Shall We treat those
Who believe and work deeds
Of righteousness, the same
As those who do mischief
On earth? Shall We treat
Those who guard against evil,
The same as those who
Turn aside from the right?
(Here is) a Book which
We have sent down
Unto thee, full of blessings,
That they may mediate
On its signs, and that
Men of understanding may
Receive admonition.
S.38 A.28-29
I came away from this verse with a different perspective, had I not been reading so much of the Koran these past few weeks. I occurred to me that we spend so much time as humans counseling each other, comforting one another, trying to support ourselves in our daily lives. We are particularly empathetic when it comes to sins and failure, often suggesting that none of us are perfect, and that is ok to fall short in our efforts to please God. I understand the motives behind this, but I wonder if we have made it too easy to fail, too comfortable to miss the goal. For the most part, we are not good or evil, but I believe many of us are tilted in one direction or the other. God is forgiving, and we make mistakes, but it is our general attitude and desire to create and follow the correct path that will doom or bless us ultimately. The Koran is here for us, to make sure we are fighting vigilantly, consistently, and faithfully. We cannot simply shrug our shoulders uttering "we are only human after all." It may not be a matter of how many battles we win, but how many we are willing to join and persevere. Living in these two worlds is dangerous, especially if we choose the wrong role models. I believe there are many nice and decent people who will not prevail in eternity, having settled merely for nice and decent. So no, it is not a matter of being righteous sometimes or causing mischief occasionaly, it is a matter of the standard we set for ourselves, and the appropriate counsel we take to achieve it. The Koran is the fist place to start.
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