Complete Test on Metaphysical Psychology in 2 hours

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Thomas Francis University • Course A50 • Segment 2

—Douglas R. Kelley, PhD, CH, CSL

Updated: October 5, 2015

Upon Completion of this Segment, You Will Know About:

 Paying it forward—the power of a positive contribution to humankind.

 Paying it forward by showing true mercy to others.

 Active mercy and paying it forward.

 Mercy vs. righteous indignation, self-righteousness and judgmentalism.

 "Things aren't always what they seem."

 Empathy as a show of mercy.

 Paying it forward with mercy in your metaphysical practice.

 “Saints and Sinners” poem.

Leave the woodpile a little higher than you found it.

—Scandinavian Tradition

any years ago, I first heard the above quote used by the late radio personality, Paul

Harvey. I love the expression, because it encapsulates the very essence of giving back

to the world. Life is about giving and taking, but it's more about giving. If all we do is

use up the "firewood," none will be left for us or anyone else. In other words, if all we ever do is

take from others and from the world around us, we all lose.

Unfortunately, some people only take from others. We all have known these types of people.

Somehow, they just don't get it. Undoubtedly, these people are or will become very lonely individ-

uals, for no one will stay around someone forever who only takes, but does not give back.

People who are only takers suck the life right out of other people. What a tragedy it is when the

world would be a better place if we were dead than if alive. Actually, we need to ask ourselves if

others would be better off with us or without us.1 This is not a time for a "pity party." It is a time to

take a reasonable, rational assessment of whether we add to or take away from others' enjoyment

of life. You hopefully did this in Course G80/G90 when you learned about The Two Most Important

Relationship Questions. But it never hurts to reassess as necessary.

1 Please understand this in the context for which it is intended. This is not a question you should contemplate with a neg-

ative attitude. Be careful of depression. If you are depressed, get help. Don't just assume you are of no value.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

On the other hand, many tend to give back to the world. Can you think of someone that you

have known that has made this world a better place? Likely you have. Many men and women have

left behind a living, lasting legacy of greatness.

In reality, the real heroes are the everyday people who make a big difference in someone's life,

whether a parent, a brother or sister, a friend or a mentor.

In my own life, many have had a positive impact on me, but especially three men I have known:

my father, an uncle and a life-long friend. All have been mentors for me. In addition, I have known

no finer person than my wife, Tracy. She is literally filled with goodness and is unquestionably the

most positive person I have ever known. These fine human beings have all had a significant influ-

ence on who I am as a person today, and I believe that it has been a very good influence.

PAYING IT FORWARD—THE POWER OF A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO HUMANKIND

In 2000, author Catherine Ryan Hyde released her book, Pay It Forward, and not long after, the

Pay It Forward Foundation1 was created followed by a movie of the same name starring Kevin Spac-

ey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment. This book and movie brought the concept of paying it for-

ward to greater public awareness. There is now at least one international “Pay it Forward” days

established by Blake Beattie2 in Australia and embraced by a growing list of countries and states.

The date set for 2011 is April 28.

Paying it forward is a third-party beneficiary concept in which you do something nice for some-

one as a way of paying back another person who did something nice for you. Although it’s been

called “random acts of kindness,” paying it forward involves returning a favor or nice deed to

someone other than the one who originally paid it.

If you took G50: The Nature of Metaphysics, you did a 1-week exercise in which you sought out

opportunities to “do right” for others. Paying it forward is the same concept with a different name.

The powerful aspect that Hyde’s book and movie captured was the concept of paying it forward to

three different people, who then each pay it forward to three other people, and so on. You can see

that this “multi-level” scheme can result in exponential numbers of people doing right for others.

The concept of paying it forward dates back thousands of years. Many references are made to

the concept in various writings, books, and plays, one dating to 317 BC (Wikipedia, “pay it for-

ward”). Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Webb, dated April 22, 1784, wrote:

I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with

another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him;

enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and

shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it

meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal

of good with a little money. (Wikipedia, “pay it forward”)

I will admit that ever since seeing the movie, I have been enthralled with the concept of paying

it forward. In my opinion, there is something about it that has the potential to dramatically change

1 http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org. 2 http://payitforwardday.com.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

our world for the better. The fascinating aspect of the pay it forward concept is that it involves

gratitude and responsibility, that is, we show gratitude and thankfulness for the good we’ve been

shown—even in small ways—then act responsibly in returning that good to another person.

