I just had a commenter on one of my most recent blogs make the statement that this is “a crazy, mixed-up world in which we live,” and I could only sadly agree. It is. And nothing spells this out more than recent headlines concerning the shooting of nine innocent people at a Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina. An arrest has been made, and now we have a face to put together with this heinous crime.
It doesn’t help, does it?
One look at this young man’s face and I saw many things. Anger, unhappiness, even evil perhaps. An investigation has been opened, and it’s being categorized as a hate crime. It is highly suspected that the murders were racially motivated, and one look at the emblems on Dylann Roof’s jacket would concur.
Opinions are abounding as they often do when racial tensions are stroked, and many people will even try to justify why it couldn’t possibly be racially motivated simply because they’re extremely fatigued with a world that persists in being so easily divided when it comes to things like the color of your skin. After so long do we know any other way? I I wish we did, but in the end this isn’t the most important thing we need to be talking about.
The fact remains that this terrible, multiple murder, or rather massacre, was indeed a hate crime. Hatred and irrational anger led to the acts this man committed, and to put the label of evil on his crime wouldn’t be too harsh in my opinion. What other force could compel such an atrocity?
Evil.
When we are faced with evil acts against humanity we are often overcome with feelings of dread and fear. We’ll wring our hands and say, “what is becoming of this world in which we live?” And while that’s a valid question to ask I wonder if it doesn’t sometimes lead us to a spirit of defeat. We become so burdened in our hearts for the atrocious hate crimes around us that we want to run and hide our children. We want to shut the world out. As a mother I’d say that’s a pretty natural response.
So if we’re not busy being distracted by arguments over whether a white man killed black people simply because they were black, if better gun control is to blame, or forgetting in the whole discussion that in essence brothers and sisters in Christ were slaughtered, then we are going for the other option. And sadly it’s one many of us eventually end up at. We feel like we cannot overcome such a horrible world, and we succumb to the idea that hope is lost for humanity.
Yes, we pray for the families. And yes, we mourn for the victims. But we also sit back either in a spirit of division with our fellow man, or we put our head under the covers in fear and defeat from an evil world.
While the specific motivations for this man’s crime are of importance, and they do deserve to come to light, it is not the most important thing.
The fact that evil exists in our midst is something we all must face, and acknowledgement of this fact is important for our survival and the safety of our families and communities. But it is also not the most important thing.
Christians are being murdered and persecuted across the globe in devastating numbers, but this persecution is also occurring on American soil. This is the simple truth, but it is also not the most important thing.
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
When evil rears its ugly head we must remember that we do not fight alone, and although this world can be an awful, terrible, scary place, we must not be defeated by our fear of bad men. We cannot allow a spirit of fear and defeat to overtake us, and we cannot be blinded by this same evil that distracts us and divides us as a people. We are more than conquerors. We are children of the King.
When evil comes out into the open killing innocent people we must stand strongly together and hold true to the fact that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. We must mourn, and we must pray, but we must also stand firm as God’s people.
Evil had a name yesterday, and it had a Facebook page complete with a disturbing profile picture. This evil conducted crimes of hatred against Christian men and women of color. It’s appalling, almost unspeakable. It’s unfair, unjust, and so very sad. My words don’t do the victims or family justice.
This is indeed a crazy, mixed-up world in which we live, and we fight daily against powers of darkness. But we never fight alone. As long as we have Jesus we have hope for humanity.
Evil had a name yesterday, and although evil wreaked havoc, evil did not win. It didn’t win. And that is the most important thing.
Carolyn says
Difficult subject, well articulated!!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you. ☺️
laurie woodard loveless says
Oh Brie!! U made me cry again today!! That was beautiful and true! Haterid and evil can not break us or beat us down! Love u (and will be taking particial credit for u being u cuz u were always around my family)
🙂
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Haha. Thank you Laurie. You guys definitely had a positive influence on my life.
meltedflowers says
How do we not hate the hater? How can we say, “Father, forgive them.. ” That man was used for the Devil’s work.. yet he was still a creation of God.. This man has mental problems.. probably a demon… sick man.. evil happens every day.. from that woman that killed her child and put the child in the freezer and then went on to live her life…..with the other kids every day.. a dead child in the freezer… is she evil? I know a person who had a bio mother that stabbed her child.. hurt her in every way.. and i mean every way… and yet that “mother” say she is a Christian now.. still crazy.. but still trys to talk to her grown child.. wonders why she is not allowed around her grandkids.. is this woman evil? Can that man say “God forgive me… come into my heart? Saul who we know as Paul.. persecuted and got followers of Christ killed.. which is just like as if he killed them himself.. yet God forgave him and used him to bring the gospel even to this day and age..
You are an impeccable and amazing writer and I love the way you express your thoughts and I thank you for sharing your blog with the world. I may not always comment but I love all your posts.
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you. 🙂