Many times we as Christians are drawn into limiting the way we identify evil. We look for something which stands out from the ordinary, such as a manifestation of black magic. Yet what about those things we have become accustomed to, the many things we take for granted every day? It is much more difficult to see evil operating within our social surroundings. It is especially difficult when our cultural environment sends out both scents of evil and good blended together. To understand our world's predicament and to begin sorting out evil and good, we need to go back to humanity's fall from grace.

In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that human beings were created in God's own image and likeness. Humanity was originally created to reflect God's character both in our individual and communal lives. We mirrored God's pure goodness. But something happened. Something went very wrong.

A Mixed Bag

The word knowledge, used in describing the tree, can be a little confusing. It is assumed to mean head knowledge. We tend towards this interpretation due to our Western-mind thinking. A better way of translating this Hebrew word knowledge is with the word experience. ¹ What comes forth from the tree they selected is "the experience of good and evil." With sin now infecting humanity, our world is a mixed bag of good and evil. It is significant that the tree Adam and Eve chose was not one of pure evil. It was good and evil mixed together, coming in a package that could not be sorted out. Isn't this the very history and experience of the world? Both beauty and ugliness exist. In A Tale of Two Cities we read, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Try as we may as humans to change it, it seems that our world is stuck with this reality of good and evil intertwined together.

We seek out ways to cope with a world that isn't what it should be. We can be lured into traps because things are not completely evil and bad. Like Adam and Eve, we have also tasted something "good" in this fruit. Consequently, we are trapped into thinking that we, on our own, can find the formula to remove the evil part. Some are drawn into various philosophies and movements which promise to eradicate evil. Others feel they can escape evil by simply moving away.

Islands of Refuge

Many of us yearn for a place far from the evils of the world. We want to be free from the evil which comes intertwined with goodness. Years ago people told a story of a certain man who wanted to leave behind modern civilization. This man saw the tensions in the world building up just before World War II. He wanted to get away from it all before things erupted into full-scale war. He sought out an isolated island far from everything. He settled on a beautiful island in the South Pacific, yet he did not escape. The island became the scene of a bloody and vicious battle during World War II.

Although very few people actually go off to such physical islands, many search out other kinds of islands free of the world's evil. It may be through a philosophy, or a movement. A place where it appears to be possible to finally shake off the evil in the world; somewhere this unbearable tension can be resolved. People want something more out of life--they want a place where good and evil are not inseparably joined. It is as though buried in each person's subconscious is a glimmer of the Garden of Eden, the place we dream of returning to.

Common Myths

Many people get caught up in movements because they promise to set things right. All the different "isms" of the world carry such assurances. When these "isms" finally do come to power, most people begin to realize that they still have not arrived in Eden. Nevertheless, the movement's leaders may still want to hold on to power. Instead of facing up to the fact that their movement hasn't delivered on its promises, these leaders resort to propaganda and the repression of those who point out the movement's failings.

Democratic societies may check the abuses of power and totalitarian ideologies, but they have not returned us to Eden. Injustice, corruption, racism and ethnic hatred, immorality, and crime are problems crying out to be resolved. Some people feel that if society built enough prisons or created enough laws it could rid itself of evil. Others feel that the answer is in government social programs. Neither new laws and prisons nor increased social programs by themselves can solve the problems of our society. It is hard for us to accept that our human attempts to set right the world ultimately fall short. Rather than this, many people get caught up believing in various "myths." ² Some of these myths may be extreme--as in the promises of Communism or fascism--but many of us are drawn into other myths which we accept as reasonable.

We tend to gravitate towards these reasonable myths in our approaches to our social problems. Many who work with homeless people lock themselves into narrow approaches to the problem. When calling attention to the plight of homeless people, many advocates promote the idea that the only problem is the shortage of affordable housing--minimizing or even dismissing the roles played by alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness in contributing to homelessness. As a result, when the government and other organizations provide funding, these particular problems do not get much attention.

Another myth is fostered by stressing that homelessness is solely an issue of personal responsibility. Bringing up the neglected issues, these advocates often don't face the problem of affordable housing. Both sides settle into separate approaches, with neither one fully addressing all the problems faced by homeless people. This is how we buy into "solutions" which we try to hold onto even after they have proven not to work.