There are obvious benefits to everyone when someone does a “nice” for someone else. 19th Cen-

tury attorney, Albert Pike, wrote, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we

have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, wrote,

"When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die." Both of these individuals and many oth-

ers have championed the concept of paying it forward.

Have you ever known someone that had no reason to live? Perhaps they were depressed, blue,

melancholy, beaten down, or emotionally immobilized. Perhaps they had stopped making a contri-

bution to the world. Whether the way they feel is justified or not, it has long been recognized that

one of the best ways to help ourselves out of a depression is to do something meaningful for some-

one else. It doesn't have to be anything major. It can be as simple as preparing a meal for a sick

friend, encouraging someone who is down and out, helping an elderly person clean his or her home,

or many other small things.

A marvelous thing happens when we do something nice for someone else—we get our mind off

our own troubles, which if left alone, can grow to monstrous proportions. If you want to shrink your

own problems, do something nice for someone else—pay it forward—and do so anonymously if possi-

ble. We can do no greater good than doing a "nice" for someone and not be found out, or expect to

get anything in return.

You will have opportunities to pay it forward in your metaphysical career; take advantage of

those opportunities. Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker, has a signature motto: "You can get

anything you want in life if you'll just help enough other people get what they want." 18th Century

Irish Statesman, Edmund Burke, wrote the famous quote, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is

for good men to do nothing."

The act of paying it forward is often an act of mercy. The next section explores paying it for-

ward in the spirit of showing mercy to others.

PAYING IT FORWARD BY SHOWING TRUE MERCY TO OTHERS

On October 12, 1995, the Rapid City Journal (South Dakota) featured an interesting side-story

that carried the title, "Anger Management Counselor Beats Client." The counselor was obviously an-

noyed with his client to the point of losing control. But this is just minor compared to the problems

of the world. Almost everywhere we look, we see and hear of humans being cruel to one another.

How much better off the world would be if it truly understood the beautiful power of mercy—

another form of paying it forward.

The concept of mercy is, without question, one of the most useful and profound topics that a

person should consider. It touches on everything we do, from business to religion. If Free Will is the

foundation cornerstone of life, then mercy is the mortar that holds it all together. Free Will cannot

exist without mercy and respect for others, and vice versa.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

Although most people give passing attention to mercy, comparatively few really understand it.

Many think that mercy is a quality that is only displayed when someone does something meriting

forgiveness. In fact, many people think of mercy as forgiveness. It is and it is not.

According to the dictionary, one of the definitions of mercy is: "compassion or forbearance

shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power" (Dictionary.com). This definition

emphasizes a type of passive mercy, that is, some mistake must be made before it is offered. More-

over, when it is offered, it can be a powerfully positive thing.

Road rage is a practical example of when passive mercy should be shown. Some drivers succumb

to road rage because someone else is not driving as they think he or she should, or perhaps some-

one cuts them off or something similar. Wouldn't it be an extension of mercy to give other drivers

the benefit of doubt? We do not know what motivates them or what might be responsible for the

way they are driving. Yes, people do stupid things while driving, and it can be irritating. But how

many times have we also done something stupid while driving? If we want others to be tolerant of

us, then we should be tolerant of them. Isn't that reasonable?

American Orator Robert G. Ingersoll, a 19th Century freethinker, recorded a touching story of

passive mercy displayed to a woman and her husband by Abraham Lincoln:

One day a woman, accompanied by a senator, called on the President. The woman was

the wife of one of Mosby's men. [John Mosby was a guerrilla leader for the South dur-

ing the time of the Civil War]. Her husband had been captured, tried and condemned

to be shot. She came to ask for the pardon of her husband. The President heard her

story and then asked what kind of man her husband was: “Is he intemperate, does he

abuse the children and beat you?”

“No, no,” said the wife, “he is a good man, a good husband, he loves me and he loves

the children, and we cannot live without him. The only trouble is that he is a fool

about politics—I live in the North, born there; and if I get him home, he will do no

more fighting for the South.”

“Well,” said Mr. Lincoln, after examining the papers, “I will pardon your husband and

turn him over to you for safe keeping.” The poor woman, overcome with joy, sobbed

as though her heart would break.

“My dear woman,” said Lincoln, “if I had known how badly it was going to make you

feel, I never would have pardoned him.”

“You do not understand me,” she cried between her sobs. “You do not understand

me.”

“Yes, yes, I do,” answered the President, “and if you do not go away at once I shall be

crying with you.”

