Fleas and Angels

"Any flea as it is in God is nobler than the highest of the angels in himself." - German theologian Meister Eckhart.

I first read this quote in Aldous Huxley's The Perrenial Philosophy. And it broke my head because it struck a chord. That chord being the way certain people have treated one another, both in person and online.

And it's not just the past few years (although things do seem to have worsened).

Eckhart's "flea quote" begs the question, "who are society's fleas and angels?"

In other words, who are the ones who have convinced themselves to be so righteous, anyone who disagrees or questions their angelic ways must be banished from polite society?

Take it a step further...

We use flea medicine to ensure the safety of our animals and our homes. This is a no-brainer because nobody I know welcomes fleas into their homes. But have you seen what goes into those medicines? Have fun going down that rabbit hole.

Back to the rhetorical: What if "the remedy" to society's so-called "fleas" is actually making things worse?

Or, and hear me out...

What if we have it backward? What if the fleas are the angels and the angels are the fleas?

One doesn't have to dig deep to see that the worst atrocities were committed in the name of some greater good.

In the future, what will our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids think about the way we treated the so-called fleas of society?