3 For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah
With the recent anniversary of 9/11 and the horrific events that took place at the Kabul airport, it is nearly impossible to deny the reality of evil. These types of events stir our emotions, confuse us, and make us long for peace. No matter one’s faith, upbringing, or social status, it would be difficult to find someone who could not recall an event or situation that they would describe as “evil.”
So then, what is evil? This question obviously rates a longer response, but from what common consensus I can find from biblical scholars, evil is the lack of God (or put in a different way, the opposite of God).
This answer seems straightforward given what we know to be true from the Gospel. Jesus is the good news, and the lack of Jesus is the opposite – which brings me to another question. Why is it that the world undeniably feels the palpable presence of evil, yet denies the infinitely more powerful presence of God?
As I reflect on Psalm 54, I love how David, in the face of evil, acknowledges the evil that threatens him but rests in the truth that our God is where his faith and hope lie. As a church, I pray that we can spur each other on and clutch to our faith – especially in light of tragedy and evil. I pray that we are able to point unbelievers to the opposite of evil, and that they can feel His undeniable presence.
And to reiterate what we’ve been going through in 2 Peter, I pray that we can live out this palpable truth in a practical way.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. - 2 Peter 1:5-7
- Chris. H.