The Words of the Schellen Family

The Retaliation Trap

Hermine Schellen
August 20, 2011


Sun Myung Moon and Haj Ja Han, May 15, 2011

Just recently I became again vividly reminded of the great negative effect 'retaliation' causes. As I was in a situation that made me feel outraged, I felt a real incentive to retaliate. Any attack from the side of evil, is truly always a great challenge to digest. However, when I began to reflect on the situation, it was clear that, retaliation is a wrong move, since it would establish a common base with the negative force. Just like positive Give and Take Action, can help us to grow spiritually, negative Give and Take Action, will cause the exact opposite. On I thought more about this, I realized that this is truly the key method for Satan to multiply evil and keep humans captivated in the realm of negativity one's, we allow our self to be driven into this vicious Cycle of Retaliation.

The most extreme example that I could come up with, is the conflict here in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians. Both sides perpetuate the conflict, based on the Rule of Retaliation, and they clearly justify this to be the right and fair thing to do. But what they don't see is that by applying this rule they are actually caught in a vicious Cycle of Revenge. Clearly the rule of Retaliation is a Rule that Satan try's to stimulate and encourage whenever and where ever, because once people are caught in this cycle they cannot easily escape. Wars, Social unrests, Family breakdowns etc.. are the most vivid examples of this. The less obvious example would be, that one is caught by negative thoughts and emotions, which will paralyze a person to live a life for sake of the others, because one is being captured by self-pity, dissolution, hatred etc… To live for sake of the others one requires a certain motivation to do so that comes from the innermost heart, and when that innermost heart is blocked, one is unable to follow that universal Law and therefore there cannot be any real positive progress in one's spiritual life.

Because of the great destructive effect of Retaliation, God tried to show us humans a way out of this trap, through the teaching of Jesus. The New Testament is full of ideas that are guiding us to forgive, or to turn the other cheek, or even going as far as loving one's enemy. An enemy is anyone that causes pain and misery to us or our life. And quite often one's greatest enemy could be at times the person closest to us. Since that person can hurt us most. For example, Family feuds are reaching dramatic levels if both quarreling parties apply the rule of Retaliation. One is being hit verbally and then hits right back, through that the Vicious cycle of Retaliation is activated, which can cause great damage if not blocked before.

I think it is very important to expose clearly the great destructive force behind the Rule of Retaliation on all Levels. Especially here in the Middle East, as both Key Players in the Regional Conflict, absolutely adhere to the Rule of Retaliation, as this is perceived as the only Option to regain one's Freedom and Justice, as well as Safety. However this rule is truly the greatest Trap, because it does not lead to Justice and Freedom in the truest sense, but on the contrary only reinforces the vicious cycle of Conflict and War, which means No real Justice, No real Freedom and definitely No Safety can be obtained for the People and Parties involved.

As God promotes FORGIVENESS, as means to go beyond conflict and pain, Satan promotes the exact opposite, RETALIATION! That's why we need to expose and uproot this 'Rule of Retaliation on all Levels. Starting from the Individual, Family, Society, and National Level.

Aju 

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