Again Merton turns to Erasmus on good and evil.
To the objection that rendering good for evil only lays one open to greater evil, Erasmus replied:
"If you can avoid evil by suffering it yourself, do so. Try to help your enemy by overcoming him with kindness and meekness. If this does not help, then it is better that one perish than both of you. It is better that you be enriched with the advantage of patience than to render evil for evil. It is not enough to practice the golden rule in this matter. The greater your position the more ready you ought to be to forgive another's crime."
Here, as usual in Erasmus, one finds no platitudes. the apparently simple suggestion that one can avoid evil by suffering it contains an arresting paradox.
I was especially taken by this comment: "It is better that you be enriched with the advantage of patience than to render evil for evil." Unfortunately, it is so easy to react to the world around me. Patience seems to not exist when I am in the middle of the "grip" of the moment. What I have found is that the community of faithful followers of Jesus is the power that enables me to gain patience and look again at what I will do and who I am. Rather than first being merely reactive, I am then able to at least contemplate a new way to engage evil without becoming a part of its power. It doesn't happen often...but when it does, I am usually very thankful for the presence of others who are able to encourage a perspective of loving kindness.
Connection: "It is not enough to practice the golden rule." It is a good rule...but we are invited into something that transforms and doesn't simply keep us orderly and civil.
Spirit of Abundant Life, how often we find ourselves living the less than abundant life that you have promised to us. Too often, we settle for a version of what is and do not look out to the horizon to see how you bid us too come and walk with you. Again we pray, lift up our eyes. Amen.
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