Elements

Manmade disasters are nothing new.  Across the centuries, man's ability to destroy the environment that sustains his life has known few boundaries.  The self-inflicted pain is an awful sight.  One's vision is filled with horrors that often do not play out until the guilty have long escape the scene.  With modern abilities, man has exceeded boundaries that were previously unimaginable.  Beyond the perpetrators lie the innocents.  I know Evil often takes many forms, yet I find myself struggling to accept the reality of Evil's hand at work.
As I try to release myself from Evil's grip on my life, I find myself caught in a reluctant realization.  The fact that Evil is alive in your life and mine is not new.  In modern chemical catastrophes and in barbaric acts of old, Evil has been alive for centuries.  When Evil “went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death”, (Acts 7.19) the pain and impact on future generations was beyond measure.  It is no different in Bhophal India today.  Generations present and future are being touched by Evil's hand from twenty-five plus years ago.
Yet, the existence of Evil's hand in our lives does not dictate our response.  Evil cannot take our freedom to choose, act, and decide from us.  We hold this right.  We can exercise freedom in a way of our choosing.
In the midst of Evil's work, Truth, Hope, and Beauty survive.  Even as man's hand destroys the fabric of life around him, there are men and women giving birth to creative works of love, compassion, and mercy.  These elements stand in stark contrast, offering strength to those that would embrace their purpose and intent. I feel the elements of good and evil swirling around me.  The struggle is painful, confusing and tiring.  I desperately thirst for the peace found in Truth.  I long for the assurance resting when compassion plays out in life.  For it is in these moments that I know what it means to be part of Divinity's family.