Dear Friends,
It seems to me, what someone has done, anyone can do. This applies not only to great deeds but evil ones as well. Once an evil act has been committed, that means we are all capable of that act, whether or not we believe it. Very few of us are saints. Even many of the saints committed horrific sins, before they became saints. This is one of the aspects of the Epstein scandal that bothers me so. If they are capable of such profound evil then by definition I am. Had I been born in their shoes, raised as they were raised, then quite probably I would have been just as depraved, and maybe worse. So when I cast accusations at those who are credibly accused of sacrificing children to Satan, pedophilia, and even cannibalism, I accuse myself, and all of humanity.
It’s good to look at the great acts of the great people throughout the ages and recognize we are also capable of such acts of heroism. We, you and I, are made of the same stuff as Timoleon, Charlemagne, and Gandhi. The acts they did prove that we are capable of acting in such a way. You are able to be a hero given the right circumstances, and indeed, if push came to shove, you might very well be. The greatness in others is reflected in us. This is why we tell tales of Ulysses, Jason, and Lawrence of Arabia while imagining ourselves as them. This isn’t a vain exercise in naivete, it is self-recognition and building the neural pathways so that if the time comes… we will act as heroes. The same applies to the evil deeds done by others, they taint us as well as them.
We recoil at the horrendous acts of history’s villains. How could moral, ethical, and self-aware people not be horrified? Tamerlane’s slaughter of Hindus was a crime against humanity that dwarfs even Hitler’s atrocities. The Young Turks’ genocide of the Armenians included the crucifixion of pregnant girls. On October 7, 2024, Palestinians launched an attack against Jewish families, slaughtering them, raping them, and putting babies in ovens. You and I recoil at such acts. They are not those of civilized human beings… or so we think. The reality is, if you or I were pushed, we might act out in just as horrible or even more horrible ways. We are made of the same stuff as Tamerlane. So, then, what’s the answer? How do we make the world such that atrocities are never or rarely committed?
Discernment is the answer. Learn discernment, practice it, and teach it. The reason there are so few saints is that so few people learn discernment. Even fewer are born with the gift. Like all skills, it must be learned, and used. Very few people are born with perfect pitch, but most can learn the basic keys. Even if only by singing Do Ray Me… Discernment is the same. There are ways to learn it. Personally, I apply the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. From this position discernment is not difficult. This is because the Golden Rule enforces empathy. It bends the brain to think from the perspective of another. This is very difficult for some people to do, but it is essential for all of us to learn, if we would like to live up to our higher natures instead of down to our base ones.
Once you understand this, that we are all capable of the greatest acts… and the worst ones, you are on your way to wisdom. If you are repulsed by the evil in the world, then look inward. It is in you, and me. Just as that same evil is in everyone else. This means that if we push people far enough, their evil natures MUST come out. This is where discernment comes in. We use the Golden Rule to discern the perspective of others as best we can, then apply that newfound empathy to solve whatever problem there is. Moreover, it is up to us each individually to discern our own actions. In the end, we are not grains of sand in an avalanche, but human beings with the capability of heroically great acts.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
