“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

~ Matthew 4:19

May he be happy
May he be healthy
May he be holy
May he be safe
May he be peaceful and ease

Wait. What in the world?
Pray for a tyrant, a dictator, a mad man, a murderer?

Yes.

Why?

Because the wise masters of peace say to.
Dr. King, Buddha, Jesus, Lao-Tsu and more- they ALL said the same thing. Love your enemies.

You say you’re not sure how, what to do, that anything can be done about this madman? You’ll help in any way you can? You’re open to new ideas? Well here ya go!

Metta Meditation.

The point of metta is to send unconditional loving kindness to all. You do it for yourself, those you love, those you don’t love (super dislike) and also a wider community, like our broken world.

In the meantime, you develop a compassionate heart, and your mind stops its ruminating and puts out something good instead. It’s a win win. And- maybe, just maybe, that person of hate, will move just a little bit closer to being whole, and sane. And if he doesn’t? Well you probably just did.

JESUS SAYS: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:43-44)

MLK SAYS: “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Metta meditation was taught by the Buddha 2600 years He said,

“Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease. Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none…”

Read about these guys. They all say the same thing. Maybe we really are all souls from one Being- including the narcissists and definitely deranged- just trying to find our way Home.
The message and delivery throughout history and faith traditions may be varied but it all comes from the same place.
Find that place of love- in your heart- and get after it.

You can fund all kinds of Metta Meditations online by Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddha himself and many modern day practitioners. Or make one up like I did. I recite it on chairlifts, and walks in the woods, drives in the car. On a boat, in a moat, with a goat. In a LYFT, when you’re miffed, you get the drift.

METTA

It’s calming, it’s relaxing, and it’s good energy.