It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, ex-

cept on the side of mercy.

What a splendid example Lincoln was! To err on the side of mercy is an aspect of Greatness and

is itself a show of mercy.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

Active Mercy and Paying it Forward

The dictionary also had two additional definitions on mercy: "compassionate treatment of those

in distress" (Dictionary.com). These renderings encompass another type of mercy that is much more

powerful: active mercy, which is simply another term for paying it forward.

True mercy in its highest form is an active quality and should be extended in an active fashion.

We should actually look for ways to show mercy to others. Why? Just think about a person who

showed you a kindness at some point in your life. Did he or she help you in some way that you did

not ask for? A practical example is someone helping us when we have broken down on the highway.

This kindness was actually a show of mercy, and we were undoubtedly very appreciative. Didn't it

make you feel very good about yourself and them? And think of a time when you really needed help

and it wasn't forthcoming—maybe no one would stop to help. Wouldn't it have been better all

around if someone had stopped to help?

For active mercy (paying it forward) to take place, three criteria or conditions must be present.

1) There must be a Need; 2) there must be a feeling of Compassion; and 3) there must be an Ac-

tion. Mercy is compassion in action.

These three conditions can be seen in many different situations. In one example, the story is

told of a little English boy's encounter with an American GI during World War II. London had been

repeatedly bombed by the German Luftwaffe (Hitler's Air Force), and parts of the city were in

shambles. Food was scarce. The American soldier had just purchased a dozen doughnuts from a lo-

cal bakery, when he noticed a poorly clothed and desperately hungry boy. After the American sol-

dier offered him his doughnuts, the boy looked up at him and said, "Mister, are you God?"

Notice the three criteria present in this story. The American soldier obviously noticed the situa-

tion and the need, but what if he had stopped there? No mercy would have been extended to the

hungry little boy. What if the soldier had seen the need, felt the compassion, but failed to act?

Again, no mercy would have been shown, and the hungry little boy, who really needed help, would

have gone without—with death as a potential result. It is easy to see that action was required for

true mercy to flow.

It is interesting to note also that the little boy asked the American soldier if he "was God." Obvi-

ously, the man wasn't, but he did show divine mercy, that is, mercy of a higher standard. Isn't it

morally satisfying to know that we too can show this virtuous quality of mercy to the benefit of

others?

We can also extend mercy in everyday situations. One day in September, 1999, I was looking out-

side my office window and saw an elderly man across the street whose Cadillac had stalled. It was

quite a hot day in Southwest Florida and the man, wearing a nasal cannula, (a breathing tube con-

nected to a small handheld oxygen tank), was trying to push his car off the road. His wife was on

my side of the street waiting for a tow truck which had not as yet shown up. As I watched this man,

I saw a need—the man was obviously in no condition to be pushing a big automobile onto the grass. I

then felt compassion for him and then took action by offering my assistance. As it turned out, he

was overheated and very weak. I helped him back across the street to my air-conditioned office, at

which point my wife called for the tow truck again. The elderly man felt a little better, but needed

to go home, while his wife waited for the tow truck. I offered to take him home and he agreed. This

man and his wife were grateful, and showed it by sending a thank you card a few days later.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

The foregoing story is probably one that we all can relate to, because it is very likely that all of

us have done a similar type of thing for someone in need. Notice that it was a small deed; in other

words, I didn't become a hero by saving the world from destruction. And that is a huge point—we

can and should show mercy in small ways every time we discern a need.

What are some other ways that we can show mercy to others? How about smiling at others? Have

you ever walked past someone and said hello or smiled and he or she had no reaction? Have you ev-

er had someone say hello or smile at you without replying? We've all heard the wonderful advice

that we should smile at all whom we meet. The best thing about it is that smiling doesn't cost a

dime, and it pays handsomely with gaining the goodwill of others and giving ourselves reason to feel

good inside.1

But what if we are confronted with a beggar or someone carrying a sign that says, "Will Work for

Food" or similar? Many of us have had to face someone asking us for money on the street or perhaps

from a friend in need. Would it be an extension of mercy to give money to those begging for it?

This is an individual decision to make, but here are some guidelines which may help: Would our

giving money to this person actually encourage him or her in a life of laziness, or some other harm,

like drug addiction? Is he or she making serious attempts to improve his or her lot in life and only

need assistance for a short time? Or would our giving money to someone actually help him or her

out just for the moment, not giving them any incentive to improve? It would not be an act of true

mercy to help a person do him or herself harm.

