Evil Around Us
"We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one." - 1 John 5:19, NLT.
As I have witnessed the events of the past week, the murder of Iryna Zarutska, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the school shooting in Colorado today, I have struggled with what my response should be. But as I began thinking about it, I began wondering what our responses as Christians should be. I'm not going to lie, this has been a difficult day and a difficult week. And, as I write this, we are on the eve of 9/11, so that is also adding to the emotion of this already tragic week. As we look for answers and as we seek justice, we must understand that the world has changed. No longer are we able to have civilized discussions without name-calling. No longer can we express any opinion without someone trying to "one-up" someone else. People are openly hostile to each other over the smallest things. Why is that? Because of evil.
These are senseless tragedies, as are the many other tragedies that affect the world today. So how are we to react as Christians? I want to focus on a section of Romans 12 to provide some answers.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:15-21, English Standard Version).
In times like these, it's easy to try to place blame. We see it almost immediately for any tragic event. Who or what is to blame? Is it a race problem? Is it a gun problem? Is it a mental health problem? Is it a Democrat/Republican problem? No. It is an evil problem. I will get to that in a moment. But first, we must weep with those who weep. As I was reading social media this evening after the death of Charlie Kirk, I read a heartfelt post from a pastor giving his thoughts. A few comments down was one berating him because he was a white pastor trying to console their congregation while labeling Kirk as a racist. This person then decided to quote "Jesus loves the little children." I don't know if this person is a Christian or not, but the fact that someone was shot in front of a lot of people on a university campus should grieve us all. Whether you like his politics or not, this says something about society. And yes, I would feel the same way had it been someone on the other political side and a different race.
We should all be weeping together over a loss of innocent life. We should be weeping together over the loss of Iryna Zarutska and all school shooting victims. We should weep over the slayings of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were shot in their home in June of this year. We should be weeping for the lives lost in the 2022 racially motivated Buffalo supermarket murders, Jasmine "Star" Mack, who was killed in 2023, and Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed in a racially motivated murder in 2020. We should be mourning all the senseless violence, no matter who is killed. We must remember that we are all created in the image of God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27).
Looking at verses 16 and 18, Paul is telling us to live in harmony with one another. That's almost impossible in today's postmodern world. There seems to be no living with anyone in harmony anymore. When society claims there is no absolute truth, anyone's whims become the truth: their truth. We are told we need to respect each other's truth. That is nonsense. There is Absolute Truth and we know there is Absolute Truth. Why does anyone say there is not? Racially and politically motivated killings seem to be ramping up as well as school shootings. There is one reason: Evil.
Let no one fool you: evil exists. But also, do not let anyone place the blame on God. In times like these, the rallying cries come out. "Where was your God?" "How could your God let this happen?" "If God is so good, why does evil exist?" I admit, these can be difficult questions to answer. It may seem like God doesn't care. But the true answer is that there is evil in this world, not just within the natural world, but also the supernatural world as well.
Before I address this, I need to say that yes, I do believe in spiritual warfare, but I also believe that, in many cases, our own sin and its consequences cause bad things to happen. We should not be looking for spiritual warfare in every situation, but we should recognize that it does exist. Paul tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Peter says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is not just some red guy with a pointy tail and horns who carries a pitchfork. Make no mistake, he wants to take you down. He is the enemy. Satan is the author of selfishness and pride and wants you to be like him.
As Christians, we know Satan is a defeated foe. Satan also knows he is a defeated foe. So what does he try to do? He tries to take as many with him as he can. Our job as Christians is to share our hope, which is the Gospel and Jesus Christ. You might be thinking, "How can I have hope? This world is a mess." Yes it is. We live in a fallen world. But this world is not all there is. Charlie Kirk knew that and is now at the feet of Jesus. We mourn for him and we mourn with his family and friends. But, as Christians, we don't mourn as those who have no hope. However, it is our job to spread hope to others.
People will be trying to make sense of what is happening in the world. We might not understand why these things are happening, but we know who is in control. King Jesus is on His throne. We don't see a purpose in what is going on in the world right now. We don't know why people seem to hate each other more than ever before. Jesus warns us about this. "And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." (Matthew 24:10-12). Look at that last verse. "Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." I don't care which side of the aisle you are on politically, one thing we can agree on is that the sense of lawlessness has increased and the love of many has grown cold. Don't believe me? Go spend some time on X and then Threads and then Bluesky and see how loving people are towards each other.
So, what is the answer? Jesus. That's it. I know it sounds trite, but Jesus is the answer. Why? I'm glad you asked. Jesus did not just say pithy things about evil from his place in heaven. He entered into the world and entered into our suffering. He knew what it was like to have people he loved die. We remember Lazarus, when Jesus wept with those around Him, but oftentimes forget John the Baptist who was Jesus' cousin. Jesus knew what it was like to be mocked. He was mocked at His crucifixion. He also knew what it was like to be a political opponent. He was hated by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes as well as people from His own hometown who wanted to kill Him. Jesus understands what we are going through because He went through it. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus confronted evil head-on. For the moral evil we commit, His death on the cross offers forgiveness and pays our debt if we trust in Him. He entered our suffering and understands our pain. Most crucially, His resurrection is the ultimate answer to evil including sickness, death, and other disasters. Jesus is God's demonstration to us that He has not abandoned us to evil, but has, in fact, overcome it.
Yes, as sad and senseless as the assassination of Charlie Kirk is, we need to look back at Romans 12 one more time. "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:19-21). Anytime something like this happens, we want vengeance. I get it. I do too. Honestly, I'm mad, just as many of you are. I want vengeance and I want it quickly and decisively! But that is not how we should react. Let's leave the vengeance to God. I am not saying to sit back and do nothing. What I am saying is to not be vigilantes and not begin attacking others. Let the authorities handle it and let God handle it.
Unfortunately, we will not be rid of evil this side of eternity. However, we can share the love of Christ with others. I'm not saying that will make everything better instantly, but what I am saying is that the more people who have Jesus, the more people who have hope. "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31, New International Version).
As we have seen in this past week and today, this world is not getting better. Time is running out. Run to Jesus. He is the only answer and only hope. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27). So, as we reflect upon these tragedies, let us remember that our hope is found in Christ. Yes, we must weep with those who weep, but we must also remain vigilant in spreading the gospel and sharing the hope we have in Jesus. He is the only hope we have left in this fallen world.