The reality of evil
The Archbishop of Canterbury was in town last weekend, and on Sunday afternoon he addressed the clergy of the diocese. When it came to time for questions, he was asked to comment on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. It would have been a tough question to ask a politician, let alone a church leader. Nevertheless, following a quip that he wasn’t going to give a lecture on geopolitics, the Archbishop’s first response was to say that we must take seriously the reality of evil – in this case, the quest for power. It was a refreshingly spiritual response.
We would do well to learn from him. That response could be used for any number of news stories this past week: the use of Swiss bank accounts to evade paying tax; the latest revelations concerning Jimmy Savile; the horrors being perpetrated by Islamic State. Sadly, our failure to take evil seriously leads us to be insufficiently prepared for it, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Jesus would not have made that mistake. One of his most shocking remarks was a comment made in passing: “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…” (Matthew 7:11, NIV, my italics). He took seriously the reality of evil in the human heart, even in the hearts of ordinary men and women – and we would do well to learn from him.