Hi Friend,
The French poet Baudelaire wrote an unusual short story about meeting the devil. He wrote that the devil “did not complain in any way about the bad reputation he enjoyed all over the world. He assured me that he himself was the person most interested in the destruction of superstition, and admitted to me that he had only been afraid for his own power one time, and that was the day when he had heard a preacher, more subtle than his colleagues, shout out from the pulpit: ‘My dear brothers, never forget…that the devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist!’”
The poet may be right. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, man hesitates to believe that evil exists.
Surprising isn’t it? We teach children about the danger of talking to strangers; install expensive security systems on home and cars; avoid certain parts of town—especially at night—and protect vital information about our financial accounts. Why do we do this?—to protect ourselves from evil.
Most of us don’t waste time thinking about how we can harm others. It isn’t part of our thought process, so it’s hard for us to conceive that there are people who do. What computer operator hasn’t wondered “who creates computer viruses?” Why does someone that smart spend so much time planning a way to injure others, particularly when he has nothing to gain? It’s hard to rationalize that people actually lie awake at night planning a method to harm total strangers. Crooks really do hide in the dark to steal cars and rob strangers.
Some will accuse me of being paranoid—and then they will buy a home in a gated community.
The rational person can’t fathom the mind of people who strap bombs on the backs of their children and send them into a crowded market for the sole purpose of causing injury and death. How could a mom, ANY mom, give birth to a child, protect and love the child and yet end the life of the one they love in such a diabolical way?
The idealistic side of our minds says that all men are like we are. We can reason with other people. We think we can overcome evil with good—meaning we can change an evil person if we are good enough. People who do good deeds often serve as a catalyst for change. But the extremity of this reasoning takes choice away from the evil person. The concept that all humans have the God-given ability to repent of sin is the most empowering idea of civilization. And it releases good people from the burden that they are responsible for the actions of evil people.
Failure to acknowledge that evil is a choice available to each individual makes God responsible for sin. That sort of reasoning leads to the conclusion that if God were good enough, evil would not exist. It means that if Jesus Christ had been better, the Pharisees would not have murdered him. People who think that way forget that Jesus was murdered BECAUSE he was good. And if the mainstream religious leaders who were teachers of the scriptures would do something so malevolent, we must conclude that evil is ubiquitous. Furthermore, it can be seen by any thinking person—it is only hidden from the person who refuses to see it.
As the Prophet Isaiah wrote to the leaders of Israel, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)
Every civilized nation must face the reality that evil does exist both within and without its borders! That’s why we have armies and police departments. The only way for good people to maintain their existence is to possess greater power than bad people because evil people aren’t rational. You can’t convince them to be good.Secondly, if we refuse to see evil, we will not arm ourselves for defense. When the enemy has disarmed us, his victory is certain. There is little else he need do.
The first two humans God placed on earth lived in a paradise. No environment could have been more idyllic than that in Eden. Yet they lost it because of their failure to see the destructive nature of the enemy. One could reason that they were vulnerable because of their lack of experience. We don’t know how long they existed there before they were ejected but we assume it was a short time. Maybe not.
What is certain is that living in paradise can cause a person to take for granted that “good” is a gift.
The Gospel of John gives an analogy that clarifies this conundrum. Jesus said to the people “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) We know that light will dissipate darkness. Open the closet door and darkness does not take over the room. Light from the room fills the closet. Darkness does not dissipate light, but light dissipates darkness.
All that is necessary for darkness to dominate is to shut out the light. So it is with good and evil. When good is removed, evil takes over. Jesus was the gift of “good” to the world. Wherever the Judeo-Christian ethic is strongest, justice and peace exist. When that ethic is eliminated, injustice and terrorism take over.
The best defense against evil that our nation has ever had is the light of Jesus Christ. It dissipates the evil that seeks to destroy. Evil exists. But take heart, we have the light.
Until next time,
Jim O’Brien