The World Is Very Evil
Dan Kunz
The world is very evil,
The times are waxing late,
Be sober and keep vigil,
The Judge is at the gate.
The Judge who comes in mercy,
The Judge who comes in might,
Who comes to end the evil,
Who comes to crown the right.
Are those words familiar? They’re part of a hymn which is perhaps more familiar in its shortened form – Jerusalem the Golden. The words were written by a man named Bernard of Morlaix back in the 12th Century. That’s right, back in the 12th Century! They were translated into English by John M. Neale in the 1800’s. The unspeakable tragedy which unfolded in Uvalde, Texas this week was an act of pure evil. Any loss of life, especially the life of a child, is difficult to accept, but when it comes as the result of the evil actions of a demented sociopath, the grief is beyond description. Unfortunately, it’s not new.
If it were not for the plan and protection of our Heavenly Father, our Savior’s life could have been cut short by such evil incarnate. Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious. He issued orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all surrounding countryside, from two years old and under. This was in keeping with the exact time he had learned from the Wise Men. Because he had been warned by an angel, Joseph took his little family and escaped to Egypt. We don’t know how many baby boys were killed, but it could have been at least dozens, if not more. The world was very evil then, too.
As a matter of fact, the pages of history are filled with evil – man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. At times such as these, it seems logical (and fashionable) to try to assess blame. Why was the school door unlocked? Why wasn’t the security officer present? Why weren’t red flags raised or heeded in regard to the shooter? We can raise all the questions we want, but as Christians, we know the ultimate reason for the tragedy – the presence of sin and the absence of God. What I mean by that, is unless God is part of our lives, our families, and our society, the presence of sin will overwhelm us and become abject evil. The second use of The Law will not exist. The “curb” will be gone.
What can we do? Several things, actually. First and foremost is pray. We can pray for the families of those who lost loved ones in Texas on Tuesday. We can pray that God continues to protect all of us. We can pray that Jesus returns to put an end to the sin and evil of this world permanently. We can continue to share the Gospel with as many people as possible, so that its power penetrates and permeates our society and the world. We can encourage and model Christian family living in which God is part of every aspect of life. We can love and nurture individuals who need to feel the love of God and know they matter as human beings. It is a given that strong families, attached to their Heavenly Father and his Word, are much less likely to produce individuals which are capable of such extreme evil. Where God is present, evil cannot exist. Psalm 5:4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.