History plays out again and again the dashed hopes that we will somehow rid ourselves of the consequences of humanity's fall from grace. The wise historian will tell you that history teaches us that people do not learn from history. We want to find the road back to the Garden of Eden, but our routes seem like a never-ending maze. Each time we see glimpses of peace in the world, some new problem pops up. Every time we get ready to sit down and relax, there is a new crisis. Turning our backs on God and choosing our own way, we became stuck with this "knowledge of good and evil."

Beyond Simplistic Labels

During my early years in college, before committing my life to Christ, I was intrigued by this philosophical question: is humanity basically evil or basically good? Reading the novels of Joseph Conrad fueled my thinking; Conrad brings out the point that much of what is taken for granted as Western "civilization" is in reality a cloak hiding venal and murderous "uncivilized" drives. Film director Francis Ford Coppola applied Conrad's Heart of Darkness to his Vietnam War film, Apocalypse Now. The point is made that individuals or societies cannot be simplistically labeled as either good or evil. There is usually some good to be found in many of the things we label as "bad" and some bad to be found in so much of what we label as "good."

It is rare to hear Christian preachers speaking about the world in terms of good and bad mixed together. We tend to communicate only the bad side in order to be effective. Yet this reinforces our tendency towards simplistic "all good" and "all bad" judgments. Whereas there are many things deserving of such good and bad labeling, most of what takes place in the world cannot be easily classified in this way. Christians often fall into a trap because of this kind of thinking. This has also been the tendency of many of us when dealing with social issues.

Much of the debate over evangelism versus social action reflects this. ³ According to this way of thinking, if you find fault with something, it justifies throwing out the whole. If you are for social concern, then you can ignore what people concerned about evangelism are saying. You know they are wrong in their social views and so that justifies throwing out anything else they might
have to say. If you are for evangelism, ignore whatever those in favor of social concern are saying because they are not interested in the spiritual welfare of others.

People are drawn to categorize and stereotype presumably because this helps them to cope with a complicated world. Propaganda and media manipulation are made possible because of this need to simplify. It works because there is the drive to resolve the "mixed bag" reality of the world. Latch onto something we have found as "good" and play down its "bad" aspects. We feel that recognizing and giving attention to its "bad" elements will discredit the "good" parts we are trying to advance. Conversely, we want to minimize any "good" that may be operating within those persons or groups to which we are opposed.

For many, the United States of America is either basically good or basically evil. Some people see America only as a successful beacon of hope in the world, promoting freedom and democracy. For others, it is a place of economic exploitation with racism and militarism glossed over by an attitude of cultural and technological superiority. This calls to mind the argument of whether the glass is half empty or half full. Isn't it really both? And this is generally what the world faces in its experience of good and evil. There is real good and real evil taking place at the same time. As Ronald Sider points out, "human sin has permeated our social structures and institutions to such a degree that they are always a tragic mixture of good and evil."⁴

Using Good to Deny Evil

The Apostle Paul tells us that the Law of Moses given to the Jews ended up a bad thing (Romans 9:31 ff). It wasn't because the Law was bad; it was that people developed a Pharisee-like attitude when they attempted to follow it. "Look at me. I am 'holier than thou.' You know, I'm not like that sinful person over there. He's a tax collector. And furthermore, when I carry out my act of charity--such as helping a poor widow--make sure that trumpet sounds." Of course, for those of us engaged in helping others, sounding trumpets today would not reach as many people as do newspapers and television. As we work at being moral and doing good deeds, there are other things at work we commonly deny. We are tempted to use that which is good to cover over that which is bad. The Pharisees prided themselves on following the Law, but this led to a self-righteousness which prevented them from seeing their need for a savior. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus probably felt that he wasn't doing so badly (Luke 18:18 ff.). When Jesus asked him about some of the Ten Commandments, he responded that he had been observing them. Indeed, he may have honestly felt that he was conforming to the Ten Commandments. His friends and relatives probably told him, "You're an all right kind of guy." With his stature in the community, no doubt he had developed this "rep." He now came to Jesus asking about eternal life.
Today, such a situation would be the dream of any evangelist--having someone with political power and financial means asking about eternal life. This potential convert even had the reputation of being a good person in the community, one who tried to live by the Ten Commandments.⁵ But that reputation seems to have gone to his head.

