“The fact that the spiritual leaders and the religious teachers of the Jewish nation onetime rejected the teachings of Jesus and conspired to bring about his cruel death, does not in any manner affect the status of any individual Jew in his standing before God.” [UB, 175:2.1]

Thought Adjuster: “History repeats itself unless humankind extracts practical wisdom from its bitter lessons. Then, what was once a regrettable turn of events morphs into a generational asset.

“[A] shudder of horror passes over the onlooking celestial beings as they behold the professed followers of Jesus indulge themselves in persecuting, harassing, and even murdering the later-day descendants of Peter, Philip, Matthew, and others of the Palestinian Jews who so gloriously yielded up their lives as the first martyrs of the gospel of the heavenly kingdom.” [UB, 175.2.2.]

Do you think they would feel any differently when witnessing the holding of spiritual grudges that have left a tearful trail in their wake? Those who perpetrate such divisive behaviors fail to realize the basic tenants of progressive evolution. Going back to the ignorance of the early ages, it is no wonder that this ever-ongoing process is fraught with hits and misses, successes and failures. 

Jesus’ life, if well understood, should make a world of difference in the planetary interactions. Undeniably, many innocent victims have suffered at the hands of self-appointed vigilantes, fueled by hate-in-action, who consistently assign blame to others—living or dead—for the sorry state of affairs to which they contribute.

For the most part, slavery is a thing of the past. “How cruel and unreasoning to compel innocent children to suffer for the sins of their progenitors, misdeeds of which they are wholly ignorant, and for which they could in no way be responsible! And to do such wicked deeds in the name of one who taught his disciples to love even their enemies!” [UB, 175:2.3]

Assume for a moment the correctness of the reasoning of those who blame their contemporaries based on their racial, political, or religious affiliations for crimes perpetuated by long-dead personalities. Wouldn’t such trains of thoughts exert similar adversarial consequences on their later days’ descendants? To demand restitution and apologies from parties absent during the perpetration of such barbaric deeds is a flagrant miscarriage of justice.

The pardon that Jesus outpoured to his executioners was intent on cutting short the lifespan of personal or collective vendettas.

When faced with the emotional campaigning of misguided souls, be the one who breaks the spell. Practice instant forgiveness giving thanks to Jesus and his followers who role-modeled such noble behaviors, thus promoting peace among men.

What about giving credit for a change to those whose lives contributed to what is good in your generation? Positive thinking leads to positive feeling, which in turn prompts positive initiatives.”