An Open Letter to My Fellow Bleeding Hearts

You’re undoubtedly feeling concerned about current events, with the divide in the United States only worsening the tension and chaos that has been threatening to explode in so many other parts of the world. Those of us living in the US find ourselves nearing a potential crossroads, one that will likely leave us even further divided. We might even see our country pulled into civil war, regardless of who wins the upcoming presidential election, with extremists on both sides of the political aisle fueling the fire.

There is a good chance that chaos will reign here soon. Despite all our best efforts. Despite record numbers of people voting to keep order. If this ends up being the case, it’s important to remember the goodness in your heart—no matter what kind of hatred you witness. Remember that hateful words and actions do nothing but breed more hate.

You have a choice to make: You can be part of the chaos, or you can help to keep order. You can hate someone for hating you, or you can love them despite their hatred. Despite their ignorance. Despite whatever spell has taken hold of them and hardened their spirit.

Remember that there is a natural ebb and flow to this world, and the balance is constantly tipping back and forth.

Think of it as an endless, cosmic game of chess. Love/goodness/order gets to make its move, but then hatred/malevolence/chaos gets a turn to tip the balance its way. Those are the times when we are presented with some of the hardest, but often most important, tests. But ultimately, the question is simple: Is your heart filled with love for your fellow humankind—of every color, shape, size, and belief system—or have you allowed it to fill with hatred and contempt?

All things in this world are finite. Hitler rose and fell, just like Napoleon and Alexander the Great and so many would-dictators who tested their people with their greed and need for conquest and control. The people living under them had their choices to make, too. We read about examples of real-world heroes in our history books, understanding that real-world villains invariably find their way into the narrative as well. But we aren’t given much on what leads to these historical turning points. We don’t get to know the details of day-to-day existence of most of these periods. We just know that hateful people rose to power and convinced other people to join them in committing terrible acts against their fellow humans until it was order’s move once more.

If chaos does come to power, remember that you still have a choice. If people are committing hateful acts around you, you can still choose to be a messenger of love. If a war breaks out, you can choose not to engage. Remember that despite our differences, we are all still brothers and sisters on this planet. And when all is finally said and done, this too will eventually pass. It is up to us to see it through, come what may, with our hearts still intact on the other side of all the madness.

Above all else, don’t give up hope, no matter what tests your spirit. You might turn out to be the strength someone else desperately needs. You might even become one of the history books’ next real-life heroes. You’ve got this. Stay strong and keep loving one another. Order will eventually return.