“there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every
other sin is a variation of theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life... you
steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you
tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal
the right to fairness... there is no act more wretched than stealing.”
from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
It's been a decade since I last read those words, but it's only now that I fully realize its full impact. All trespasses committed by one being over another are essentially unauthorized abductions of another being's energy.
It could as simple as a theft of a bag of chip from a convenience store or as complicated as Hitler's war crimes during World War II. Theft involves not only the obvious like things, ideas, or lives; but also the not-so-obvious like trust, faith, and love.
When a father forces his son into the family business, he is stealing son's freedom of choice.
When a mother forbids her youngest daughter to marry so that she can have a caretaker in her old age, she is stealing her daughter's future.
When a man cheats on his wife, he is stealing her love and loyalty.
When a Teacher withhold certain knowledge because he fears his disciples might surpass him, he is stealing their chances to grow.
When a woman monopolizes her friend's time so she can indulge herself in her own drama, she is stealing her friend's patience and sympathy.
When a priest asserts his position of power over his altar boys and girls in order to satisfy his own sexual needs, he is stealing their innocence.
When a father gets drunk and threatens his family with a knife, he is stealing their peace of mind.
And when a person loses Faith in God, he is stealing faith from himself.
from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
It's been a decade since I last read those words, but it's only now that I fully realize its full impact. All trespasses committed by one being over another are essentially unauthorized abductions of another being's energy.
It could as simple as a theft of a bag of chip from a convenience store or as complicated as Hitler's war crimes during World War II. Theft involves not only the obvious like things, ideas, or lives; but also the not-so-obvious like trust, faith, and love.
When a father forces his son into the family business, he is stealing son's freedom of choice.
When a mother forbids her youngest daughter to marry so that she can have a caretaker in her old age, she is stealing her daughter's future.
When a man cheats on his wife, he is stealing her love and loyalty.
When a Teacher withhold certain knowledge because he fears his disciples might surpass him, he is stealing their chances to grow.
When a woman monopolizes her friend's time so she can indulge herself in her own drama, she is stealing her friend's patience and sympathy.
When a priest asserts his position of power over his altar boys and girls in order to satisfy his own sexual needs, he is stealing their innocence.
When a father gets drunk and threatens his family with a knife, he is stealing their peace of mind.
And when a person loses Faith in God, he is stealing faith from himself.
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