Power is like acid on metal. It will corrupt, and do it quickly.We can wish that everyone who is given power uses it to the benefit of all mankind. That won't make it so.
People will convince themselves that their motives are honorable and their actions necessary - no matter what it all looks like to the rest of the world. We are convinced that at the core, in our heart, we are good, generous people......until we are not.
Human beings take care of themselves and their own self interests. We are blind to the evil that lies within each of us, waiting to be expressed. We say, with confidence, "I'd never do that" and then when pushed up against the wall, we go right ahead and do it. And feel justified; feel no need for repentance, amendment of life, reparation to the victims.
Nations are the sum total of their citizens. The US has been blessed with a history of balancing interests and relying on situations to right themselves and yet the Civil War points us to a time when our own system failed us. We couldn't solve that one without killing hundreds of thousands of our own citizens; our social system continues to struggle to right itself and offer true equality to all.
Therefore, we do not have all the answers for all the nations because we are made up of self-interested humans just like they.
The people of Syria and Egypt are struggling mightily against the self-interests of people whose use of power can not be trusted, operating in systems that do not offer the potential for peaceful resolution.
I have no answers, only prayers. Many will die in this struggle of darkness and light, so I pray for the leaders of all nations that they might have wisdom, courage, discernment and patience.....and a good dose of humility would help as well.
Lord have mercy.
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