One of the most difficult questions in religion is
about the problem of evil. If God is all good and all powerful, then
why does evil exist? This is a big problem for most people and it is
not easy to answer it. Many people will use it as an excuse to
discard the argument for God. They will say that God could not exist
if there is evil in the world. The answer to it comes down to two
words: Free will.
A knife is a very useful tool. I can use it to cut
bread or meat, but I can also use it to kill someone with. If I have
free will then I can choose to do good or evil. I would not be free
if God continually stepped in when I decided to do wrong. If God did
this then I would not be free. We are free to do right or wrong, but
our actions also have consequences, both in this world and the next,
the next life being much more serious as they are eternal
consequences.
What about so many innocent people suffering because
of the evil choices of others? The example that is most in our minds
today is the so-called Islamic State; religious extremists who
believe they are doing a holy thing in wiping out those who see
differently to them. They feel they have the right to do this, but
all they are doing is causing immeasurable suffering. Why should
children suffer because of the evil choices of others? Shouldn’t
God step in? There is no easy answer to that and it angers just about
everyone, because we know it’s wrong. The free choices of some
people have consequences and sometimes those consequences do terrible
things to others. Political leaders can make choices which are wrong
and may cause immense suffering for people. Should God step in every
time someone chooses to do wrong? If God did, then would we really
have free will?
Another side of it is this: Evil was involved in the
death of Jesus. Jesus was given up to the authorities because Judas
chose to betray him, even though he regretted it afterwards.
The religious authorities of the time had Jesus convicted through a
trial which was illegal according to their own law. They chose
to do what was wrong and yet the mysterious thing is that even though
Jesus was betrayed, tried, tortured and killed by the deliberate
choices of men who decided to do evil, yet look what God brought
about through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The course of
history was turned around because of his death and resurrection.
Eternal happiness was won for us. What does that tell us? One thing
it tells us is that God can and will bring great good out of the
worst evil imaginable. We often hear of people working so hard to
correct injustice, where someone is falsely accused and imprisoned.
People will fight for years to bring about justice and they also
inspire others to do the same. Think of people like Nelson Mandela,
Gandhi and Martin Luther King. They suffered greatly because of the
evil choices of others and yet they brought about wonderful things
and also inspired so many, because they were prepared to battle on,
in spite of the evil brought about by other’s free will.
In times of war we don’t always hear about the many
heroic acts of justice and kindness that people do in order to help
those who are suffering. Two years ago I remember hearing the account
of a BBC journalist called Fergal Keane, who has covered areas of
conflict for years. He told one story about two women in their
seventies he came across in the Ukraine living in a conflict zone.
They had lost everything, including their pension and they were now
living in a basement. They didn’t know how they were going to
survive. Sometime later many people wrote to Fergal asking him if he
knew what had happened to them. So he went back to try and find them.
He discovered that they were now living in another tiny room
together, but they were also cooking food for many people fleeing the
war. They were using what little they had to bring about relief for
others, even though they had hardly anything themselves. When Fergal
was asked how he was able to keep working in the midst of so much
suffering, he said it was because of stories like that which inspired
him so much. People can also choose to do good in spite of the
suffering caused by others.
Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) was
asked about the problem of corruption and scandal within the Church.
In his response he pointed to today’s Gospel and the parable about
the wheat and the darnel, or weed. He said that Jesus is teaching us
that there will always be a certain amount of evil in the world. We
try and deal with as much of it as possible, but there will always be
a certain amount we can do nothing about and we have to learn to live
with this. But Jesus also teaches us that it will ultimately be dealt
with, because all of us will have to give an account of our actions.
There will be justice when we come before God. Does that mean we
should be afraid? Of course not. Jesus reassures us of his infinite
mercy if we make even the smallest effort to ask for forgiveness, but
we must not take it for granted either. I actually find it reassuring
to know that all of us will be accountable for our actions, because
when you think of people who choose to do terrible evil and cause so
much suffering for others. It often seems that they are not brought
to justice in this world. I find it comforting to know that they will
not escape God’s justice. No one gets away.
Does God ever
intervene? It seems that sometimes God does intervene and people are
miraculously cured or saved. I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit
continually whispers to us to help us make good choices, but we are
free to listen or ignore those suggestions, just as we are free to
listen to the whisperings of temptations.
Jesus also uses the
two parable of the yeast and the mustard seed. A tiny mustard seed
can turn into something bit and wonderful. Yeast will cause a whole
loaf of bread to rise. What we do has an effect on the world around
us. The smallest acts of goodness and kindness affects other people,
who in turn affect other people. Our actions have a ripple effect. At
times like these, people need inspiration and hope more than ever.
How we live can change the world. The choices I make every day will
affect each person I meet, for good or for evil.
Our faith gives us
the greatest hope there is: the promise of eternal happiness. If we
believe that and live in a way that reflects that belief, it will
affect the people we meet. They will recognize our hope and question
what gives us this hope.
In 2015 we saw the
dreadful image of 21 Coptic Christians about to be executed on a
beach in Libya, because they would not deny Christ. What was amazing
was the calm and dignity of those men. Right after their execution,
the head of their Church, Archbishop Angaelos, was interviewed by
many media groups. What most of the interviews picked up on was the
fact that he finished his first message about the killings with the
words, ‘Father forgive.’ The reaction of one person which
affected so many who were listening to him.
We are called to be
like this: to remain calm, focused on the Lord, so that we can
quietly continue on our path, but with hope and joy, the hope that
changes the world, because it is the hope that the world is looking
for.
“The
Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his
kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They
will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be
wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like
the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears
ought to hear.”
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