This is an important day for me due to your post.
I have been holding back my anger for so long and reading Bible commentaries nearly daily (or 99.9% since 2016). Decades earlier read off and on (70 or 80 books).
Your lines from the Talmud are so important for me to read at this time of crisis with President Trump and his enemies:
Those who are kind to the cruel,
in the end will be cruel to the kind.”
origin is Qohelet Raba 7:16 according to the source I just found. I have read very little of the Talmud, actually.
I have wasted my life being kind and compassionate and gentle, as has President Trump.
He left an easy, sure thing life of a billionaire’s pleasure in order to serve the American people (yes and get his name revered as important in history,I admit). Hateful, spiteful enemies tried to destroy him before his inauguration and ever since. He did no harm to any of them, even LGBT, and certainly not black people. They are trying to destroy him anyway.
I will not waste my life, whatever is left at age 72, being compassionate and gentle.
Thank you for your life changing post.
I do think there is too much sentimental "mercy" these days, a false mercy which is just based on cheap grace and easy-believe-ism. It comes from valuing your precious "feelings" above the difficult requirements of truth and justice.
Gentleness and compassion have a place: gentleness to those who are innocent and easily hurt (little children, the physically frail) and compassionate toward people who are being ill-used and spat on by barbarians.
But it should be given for reality-based reasons. Not just to make ourselves feel that we must be very fine people indeed, finer than all the rest!