Life was simpler as kids. There were good guys and bad guys. There was right and wrong. There was good and evil. These basic concepts helped us to build an important framework to think and act. We were taught how to interact in the right ways, how to avoid wrong behavior, and how to react to bad actors. As you mature and experience more of life, you begin to see the world as much more complex. Most things do not boil down to the good guys and bad guys, all right or all wrong. Most situations offer a variety of nuances, and decision-making is not so black and white.
A sign of maturity is the ability to see the good and not-so-good in everyone. A sign of intelligence is weighing the pros and cons of everything. A sign of wisdom is to balance the strengths and shadows experienced and chart the best path forward. Therefore, I am a huge advocate for living primarily in a “both/and” not an “either/or” world.
Yet one reason we may be saddled with so much confusion, tension, and violence today is that we have taken the concept of “both/and” one step too far.
Let me reintroduce you to evil. Evil was a character in our lives as children, but as adults, maybe we think we’ve outgrown him. Whether you recognize him or not, evil is here and active. And evil exists in a category all of its own because evil seeks one thing: destruction—the destruction of peace and people.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines evil as “morally bad, cruel, or very unpleasant.” This understanding of evil leaves room for interpretation. Who determines what is morally bad, cruel, or very unpleasant? Since truth is viewed as relevant today, we’ve come to think that evil is also relevant. And if evil is relevant, we may inadvertently promote the tolerance of evil.
The ancient Hebrew understanding of evil is no good. Zero good. Without good. Evil is the absence of anything good. Where there is nothing good, we have evil. It is paramount to call things what they are. And when we open our eyes, we see evil all around us…
Killing innocent people is evil.
Mass shootings and bombings are evil.
Using people as pawns or human shields is evil.
Enslaving people is evil.
Raping people is evil.
Pornography is evil.
Exposing children to sexualized curriculum and content is evil.
Permanently altering the gender of minors is evil.
Attempting to eliminate an ethnicity, religion, or orientation is evil.
Promoting a worldview through brainwashing, manipulation, or violence is evil.
There is zero good that comes from any of these actions—only the destruction of peace and people.
Without this common understanding of evil, we will play the nuance game — “Well, that’s just what I believe” or “I have the right to do what I want” or “The ends justify the means.” But if your beliefs or behaviors have no good in them, your actions are evil. Period. Full stop.
The Jewish and Christian worldviews identify the source of evil as Satan. Satan literally means adversary, foremost opposing God and good. In him, there is no good and his actions promote no good in the world. “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). The Bible often calls Satan “the evil one.”
Some might dismiss the presence of Satan in the world as a childish fairytale. But to ignore or dismiss Satan is the first step toward ignoring or dismissing evil. To ignore, dismiss, or tolerate evil is to intentionally or unintentionally contribute to the destruction of peace and people.
Sadly, sometimes, we see people as only evil. But the Christian worldview sees everyone, (everyone!) as individuals created in the image of God, with a soul that will never die and alive with a purpose. We must remember that we’ve all done evil things. Jesus came to rescue no-good people like you and me and make us good again. He’s the only one who can destroy evil in us and around us forever.
When people move beyond evil actions to an evil lifestyle, from no-good decisions to a no-good worldview, something sinister is at work — someone sinister is at work — using individuals as pawns to destroy peace and people. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray against our common Enemy, not against people…
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
Here’s what this does NOT mean. We do not look for Satan behind every bush, cast out demons from every person, or live in fear. It does mean we recognize the effects of Satan in the evil all around us. This also does not mean we can employ evil, no-good tactics, to combat evil. Evil is not stopped by more evil. And evil ends do not produce lasting good.
One last thing: we must be aware that personal freedoms can contribute to evil. While I am a die-hard supporter of the United States Constitution, I am also a realist. “My body, my choice” and “My guns, my rights” are just two examples where individual rights, not tethered to a transcendent moral authority, can be used for evil. The only way we can maintain a society of individual rights, without destroying ourselves with these rights, is to submit to a holy and loving God.
How do we find ways to be united around what is good, with persistent, prayerful determination against what is not good? The sobriety and sting of its name — EVIL — can bring us together. If we can call things what they are, and recognize Satan for who he is, we can start down the difficult road of stopping evil. Naming evil may be the missing first step to stopping evil without becoming evil.
...Joe Henseler 