A Caution Against Uncharitable Thoughts

Commentators and others who are of a sensitive disposition have noticed a number of events that are considered somewhat odd, even though on the face of it they seem like accidents, crimes, and so forth. There have also been a number of natural events that have some wondering if there is more to the events than meets the eye. The usual conclusion by those who are sensitive and observant is to wonder if there is a linkage to Biblical prophecy.

There is a more obvious linkage in some, but not all, of these incidents. The Bible admonishes against not only sinful deeds, but sinful and uncharitable thoughts.

Proverbs 24:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee.

Matthew 15:18-19
[Jesus said]: But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness blasphemies.

It is ironic that some of the same people who believe in psychics, the efficacy of long distance prayer, and other non verbal forms of communication entirely miss that this is why the Bible is very firm against thoughts of sin and lack of charity in addition to the deeds themselves. "Coveting" for example is a state of mind, not necessarily the actual relationship or the theft. If you begrudge and envy the spiritual good of another person, that is one of the six sins against the Holy Spirit.

I read about two to three dozen newspapers and news sites a day and keep loose track of certain events and trends. There are a number of events that are occurring in part because they are fueled by someone's sinful or uncharitable thoughts, either their own thoughts or someone else's. Let me give a direct example. Any indulgence in an illegal drug, many prescriptions drugs (taken outside of correct needs and dosages) and consumption of alcohol leads to an impairment of judgement on the job, or while recreating. Likewise, thoughts that are devoted to sinful or uncharitable behaviors "take up space" that could otherwise be devoted to being safe and circumspect. Sinful and uncharitable thoughts put the thinker of those thoughts at higher risk of an adverse event happening. Even the possession of a guilty conscience erodes at one's attentiveness at hand, and a momentary distraction can have great results.

Sinful and uncharitable thoughts are also contagious, either consciously or unconsciously. Everyone knows the reality of the feeling of being "stared at" and how you just know when it is happening, and how disconcerting and often negative the results can be. People who are the recipient of negative thoughts can and do feel their effect. Think of the wordless way children may treat the outcast child, having only negative thoughts, for how real that can be in their effect. Negative thoughts are also contagious because people imitate them; it is the gang mentality. If one or more people have sinful or uncharitable thoughts, the people around them learn those thoughts and imitate them, either consciously or unconsciously.

Now, here's another wrinkle. Because we are living in days when the Holy Spirit is very active in order to save humankind from their own doom, there is a boomeranging effect to some of the negative thoughts that are willfully released. Some negative sinful uncharitable thinkers and those near to them end up falling by the very thoughts they had about the innocent. They wish an illness upon someone, and then lo! They fall with that illness themselves. If someone wishes ill upon a holy figure, for example, they may find that a revered figure in their own circles falls. It is a very serious problem in this overly mentally electrified society, with many people unable or unwilling to control their own thoughts and have serenity toward others. So many people have secret agendas for a large proportion of their day to day activities. While meanness of spirit and thought is not a new condition to humans, what is new is the high proportion of many peoples' days having "I'm going to get my own back" thoughts and "Think about the next time to get a gratification rather than full mindedness toward one's child or neighbor."

The connection between mind and body is both more powerful than humans realize, but also not as obvious in how it can be exploited as some of the "wise" think. The book "The Secret" is one example of a big boomerang that looks tasty at first glance. What if you wish for your child to get into the most prestigious school, and get that wish? And then that school is the one where they make their first drug connection. Humans mess things up when they think they know what is the best for them, rather than praying that God brings good things unto them, and not specifying. God never brings bad things (that's apparently human's job to bring bad things and sadness to each other.)

Let me give another example of how to look at this, at the power between mind and body. A few years ago it was discovered that a doctor who is a leader in Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) has himself been diagnosed with it. This was a terribly sad development, and very poignant. As spiritual director, I was asked, "Why God would 'give' or 'allow' this good doctor to 'get' ALS when he has done so much good for others?" I pointed out that they have it turned around in order. People have an instinctive knowledge of their bodies and genes. It's quite likely that this doctor was attracted to ALS research because his body and soul felt the possibility of the ALS genetic and chemical pattern developing within his body. So strong is this doctor's spiritual strength, unbeknownst to him, that he felt his own calling within his own chemistry and genetic makeup. This isn't karma or any other bull**** idea of being screwed over by lives you don't remember, or God being mean, or having a hard plan. What God does have is the Holy Spirit to find the maximum good out of every life, with the goal always being eternal salvation for a life of a day, or 120* years. So one must always remember that humans cannot begin to understand the influence of soul and body in the network of life: only God can see the full picture, and allows humans to pursue their own will.

So now you can see why having a bad thought about someone else is dangerous business indeed. And being preoccupied with bad thoughts in a high risk lifestyle is a poor choice. God is not micro-managing people's lives and thoughts. After all, Adam and Eve insisted they were smart enough to do that and God has respected that wish to its full measure. But people who think only about how much they dislike someone else, covet other people and possessions, work over and over grudges and guilty consciences, look for alien anagrams in every word and number, crave hidden knowledge and power, and think they know what is best for themselves are setting themselves up for a fall and worse, they take innocent people along with them. People better start learning how to have non-agenda thoughts again. There was a time when only a handful of the powerful had agendas at all; everyone else just thought about their work, families, homes, food, and education. Now I'm amazed at how much craving for arcane and agenda driven thinking has infested every level of Western culture. This is one reason that Islam is as fruitful as it is, because by constantly touching base with Allah and his will, the faithful Muslim is inoculating his or her self from total agenda and arcane thinking. So yes, those of you who are wondering about some of the natural, accidental, and criminal events of late are correct to wonder if you are seeing something significant and ultimately unhealthy and unwelcome. Work with the Holy Spirit; not against the Holy Spirit.