Back in July of 1989, I was in New Orleans attending a trade convention when I went into a

McDonald’s restaurant on Canal Street for some lunch. As I walked inside, a disheveled elderly man

approached me and asked if I would give him "64 cents for a burger." I took pity on the man and

gave him a couple of bucks. A few minutes later, I had sat down and started to eat when the same

man approached me again and asked for "64 cents for a burger." He was completely oblivious to the

fact that I had already given him money. I asked him if he remembered me giving him money 10

minutes prior. He just turned away without a word, not even a "thank you."

This was a perfect situation to give the benefit of the doubt the first time, which I did. The sec-

ond time, it was obvious to me that this man didn't seem to be after anything other than getting

handouts from as many people as possible. This is only one example. Many other situations call for

discernment and good judgment. Sometimes it is not easy to decide, but we should always temper

our judgment with mercy.

So we see that for true mercy to occur, it must be preceded by a need, a feeling of compassion,

and followed up with action. Remember, mercy is compassion in action. Can we look for opportuni-

ties to show true mercy on a regular basis? Can we make someone's load just a bit lighter? Can we

react calmly and kindly when someone or something irritates us? These are all ways to show higher

human virtues, none the least of which is mercy.

Mercy vs. Righteous Indignation, Self-Righteousness and Judgmentalism

Righteous indignation has the connotation of one being incensed in a virtuous sort of way; of one

being angry in a morally justifiable manner. It may be a concept that is sometimes hard to under-

1 When I say to smile at everyone, of course this must be handled with discretion. Common sense should dictate appropri-

ate as well as inappropriate situations.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

stand fully, especially concerning when we should use it or not. In his essay, "The Search for

Truth,"1 Harlan Vall expressed the topic of righteous indignation very well:

If you would pardon a revision of Charles Dickens' famous statement, I could say of

righteous indignation: It was the best of friends, it was the worst of enemies.

Being justly angry at such things as deception, cruelty, injustice, killing of the inno-

cent, or prejudice can have a powerful motivating impact on us to work to right

wrongs or proclaim the truth in the face of lies. Righteous indignation can raise the

adrenaline to keep us going when we would have otherwise given up. It can make us

willing to sacrifice for a cause we believe is right and it can instill in us a passion that

can inflame others to join us to work for necessary change, but it also has a significant

downside.

Righteous indignation can cause us to be so abrasive, so forceful, so offensive that we

only antagonize the very people we want to communicate with. If, in our anger, we

jump on people with both feet, or if our approach is so 'in your face' that we make

[others] more resolved to defend themselves and their actions, we will not get the re-

sults we desire.

Righteous indignation is a necessary part of being moral creatures, but it also puts us

in danger of being condescending and judgmental so that by our actions we merely

drive people deeper into doing wrong instead of bringing them to freedom, restora-

tion, and righteousness.

Righteous indignation is certainly something that may be proper, but only in its appropriate

place and time. It is important to exercise extreme caution with righteous indignation, because it is

easy to cross the line into self-righteousness and judgmentalism. Righteous indignation is easy to

show impetuously, without thinking. Therefore, we should always consider matters carefully when

we are tempted to display righteous indignation.

At times, people may feel justified in being judgmental and self-righteous in the name of right-

eous indignation. Consider two common areas of life, secular and religious:

Secularly. It seems too many businesses resort to cut-throat competitive measures because of

righteous indignation that has gone awry. They may reason that, "The other guy doesn't do a good

job for his customers," or, "The other guy is the competition so he's a jerk," or something similar. So

they feel justified in doing anything to beat the other guy, no matter how unethical or unkind. Is

this righteous indignation or just an excuse to hate the competition?

I had an experience many years ago in this regard which got me thinking about this very topic. It

concerned the office equipment dealership that I had started a few years prior. I was in competi-

tion with a company where I was formerly employed. The company had now changed hands, and I

had a good friend who was still working there. He told me on two or three occasions that the new

president of this company was determined to put me out of business. He also told me that this new

president didn't just want "part" of the local market, he wanted it "all." My friend further related

this president as saying, "My pockets run deeper than Doug's." It is interesting to note that I had

1 This essay is no longer available online.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

never met this man before, nor had I intentionally done anything to degrade or harm him or his

company.

