It matters how we get there

Many people have apparently decided that the ends justify the means

Not actually the real outcomes mind you, but the outcomes they

In their greed, their lust for power, and their fear,

Have decided they can create

If they are only aggressive enough

Radical enough

Brutal enough

And so in the name of economic success

They are willing to neglect the poor and pamper the rich

They are willing to assault the earth and increase climate change

They are willing to remove protections for consumers

And allow the rich and powerful to do whatever they want

The cost will be great

To both humans, animals, and the earth

But as long as the stock market goes up

They don’t care

The end justifies the means

In the name of safety they are willing to

Cage children

Expel good people from our country

Break apart family

Return people to oppression and death

But hey, the end justifies the means

In order to maintain power

They are willing to partner with enemies

Suppress the press

Suppress the vote

Lie

Misrepresent

But hey, the end justifies the means

Except it doesn’t

I happen to believe in the way of some guy named Jesus

He did not believe neglecting the poor was OK

Remember the rich man and Lazarus?  Rich man Dives, he lived so well, but when he died?  The abyss between himself and the Sacred was so great it could not be bridged”

Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats?

And the imperative to feed the hungry, clothe the naked?

Remember the beatitudes

Remember all those passages about truthiness?

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body (Ephesians)”

We pretty much all want the same things

What we don’t agree on is how to get there

We must get there with compassion

We must get there with generosity

We must get there with kindness

We must get there with radical honesty and authenticity

We must get there, together

Because the end does not justify the means

It just doesn’t

And what does one gain if they gain power and wealth

If they “win” by the standards of the world

And pretend the end does justify the means,

and end up with a shriveled soul?

Nothing