Much of life seems to be without an answer. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does Evil win? Do the innocent always suffer? Why are children so frequently the target for pain? I have moved from questioning God to what some view as cynical. The question is, to me, not “why”, “do”, or “is” but rather when these things happen what is the answer. How do we respond to the evil that is all around us? Is there a way to deal with the attack or results?
In the recent weeks I have experienced Evil in a way that is far more personal than at anytime in my life. Pure greed comes as a knife in my back. Lies, deception, and duplicity are thrust blatantly in front of me, ripping at my character and heart. Exploitation and manipulation are full time jobs for those who present themselves as allies. If that wasn’t enough, add to the scene abuse and corporate death of those under my care. Examine the justice of a four year old child in the third round of chemotherapy. Wonder aloud about the untimely death of someone close to the heart. Evil is alive and kicking! The good often meet untimely deaths, real and corporate. Unethical and immoral behavior often receives an award.
I have no idea how a follower of God responds to pure Evil with compassion, grace, and mercy. You can use all the principles of God and Evil still triumphs. Yet I wonder. Do Evil’s apparent victories matter? I find smile and love of a child more important that corporate success. I see the trust between friends as more valuable than anything money can buy. Pregnancy and love between friends carries hope that life is something more.
When everything seems to be dark and darker remember this. Beauty cannot be quenched. Love is more powerful than hatred. Compassion and mercy give life, without it everyone dies. God is the source of all this and even more that sustains! So I say this; “Yes! Come, Master Jesus!” (Revelation 22.20)