This man seemed to be caught up with a type of pseudo-righteous indignation, in that he thought

that "all is fair in love and war" and business. All he seemed to see were his own selfish ends and his

own advancement. I wonder if he ever stopped to think about my need to provide for my family,

not to mention my employees. His company was significantly larger than mine, so I was no threat to

him or his continued business, yet he was determined to try to force me out of business, which, for-

tunately, he was unable to do.

Many times, this is the way of big business—profits at any cost. But this approach completely ig-

nores any type of mercy. It shows complete disregard for the human element. This type of business

grows by stepping on its own people at times, or stepping on or assimilating the competition.

From a mercy point of view, the fact is that in business, everybody is entitled to their fair

share—no more, no less. Companies that provide good products and service attract more customers,

and consequently have a bigger share of the business by default. A novel idea for some businesses—

big or small—would be to draw more customers to themselves by providing good service, and with-

out an attitude of indifference. In this way, they show regard for human kindness and mercy.

Religiously. We must be careful not to be critical of others because they don't think or believe

like us. It is common with most, if not all, followers of various religions to believe that they have

the one true religion, appointed by God to dispense His Truth. Based on this reasoning, many reli-

gious people are inclined to justify their disapproval of others who are not of their religious persua-

sion, thinking that they are "just a little better," or that they are "saved," while the others are not.

Further, we might observe weaknesses and imperfections on the part of others that are of our

religious persuasion, and become judgmental and self-righteous toward them. Know this: there is a

thin line between righteous indignation and self-righteousness. If we are not careful, our righteous

indignation can cross the line and make us self-righteous or "holier than thou." There is no harmony

between mercy and self-righteousness. They cannot be reconciled. It is unmerciful to self-

righteously judge others in the name of righteous indignation. Have you ever heard it said about

someone, "They are too heavenly minded to be any earthly good"?

When we catch ourselves adversely judging others, remember this: not one of us asked to be

thrown into this imperfect world. Every one of us would trade an imperfect world for a perfect

world in a heartbeat. As a rule, all of us are trying to do our best, with the knowledge, experience,

and resources that we possess at the moment. While we should not use this reasoning as an excuse

for our actions, it does nevertheless explain why we sometimes do the things that we do. Rather

than acting without thinking, it is important that we actually utilize our knowledge, experience,

and resources in life so as to minimize mistakes.

Furthermore, every one of us has had to face tragedy in our lives. We all face hardships, frustra-

tions, failings, and disappointments on a regular, if not daily, basis. We all have to contend with

the difficulties of life, not to mention the unique inner battle we each fight between right and

wrong.

Any idea of how much guilt we all carry? As discussed in Course G70: Metaphysical and Spiritual

Self-Mastery, nearly everyone burdens themselves with guilt over one thing or another. In turn,

guilt leads to feelings of worthlessness, and sometimes down to a profound level.

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

With knowing all that we individually bear, is there any question as to why we humans do the

things that we do?

Given the fact that we all make serious mistakes, it is only on rare occasions that humans are

ever justified in displaying righteous indignation. Two examples of proper righteous indignation are

that of child abuse and crimes against humanity. There is no moral basis to justify the harm of the

innocent or genocide.

"Things Aren't Always What They Seem"

"Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" is an old expression. But how appro-

priate it is within the context of mercy. We can always afford to give the benefit of the doubt to

others at least once. If a person does not warrant the benefit of the doubt a second time, then we

can make that decision at that time. My approach is to give the benefit of the doubt until I have a

good reason not to.

The primary reason to give the benefit of the doubt is that things are not always as they seem. I

heard an interesting story sometime back that illustrates this point. It was about two traveling an-

gels who had stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and

refused to let the angels stay in the guesthouse. Instead, they were given a small space in the cold

basement of the mansion.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but hospitable farmer and his

wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their own bed

where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels

found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole means of

income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this hap-

pen! The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little, but was will-

ing to share everything, and you let their cow die."

The older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem. When we stayed in the basement

of the mansion, I noticed there was gold in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed

with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then,

last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow

instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

If we have seeming reason to be upset with someone else, it would do us good to find out the

answer to the "Why?" question first. After all, "Things aren't always what they seem." Instead of

jumping to conclusions, let us resolve to be kind to one another, to forgive freely, to overlook the

imperfections of others, and not hastily judge them. Sometimes, when principles are not involved,

it's better to do the kind thing, instead of the right thing. Sometimes, doing the kind thing is the

right thing. We can always afford to give the benefit of the doubt at least once, if not many, many

times.

The bottom line is that every person is usually painfully aware of his or her own shortcomings.

