The Desert of Deception: How Not to Drink the Sand – #Inspirations for #Peace

It’s hard right now.

Let’s face it: in a world that is currently filling up with darkness, hatred, rage, exploitation, and manipulation, it’s hard to keep the light shining. I’ve been looking for a way to do that for the past 2 months because I’m drowning in all the negativity flooding our social media and the news everywhere I look.

So, how do we stay afloat in this tumultuous ocean of negativity that’s rising and rising and rising around us?

I wish I knew.

I’ve been searching for positivity — joining spiritual and uplifting Facebook groups, even creating one myself. I’ve been watching videos from spiritual leaders like Lorna Byrne (if you haven’t heard of her, I highly recommend looking her up). These things help — they’re like sips of water in a spiritual desert. But it’s hard not to drink the sand when you’re dying of thirst.

Drinking the Sand

There are a lot of people out there who are drinking the sand. I can’t quite understand it, even when a certain person who shall remain nameless in this post lies, hurts others by firing thousands of people, is caught lying, and then lies some more to justify those lies; who stands there and says, I’m canceling funding for cancer research while at the same time trying to show himself a compassionate person by using people who have been hurt to prop up his own propaganda… It’s more frightening to me to see the number of people who still believe this man than the man himself!

Would You Accept This?

Let’s look at it this way: if someone came to you and said I’m going to help you and then punched the person standing next to you in the face while telling you they deserve it, would you allow him to do that?

Would you allow him to do it again and again and again until it feels like the norm?

This is precisely how abusive relationships work. It’s how cult leaders gain power. And it’s exactly how this particular cult leader rose to power.

“Cult leaders use deceptive psychological techniques to influence devoted followers’ behavior, thoughts, and emotions.”
— Steven Hassan, PhD, Freedom of Mind

This Is Cult Behavior — And We Need to See It

While my intention wasn’t to delve into the psychology of cult behavior, we must recognize the reality. This is a cult, and those who support this man are members of his cult, just as surely as those who followed Charles Manson. They believed they were following a savior.

They weren’t.

He led them down a dark, destructive path — and this current leader is walking the same road. The heartbreaking reality is that those who follow him can no longer see the truth. They’ve been manipulated into blindness, and they can’t even recognize that they’re lost.

That’s why it’s so important that we don’t respond with hatred or judgment. They’re not our enemies. They’re our fellow human beings, caught in something they don’t fully understand.

Shining Light in the Darkness

So, how do we continue to shine the Light of Love in this time of darkness? How do we stand in the storm with open arms and say, “I’m here, and I’m not going to hurt you”?

It’s tempting to lash out — to say “I told you so” or to lay blame- but that only adds to the darkness. Instead, we need to choose something radically different. We need to choose love. We need to be ready and willing to embrace them as a brother or a sister, and to do what Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory might do: pour them a hot beverage in their time of distress and listen.

Because if we don’t, we’ve become as dark as the darkness around us.

Steps Toward Connection and Healing

It starts with understanding. If we want to reconnect with those lost in the desert of deception, dying of thirst and drinking the sand, we need to remember they didn’t choose to be manipulated. They were led there—step by step.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about how to approach these conversations with love and care:

Avoid confrontational topics — Instead, focus on areas of common ground where positive connection can grow.Be ready to listen — Sometimes, people just need someone willing to hear their story without judgment.Remind them of your shared history — Talk about the memories you’ve built together and the connection you miss.Use “I” statements instead of accusations — “I feel concerned” lands better than “You’re wrong.”Offer gentle alternate perspectives — Planting seeds works better than trying to tear down walls.Don’t overwhelm them with information — Too much, too soon, especially if it challenges their worldview, will only make them defensive.Above All: Remember Love

Where do we start? With Love.

Love loves. It loves them, it loves you, it loves me.

This is what we should strive to practice — even if it’s imperfect, even if all we can offer is a single, hesitant gesture of kindness. Love doesn’t ask for perfection, only presence. In the quiet moments — a deep breath instead of an angry reply, a soft smile offered through the hurt — the light keeps shining.
Because every flicker of light matters.
And sometimes, the slightest flicker is all it takes to show someone there’s still water in the desert.

~Morgan~

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