Conquering Evil

200 Words: There is a lot more good in the world than you think. There is a lot more evil in the world than you think.

We have a challenge on our hands:

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly’ (Luke 6).

What might help us interpret this passage from the Sermon on the Plain?

St. John XXIII – Pope from 1958 to 1963 – once claimed:

There is a lot more good in the world than you think. There is a lot more evil in the world than you think.

Sounded odd to me when I first heard it, but no longer. With a little bit of maturity, I realised that the pope was right.

So many good people, doing good things, with good intentions. So much goodness in the world. It can’t be disputed.

But there is so much evil, too. At times, it appears to be constant, uncontrollable, visceral and malicious.

What to do in the face of evil?

Towards the back-end of the Letter to the Romans, Paul says this:

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good (Romans 12).

The challenge Jesus is throwing out to us is so very practical:

Conquer evil with good – with love.

Amen.