Unlearning Evil
Why is there evil in the world?
Does it even make sense to ask that question? I say that because in asking, we assume there is a moral fabric of which everything is made, giving all of creation a composition of goodness.
Surely that can't be so, could it? Does a volcano or tsunami act out of a sense of purpose with a moral intent? No. So, the problem of good and evil is a human problem, right?
Evil, as subjective as that word could be, is a decision, a choice, especially when it is intentional. Is it the work of humanity or can we blame it on someone or something else?
He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.- Luke 10:18
I don't know why the concept of a fallen angel bothers me, but it does. Luke describes a conversation Jesus is having with his disciples to whom he has given an amazingly powerful gift, the ability to command the power of the enemy, Satan.
It may sound like a set up for a great battle in 3-D on a large IMAX screen, with overpriced popcorn and sugary drinks, but commissioning is not about spectacle. In fact, Jesus takes a moment to thank God for giving this gift to babes, to infants.
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
We certainly wouldn't call Wolverine or Ironman infants. That would kill the momentum that leads up to the great battles against evil. No, we like to think of our powerful agents of good as commanding authority with stature and strength, like buffed out musclemen, not babies.
So, what gives here, that the power of all evil, which is how we see Satan, can be overcome by children?
Perhaps the message is so simple that we, in our adult wisdom and experience, miss it completely. I have always thought that the apostles had a problem understanding Jesus because they lacked wisdom and insight. Jesus, therefore, had to spend a great deal of time teaching them so that they would grow in wisdom. But what if I had it backwards?
What if the hard work of getting them ready to battle evil was not about learning, but all about unlearning. Like theTai Chi master who learns to avoid direct conflict to use the opponents momentum to bring him down with a gentle touch, Jesus is telling them they already have the power within them. No one can make them do what they don't want to do. There is no power over them that they cannot overcome.
This is so simple, it is hard to imagine, that we could have power over evil.
Now I am not saying I fully understand how that works, or whether it is an effective strategy against the kind of evil that possesses terrorists and shooters on the rampage. I have no confidence anyone could command that type of evil to halt and submit.
That's the adult voice in me talking, I'm sure, and that may be the whole point. It is just too hard a lesson to learn, or better yet, to unlearn.
More to come...
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