The Wrong Path

Today I was listening to the American Forces Network radio station. There were these every-day people, mothers, elders, doctors, sending messages of support to troops in Iraq. Their messages were of appreciation and gratitude.

What American soldiers are doing in Iraq is wrong. But that is not the point.

There are no doubt American soldiers that think what they are doing in Iraq is right. They think they are "liberating" the Iraqis, doing good to humanity, and protecting their nation.

The problem is that these honest, heartfelt messages are reinforcing a wrong perception; they are giving American soldiers the sense that what they are doing is right.

The entirety of the situation seems so strange; these soldiers are so very wrong, yet you can't in a way blame them. I mean if many of the people you love and trust tell you, with tears in their eyes, how much they appreciate what you are doing to serve and protect the world, you can't help but sense and think that what you are doing is righteous.

The lesson to be learned is If you are on the wrong path with a group of people, don't expect them to tell you to head back or that you are on the wrong path. They are just as lost as you are, or else they wouldn't along your side.

This analogy between path and life is so revealing. It clarifies what otherwise would seem baffling. "The straight path" is an expression frequently used in the Holy Quran to represent guidance.

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