Abhor What Is Evil; Hold Fast To What Is Good

     These words come from a section of Scripture in Romans, Chapter 12.  And I suppose you don't have to be a Believer to embrace them, but it sure helps to know that there is a Sovereign God who not only controls the world, but prescribes how we are to react to it.

     I have to admit that after the news of the last couple of weeks, I would be depressed if I thought mankind was all I had to cling to.  There were enough stories about senseless hate and killings, and war against innocent civilians, and government oppression/misconduct/hypocrisy to make me want to pull the covers over my head.  And yes, I will declare that I loathe all things that are evil.  I will not make excuses for immoral, despicable and horrendous actions on the part of my fellow man.  We always have the ability to make a different choice.  No matter what circumstances have brought you to your personal appointment with Evil, you are not a robot.... yet (see tomorrow's post).  YOU make the final decision of whether to follow through.  You can always walk away.
     While I cannot change another's actions, I can determine how I will react to it.  But I have to admit, I am human.  I'm filled with anger and righteous indignation when confronted with the images of Evil.  And there certainly seems to be more evil in the world than good these days.  It can definitely be an effort to not let it consume me.
     Sometimes it seems hard to imagine that we will ever experience the "good life" again.  Remember as children, when our summers were filled with community activities like wiffle ball games in the neighborhood vacant lot, or croquet tournaments in your grandparents' back yard?  When the entire block gathered together for barbecues and the kids couldn't wait for night-time to gather fireflies in glass jars?  Will our kids or grandkids ever have the chance to experience such carefree days?  Have we lost our sense of community?
     Yes, times have changed and technology has not always been our friend.  It has created a generation of kids who are losing the art of what it means to communicate true thoughts, feelings and emotions.  That involves looking into another's eyes, hearing the inflection of their voice, and seeing how they carry their body ... none of which is conveyed in a text message.  So, as our ability to connect as humans seems to be on the decline, just how do we hold fast to what is Good?
     I think it has to be in the small things.  And it takes some effort to look for it. It is in the celebration of life events, such as the impending birth of my first great-niece.  It's in the step from childhood to adulthood as I console my sister and encourage her daughter following the emotional drop-off at the college dorm.  As my sister drives away, with tears in her eyes, I remind her that this is a passage of life that she shared with me when she and my dad dropped me off all those long years ago.  Now she knows what our parents felt as we left the nest.  And I tell my niece that I identify with her fears and doubts as she saw her mother drive off.  But I tell her that I found college to be a wonderful time in my life; a time when I discovered that I wanted to be a person who made a difference, and I know she will find her own way, too.  I find the good in her hopeful enthusiasm and in her thanks for my pep talk, and most of all, in her heartfelt expression of love.

      I hold fast to the good that I find in the small stories; those that don't claim the big headlines.  The good is in the story of the Marine who hung back during a 5K race to stay with a 9-year-old boy who had become lost from his group.  The good is found in the story of a man who had been without oxygen for 45 minutes, and was declared dead.  His son prayed over him announcing that he would not die that day; and he showed signs of life, recovering fully with no brain damage.  The good is in miracles like that.  The good can be found when a redneck family from Louisiana takes the culture by storm with their unabashed profession of faith and family.  As long as there is one person who will stand up bravely and boldly and not buckle to this depraved society, then we have some good left to hold fast to.  As long as there is a seed of goodness to plant, no one can stop us from watering it, nurturing it and cultivating it.  Just like there is a choice involved in Evil, we have a part to play in keeping Goodness alive.  And as long as mankind seeks God, there will always be Light in the midst of the Dark.

Psalm 27:13     "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!"