Born and raised in the Family. I’m presently in WS where I do art work for the pubs.

I’m not the best of writers, as being an artist I tend to express myself better in pictures, but for this words must suffice and so I will do my best as I really wanted to say something about what I feel with this whole tragic situation that has happened with Pete and Angela and all the ensuing repercussions.

It definitely came as a shock when I heard about what had happened to Pete and Angela and I feel for all those who have lost someone through this, whether it was their child, brother, sister, family, friend or special love. There is no way around the loss that each ones feels, and I know that it is hard to loose someone in this way; I personally lost a dad when I was young so my heart goes out to you.

But right now what makes me even more sad is that this whole thing is being turned into something more terrible, uglier, hurtful, damaging and destructive than the initial tragedy and is going to destroy many more lives, and not for a good cause either, might I add. Because whether those who think they are doing a service to humanity by bringing the Family to “justice” or trying to place the blame of the actions of Pete on his upbringing, should take a closer look at their own lives and where this will bring them and also who’s lives they are making even more miserable and difficult through blowing it out of proportion or by spewing out their venomous words.

You cannot sow hate and bitterness and expect good in return. In thinking that by getting vengeance you will get peace, think again, for there can be no peace where were hate is found and there will be no love were bitterness is held. You will never find the answers by trying to place the blame or by closing yourself off to the truth. You cannot reject the light without putting yourself in darkness.

With so much pain and sorrow already in the world it’s amazing that people would seek even more of it and would try and place blame and divide families and friends over something that although tragic and sad, is not the way to help those that are suffering get through it. If you by your actions are causing the families that have to deal with this loss more pain by your hurtful words and by trying to sew the seeds of bitterness in their hearts then you’ll be sorry one day for all the hurt you are causing people.

I personally believe in love, in loving my brothers and sisters in laying down my life for their happiness and this in turn makes me happy. I do not have fear of what will happen but I have perfect peace in that this is the life for me. No one has forced me, nor am I deluded, I have made this choice by what I have seen, what I have experienced and what I have decided upon as far as what is the most important thing in this world to me, Jesus.

To me it’s not about what others have done to me, but what I can do for others. In my opinion again, this whole retribution thing is rather selfish, self-centered and childish. Why not do something useful instead of living in the past, why not try making someone else’s life better than trying to tear down the lives of countless families who are already sacrificing so much and who are already giving to others not taking as you are so desiring too. Also maybe you should ask this question to yourself, if you did have your revenge and the Family was destroyed, do you honestly think it’s going to stop there? If so then you are very deluded. Don’t think that once you get your revenge and have managed to destroy countless other people’s lives that you will then be able to live happily with yourself. You won’t. You will never be rid of it, and you will always be seeking something to blame and you will be destroyed by your hate and bitterness. So beware, lest you be your own worst enemy.

I believe in giving my life for this family and for what it stands for, past, present and future. I do not care about myself in all of this, but I do care for those whose lives are being hurt by lies and by deceit, especially those who are trying to move on with their lives. I feel sorry for Pete too. I met him once before he left the Family and he was a nice person. So in my opinion I find that one verse very fitting “by their fruits yea shall know them” and as far as I’m concerned as soon as he got hooked up with people that were negative about the Family, the fruits of their lives did show.

Right now there is a choice that all must make, and it’s not a light thing, because you cannot serve two masters. I have made my choice, I have no doubts whatsoever in what I believe and who I am serving. So who are you serving by your deeds and actions and by the things that you say and by the things you believe? If you still do believe in God and that there is a God, then you should be really careful as to what you decide to do about all of this and to what you decide to believe.

The commandment that says “love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself” is the best fitting in this. Are you honestly doing the most loving thing and actually helping to make another’s life better, or are you tearing down lives? Because it seems like all of us in the Family are pretty happy about being here, and don’t need to be “saved” thank you very much. So the loving thing to do would be to leave us alone, as well as those who need help through this time, not more pain or sorrow added to it. And then you should have a good life yourself, please really I want you to have a blast too. But you won’t if you’re lugging around your bitterness of the past and picking up more and more weights with all the lies that you believe that you had it so bad and were deprived, etc. If you want to know what deprived means, why don’t you go to a place where that meaning can actually be used properly. Do you think you had it bad? Get a grip. Didn’t you notice any that there were lots of other people and children in the world who had it worse off than you? So count your lucky stars, cuz you are in a very small percentage. You got an education and had a decent life and had a roof over your head, and especially now with so many people actually suffering on such a large scale, your worries and problems should be put into proper perspective, in the past were they belong.

Once again I want to say that I will remain thankful to the Family for all that I have, and to Dad and Mama and Peter. I’m also thankful for the rough times and the difficult times I had too, because I personally would not have wanted to live in a little la la land of perfection that really does not exist, where everything is perfect and where you get everything you want. How would I even be able to relate to so many people in the world if I didn’t experience a bit of hardship. Like its says, “Problems will either make you better or bitter”. I choose “better”, how about you?

I’ll stop here, but again, I really do pray and hope that you can accept peace instead of hate, that love can fill your hearts instead of bitterness, that you can find happiness instead of anger and revenge, have light instead of darkness. That’s the best way to go.

I love you, and whether you want them or not, you’ve got my prayers,

Sabine

Sabine (24) is a second generation member of the Family International.