"When I read or watch the news, my biggest temptation is to judge those who disagree with me. The prayer that often pops into my mind, after reading the newspaper or listening to a television news show, goes something like this: 'Dear God, please remove from my mind my sense that I'm right and other people are wrong, my temptation to feel contempt toward those I disagree with, and this feeling of complete and utter powerlessness with my sense that the world is falling apart. Help me to forgive. And use me, if possible, that I might help to make things better. Amen' . . .
"Feeling our sadness and fear is actually more difficult than exploding in anger, yet it's essential if we are to become the spiritual activists who can re-create the world. We must see with total clarity that what is not love is fear. And we must understand that every negative emotion therefore derives from fear. When we allow ourselves to feel the fear and sadness that lies behind our anger, our judgments undergo an extraordinary transformation, and our fury turns into compassion. This is an important issue if we really want to change the world. We have no morally persuasive power with people who can feel our underlying contempt. We cannot communicate in meaningful ways with those whom we approach with judgment or blame."