Every minute of every day, we have lurking in the backs of our minds our own legitimate as well as

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

perceived inadequacies and deficiencies. These failings, real or imagined, guide our behaviors,

moods and reactions to various stimuli from the outside world.

No wonder people act the way they do. Life is about learning how to deal with these failings in a

positive way and eliminating them one by one until we have them under control. Then they cease

to cause us to behave in ways that even we do not like.

We all must understand that as a rule, most people do not scheme to deliberately hurt their fel-

low man or woman. Most people do not make mistakes intentionally. It is often nothing but incon-

sideration thoughtlessness rather than deliberate intent.

Having arrived at this understanding, can we really hold animosity and hate in our hearts for

others? We certainly may hate what people do, but we must admit that if people were cured of

their dysfunction then they would behave in a proper way. And this includes us too.

Empathy as a Show of Mercy

Do we as human beings have the authority to judge another human being? In view of the preced-

ing discussion, the answer is flatly "No." We do not have the authority, much less the right, to judge

another human, especially when we have not walked in their steps. Although we may have some

knowledge of another's misery, we know nothing of what their suffering means to them. We know

not of how their suffering affects them deep inside. We may not agree with their life style, but that

does not matter—we still have no license to judge them.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow very eloquently expressed the true spirit of mercy and compassion

when he wrote, "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s

life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." In like manner, if we really take a compas-

sionate and empathetic look at our fellow man or woman, can we not find kindness and mercy in

our hearts for them in view of their "sorrow and suffering"? Instead of quickly jumping to conclu-

sions about another's motives, we must first consider the human element, and what he or she may

be dealing with. People under stress do things that they otherwise would not do.

If we embrace the preceding arguments in favor of displaying active mercy, then we can begin to

feel empathy and compassion for others in their plight, and pay it forward. After all, would we not

want the same consideration from them? We must resist the inherent human tendency to minimize

our own mistakes while maximizing the mistakes of others.

Alexander Pope, an 18th Century poet, also expressed the character of true mercy beautifully

when he wrote, “Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see; the mercy I to others

show, that mercy show to me.”

In addition, this includes respect and empathy for all races. We are all human, and each culture

has its own way of looking at things. The many differences in people and cultures offers no justifia-

ble reason for intolerance and hate. No one on this planet has any more or less right to live and

breathe than any other person. Moreover, each person has the same rights as anyone else to the

good things life has to offer.

Little else in our world compares with the unmerciful intolerance of different races. I deplore

the expression "Colored," because we are all colored. It makes no difference whether you are

white, black, brown, red, yellow, Caucasian, or Asian—or anything in between—we are all part of

one human family. One planet, one race, one ancestry, one destiny. Humans complement one an-

Segment 2: Paying it Forward

other with individual diversity. Thomas Paine, a 17th Century freethinker, expressed a beautiful at-

titude of mercy for us to display when he wrote, "The world is my country and to do good, my reli-

gion."

PAYING IT FORWARD WITH MERCY IN YOUR METAPHYSICAL PRACTICE

Regardless of whether your doctoral specialization is a metaphysical minister, practitioner, or

anomalous researcher, take in the lessons in this segment and look for ways that you can lighten

the load of the world by actively paying it forward whenever you see an opportunity. And look for

opportunities.

Mrs. Urioste Sums Up Feelings in Poem

January 6, 1976, Denver, Colorado Rocky Mountain News

Mrs. Lena Urioste, the wife of the New Mexico union leader sent to prison Monday, handed a sheet of paper to

a reporter when asked for her feelings about her husband’s sentence. On the paper, she had written the fol-

lowing poem:

Saints and Sinners

When some fellow yields to temptation,

And breaks a conventional law,

We look for no good in his makeup,

But God, how we look for a flaw.

No one will ask, “How was he tempted?”

Nor allow for the battles he’s fought;

His name becomes food for the jackals;

For us who have never been caught.

“He has sinned!” we shout from the housetops.

We forget the good he has done.

We center on ONE lost battle

And forget the ones he has won.

“Come. Gaze on the sinner,” we thunder.

“And by his example be taught

“That his footsteps lead to destruction,”

Cry we who have never been caught.

I’m a sinner, O Lord, and I know it.

I’m weak, I blunder, I fail.

I’m tossed on life’s stormy ocean

Like a ship embroiled in a gale.

I’m willing to trust in thy mercy;

To keep the commandments thou’st taught.

But deliver me, Lord, from the judgment

Of saints who have never been caught.