Could Yoda have something to say to us about our world today? Somewhere after World War I the world began to change, from a place where nations warred against nations to a place where ideas warred against ideas. We like to portray it as good versus evil, and while this is a generalization and "all generalizations are dangerous" (Alexandre Dumas), how does good overcome evil? Good becoming evil in the process of trying to overcome evil is one of the oldest literary themes.
"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Daesh (ISIL), al Qaeda, Boko Haram - these types of forces in the world feed not from a religion, but from hatred. It's what they breathe and live on. It's what they seek to instill. Whether it's hatred of other Muslims or hatred of Westerners or hatred of Christians, it's an extremist viewpoint that ultimately seeks the destruction of the world, of unifying the world by purging everyone who is different.
The answer to terrorism (I dislike this word but it's the most convenient at the moment) may be quite a bit more counter-intuitive than we think. What if going to war is exactly what the enemy wants? After all, Daesh's taunting social media videos sound a lot like the Emperor's taunting Luke when you think about it. If your enemy keeps trying to get you to do something, there's a good chance you shouldn't do it, even if you don't quite know why yet.
Terrorism breeds on hatred, so what if the answer to terrorism is to stop the hate? We know by now that killing terrorists and bombing their forces doesn't stop them because it doesn't do anything about the hate. Killing bin Laden didn't destroy al Qaeda any more than killing the Emperor didn't destroy the Empire or the Dark Side (taking a guess at the upcoming plot of the new Star Wars release). More pupils will always rise to take their places in evil as long as there is hatred to build on.
There's another source of terrorists, other than hatred, that we've also known about for a long time. It's poverty. Just like we knew in the Cold War that poverty breeds communism, now we know that poverty also breeds terrorism, even if only because it's a paying job that purports to give dignity and a purpose to those who have none of the three.
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Proverbs 15:1
Perhaps our fearful, angry responses leading to xenophobia, intolerance, and hatred are exactly what the enemy is trying to produce in us. What if those responses are actually fueling our enemy? What then? If that's the case, our response should be as exactly opposite as possible.
Could it be that the best response is to welcome the refugee and overwhelm them with our love and compassion? Could it be that the answer to devastated and conflicted states isn't an army of soldiers but an army of doctors and civil servants? What if, rather than "nation building" at gunpoint, we practiced "nation building" with a flood of diplomats and engineers?
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:17-21
I don't have all the answers to complex political and global current events. They require a nuanced view from professionals who study the issues. But I know that we've rarely tried to overcome evil with good, and rarely responded to hatred with love. I wonder if doing so might be how the world can defeat the hatred and poverty that lead to evil, rather than forever being doomed to striking back each time evil pops up.
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