Proverbs 21:10 "The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes."

Throughout the last five years I have seen so many people sucked into the "Narrative" to the point of seeming to hate, or at least want to punish, anyone who did not believe, or even just questioned, any part of it (and there are various narratives, but they are all in service of one overarching "Narrative," it seems to me). This has caused me so much stress and pain, especially when it is people I love behaving this way. I very much believe it is the devil, who has been allowed great leeway by God lately, for reasons I do not understand but have to trust. While I believe it is the devil, there is also an earthly explanation (as there always is, since God and the devil both work through Creation). That earthly explanation, it seems to me, is Mass Formation Psychosis, or something along those lines.

Although the people who are wedded to the Narrative are certainly behaving wickedly, I have been trying very hard not to blame them or judge them, even when their overt actions and behaviors must certainly be called wicked. "The line between good and evil runs through the human heart," (to paraphrase Solzhenitsyn), I keep reminding myself, and they are being more influenced by evil right now because evil is having a day! Given the massive effort and success of the campaign of lies to create and support the Narrative (which, again, seems outside of the power, ability, or even rational desire of human beings, and must be demonic or psychological, or both!), I don't think there is a lot of culpability for believing it.

Where I think individual culpability lies in the face of this onslaught is in how we treat others who do not agree with us. We know that we are to treat all people, even sinners, even the deluded, even criminals, with love and compassion. This does not mean we must tolerate their sins or delusions or crimes, but we are to love them as human beings, and to show them mercy. So even if those who believe the Narrative truly believe that those who do not are wrong, or are "a threat to democracy," or "want to kill Grandma," they know how they must treat those with whom they disagree: with love and compassion, with mercy. Yet, in large part, they have not done so. That is where their culpability lies, in allowing their adherence to the Narrative to warp their souls to desire evil, and give no mercy to their neighbor, even if that neighbor is wrong.

Everyone deserves a chance to defend themselves, that is one way we show them mercy and love. To be judge, jury, and executioner on the basis of our own perceptions of people is to desire evil and lack mercy. It also shows a tremendous lack of humility, a failure to even consider that we could be wrong. Further, even if a person with whom we disagree turns out to be wrong, their punishment, if one is deserved at all, must show our love and mercy, as well. We should not seek vengeance against anyone, that is God's to give.

If we see people lacking mercy, that is a fairly good sign that they have allowed their souls to be overly influenced by evil. We must pray for them, and show them mercy as well, but we do not have to tolerate their wickedness.