose their faith or even love. This is the tool of the enemy. He is not called the father of lies for any reason. The enemy created lies and deception. He influences men to lie and therefore to create pain and suffering. “There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). God, on the contrary, stands for Truth and light. To God, everything is revealed. Let me say this very clearly: God is opposed to the liar, deception is not found at all within Him. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). To know Truth and to understand it when it is presented to you – also to understand and know lies for what they are – we have to fill our hearts with truth, the Sacraments and the Word of God. Speak in truth to each other. That is to speak in love to one another. “Then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free” (John 8:32). But we must also be aware of the strength that the darkness has gathered in these days. We must be on guard and stand firmly convicted to the Truth. Because of the power of deception, it is very often, far too difficult to see truth when it is standing right in front of us. People are made blind to truth and lies because of the coercion of the evil one. The darkness within ourselves can be greatly strengthened by our own sin. For when we are in a state of sin, the evil one is allowed to reign. Bad people are not always bad people. Good people are not always good people. It’s a difficult thought, I know. Our first impressions of a thing is not always the right belief. What is on the outside is not always an exact indication of what is in the inside. Some of the characters in my own story are an illustration of this. That while what was on the outside appeared to be righteous and good intentioned, there lay secrets deep beneath that. Still, we have to be reminded that suffering leads to sin. It follows that we must deal with our emotional, physical and relational wounds in order to be liberated enough to allow our spirits to show in our actions and to possess the conscious will to resist sin with the strength that Christ provides us. What I am saying is that what is on the surface (including that which is presented to be on the surface through our actions, words and deeds) are not always clear indications of what lies underneath. Bad people are not always bad people. Just like good people are not always good people. I can acknowledge that it is a difficult thought. And in no way am I intending to diminish the integrity of truly righteous individuals by saying this. Nobody is perfect. But sometimes, when we sin, we are simply acting out of our frustration through our suffering. And as is plainly evident through many of the characters in my own story, what seems very good and righteous on the surface, can often harbor countless dark secrets. Personally, I feel as if it is important not to judge a person when they sin too harshly. Of course, the ultimate decision lies with the sinner and they must change their behavior. I just feel as though we have to have a lot more faith and compassion in our brother and sister who also suffers, just as we do. For, from my experiences, there is a reason for every single thing we do, say and think, which are often formed in our developmental stages in response to either a positive or a negative force.
I just want to remind you that how a person presents themselves in this
world, what they say and do, is not always the truth of who they are. We live
in a generation in which deceit and lies are strong. Everybody has been through
a lot. And that unprocessed trauma steers our behavior, through its directing
our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. People who are deemed ‘good and righteous
people’ have secrets in their hearts as well. That is not to say that all good
and righteous people are deceitful. I’m just saying that what is on the
surface, is not always a clear indication of what’s beneath. Satan
enters our minds and hearts so sneakily. To be deceitful and to sin is not
always a conscious choice. This is why we must fill our hearts with love and
Truth. In a similar way, people who
are deemed hard, bad and sinners do not always have as bad a heart as we would
like to think. Is it possible that life has simply affected them to the point
where they are cold and distant? These are those for whom Jesus came. Much like
the severity of an amputated limb, trauma can have a similar permanent effect
on people. There are a lot of factors, which contribute to the way trauma(s)
affect individuals. Our metaphorical cups can be filled both with negative
emotion as a result of traumas, injustices and also as a result of harboring
brooding upon bitterness and sinful behaviors. Just as our metaphorical cups
can be filled with love and peace and Truth. Because trauma and bad stuff
affects our lives negatively doesn’t have to prevent us from living full, happy
lives. Fill your hearts with the Spirit in Word and prayer. This is love. It
will have a beautiful effect on people.