The rich young ruler evidently wasn't around when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon the commandment against murder goes beyond the actual act. The question becomes, have you ever cursed someone in your heart? The test of adultery is, have you ever looked at someone with thoughts of adultery? Neither the rich young ruler nor anyone else could honestly say that he or she had passed such tests. Thus, the rich young ruler's feeling that he was observing God's holy law was a trap. This "goodness" also prevented him from facing the other side of his life: an attachment to wealth and a related insensitivity to the poor.

Untangling the Knots

The Apostle Paul tells us to "hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good" (Romans 12:9 +cev+). In another epistle Paul says, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8 +nrsv+). Rather than latching on to solutions that don't work or just resigning ourselves to things as they are, Paul points us to the real hope of the world. Jesus Christ is the answer to the world's experience of good and evil. No longer do we have to accept the mix of good and evil the world presents us. With Jesus Christ, we can begin to untangle the knots of good and evil inseparably bound since humanity's fall.

God didn't create us as a mixed bag of good and evil. Humans were created in God's own image to reflect the Creator's own pure, loving, and righteous nature. We were to be connected to God and mirror his character in our lives. Yet the good and bad parts are so intertwined that even what seems good is often tainted. People mess up their own goodness when they don't give God the credit for the goodness that exists either in their society or in their own lives.
To be an instrument of real change in the world requires that we ourselves change. So often we see a lack of humility among those dedicated to social change because their focus is always on someone else, on the perpetrators of injustice. Yet stories circulate about the abusiveness of many activists. Narrowness of focus on the problems of the world leads to blind spots. During the 1960s, while caught up in the social movements of my time, I neglected other areas of my own life that needed to be changed. Jesus Christ offers healing from the blindness that befalls those engaged in attacking the evils in the world.

In Christ, our righteousness is no longer our own; it is a righteousness that comes from God working within us. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:9, "For now my place is in him, and I am not dependent upon any of the self-achieved righteousness of the Law. God has given me that genuine righteousness which comes from faith in Christ" (+phillips+). Not only are we released from
guilt, we are also set free to do good works in the world (e.g., Romans 6:18). God is at work removing the pride and the wrong motives which so often accompany our actions.
The uniqueness of Christian social action is our call to be "imitators of God" (Ephesians 5:1 +niv+), to live in a Christlike manner. Breaking out of our social and cultural limitations, we recognize God as the source of all good in the world. As such, we take on the quality of being open-minded to wherever good is found in the world. Good is not seen as limited to Christians; some good or some truth can come from a republican or a democrat, a socialist or a capitalist, a Muslim or an atheist. Therefore, we should be able to listen to and reflect on criticisms arising from those with whom we do not generally agree. We recognize that Christians, no matter how dedicated, are not completely free from evil. Our vision can now be expanded because we have given ourselves to "the true light that gives light to every [person]" (John 1:9 +niv+). While the image of God in humanity is smeared and distorted because of sin (John Calvin asserts that it has not been completely erased), with Christ that image begins to be restored.

The world's misleading, inaccurate categorizing of good and evil pushes us to accept a tainted package which contrasts with the purity of God's kingdom. We don't need to tolerate or excuse evil in order to identify with a good cause. Because of Christ we can accept the good while opposing the bad. This is the vision needed to sort through our cultural surroundings and have our lifestyles reflect the kingdom of God.
 
 

END NOTES:

1. Regarding Genesis 2:16, Francis Schaeffer writes, "What was involved was the experiential knowledge of evil in contrast to God's telling them about evil." Francis Schaeffer, Genesis in Space and Time: The Flow of Biblical History (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1972), 63.[return]

2. Brian Griffiths writes, "[Each of these ideologies] . . . has what George Sorel . . . called the Myth. This is not an analyzable set of propositions describing the properties of the perfect society. Rather it is a partially defined fantasy, not susceptible to rational analysis but so powerful it stirs our emotions, forcing us to act." Brian Griffiths, "The Law and Order Issue," in Is Revolution Change? ed. Brian Griffiths (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity,1972), 19-20.[return]

3. Jacques Ellul goes on to note that this "myth was born with the explosion of marvels before the bedazzled eyes of nineteenth-century [people]." Jacques Ellul, The New Demons (New York: Seabury, 1975), 105-10.[return]

4. Ron Sider points out that "some Christian organizations and churches major almost exclusively on evangelism. Others on social action. