Answering Evil

Friday, August 29, 2025

I have noted a lot more headlines after this shooting in Minnesota declaring it “evil” – AMEN.  I have only found one example of some numbskull poo-pooing “thoughts and prayers.”  (But I’ll admit to not looking too heard either.)  I could not help but think about the fact that turning to the divine is wholly appropriate when faced with genuine evil.  Despite the desires of those of a certain perspective, evil is real.  It typically operates in the dark and with subterfuge, but when it goes pubic like this is is appropriate to ask how best to respond.

And so I turn to the classic Biblical passage of responding to evil – from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I find the cautionary nature of this passage fascinating.  Paul is saying “Do not let evil make you evil; be good.”  And so we see that evil begats evil unless we work purposefully to prevent such.  We must learn to recognize evil and to be good.  Prayer in such a situation is most appropriate – we need divine assistance nor to let witnessing evil engender evil in us.  We need divine assistance to be good.

(As an aside, this passage is not argument against the death penalty – justice is good.  But it is an argument against vengeance.  The difference is all about process.)

But let’s get practical – what can an ordinary citizen do at a time like this, besides pray?  “Overcome evil with good.”  Find the good and praise it.  Do good, in things small.  Bake a cake and give it to your neighbor – fix the fence you and she have been arguing about – smile at and greet everyone you encounter. This list of little things goes on and on and on.  Put some loose change in that donation box at the convenience store.  Write a check to the charity of your choice.  As you BBQ this last weekend of summer, engorging in college football – ask somebody over to join you.  And laugh – laugh hard and often – find a reason to laugh.  What ever it is do something good.  You do not have to fix the world, but you can make your little corner of it better.

We should mourn with those that mourn – those that have lost and are grieving.  But we cannot let that grief turn to something  bad.  Hence the same verse that admonishes us to mourn with the mournful also tells us to “rejoice with those that rejoice.”  Unless you are in proximity to the awful aftermath of that shooting, let’s focus on rejoicing this weekend.  Let’s be good.