Dark Side
Everything has its dark side—not a shadow side! For evil is an active force. That is why Satan gained such prominence. In fact, in much of modern Western thinking, the god of light, and the prince of darkness have been equivalent. One could think of evil as goal orientated—and that is not untrue.
The story of G-d in the Old Testament is a G-d of both of justice and mercy. Whether he is good or evil (in our eyes/judgement) reflects the manner in which we (choose to) experience Him in our lives.
The fundamental elements of our lives are all pretty much the same for most of us. If it's bad, or not going well, we might be more inclined to pray. But, I ask, what do you pray for?
Prayer
The highest form of prayer is gratitude—for it reflects the knowledge and understanding that G-d is good. Another level is that of asking for help—acknowledging that you cannot overcome the evil urge without some aid—and who better to ask help from than G-d Almighty. The best is to ask what it is that you need to do or change to remedy the situation—realising that G-d is merciful, and it is up to me to do the work I am needed to do.
To rail against G-d and His works, to beg or demand that He change, or change the situation, is the gateway to Hell. To ask perfection to fix what I judge to be imperfection or demand that the Unchangeable change is absurd. Is it that just as we expect man to improve and become better, we expect G-d to do that same? How arrogant and short-sighted!
Let me apologise for my judgements, and ask a question. May I?
Who/What is G-d?
My question is: Who or What is this G-d you are (or not) praying to? Perhaps, simply put, the picture is of God in heaven above, where He sees, and hears and knows everything. And if He knows everything, how can He allow evil to exist? That, actually, is one of the basic questions of our existence—if G-d is perfect, and if He knows everything, and if He is omnipotent, how can he allow evil to exist? YOU have to answer this question yourself—not parrot some one else's version of the answer, lest you place the care of your soul in another's hands.
If accept that I live in a world of opposites – dark & light, good and bad, etc., I then divide these two realms into one that is ruled by the God of Light, and the other by a Prince of Darkness, the fallen angel, Lucifer, Lord of Hell and Demons, presiding over an everlasting place of flames and pain.
This might answer my original question of evil existence, leaving me in the midst of some cosmic battle of which I am just a pawn. Meanwhile, I have to avoid the devil, both inside and out. He is everywhere (just like God), even in my very thoughts, guiding my actions – "the devil made me do it!?" Now, I must walk the narrow path between God's punishments and Satan's devious temptations...
All is One
There are a number of ways to relieve yourself from this hell of two parents (God and Satan) fighting constantly. The one I follow is to accept the fact that G-d is One.
Because this is so difficult in this binary world we live in, filled with the dualities of this reality, we create mantra's, like chants that we repeat to ourselves and to the community regularly. For instance, in my tradition, we recite the Shema at least twice a day, translated loosely as "Hear, O Israel, the Lord, your G-d is One." It is a calling in the the direction that will produce synthesis.
Let us talk about this unity, the One, as One:
One is One. There is no other.
One is (in) everything. There is nothing else.
One cannot be diminished by removing anything from One.
One cannot be increased by giving anything to One.
One is NOT the ruler over everything. It IS everything—the good, the bad and the ugly. This One is referred to as the hidden aspect of G-d. The outward aspect is what you and I experience in our daily lives, and we judge It by our experience of It. Unless, in your fear and doubt, you have adopted another('s) narrative, and have become an extension of some other('s) drama, subjugating your own narrative to their "greater" one.
Hidden Face
You (and I) have an outer aspect with which we engage the outside world. It is that aspect of ourselves that others experience—what they "see", for it is the "I" that I manifest in the world. The masks and personas that I build in order to be in the external world. Yet within each one of us there is a hidden aspect deeply buried, hiding from the world, and its evil ways.
Many of us are driven by a deep desire to find an other with whom we can share a connection deep enough to reveal that hidden aspect to. Hoping, yet unsure, whether that other will respond with love. That is the place of One, the hidden Face of G-d.
Light & Dark
We cannot lesson the dark by focusing on it. Focusing on it is feeding it. We can only reduce the dark by increasing the light.
We cannot solve a problem by dwelling on it. Eventually it (the darkness) will swallow us. Only by reaching for the light inside yourself can you overcome the darkness—though we are never free of it. For all that we see as objects is through darkness, not light. "He formed the light, and created the darkness." One can only create form in light with darkness!
Similarly, if you obsess over death - if you are in terror of it - it is because you do not believe in a greater narrative than your own life.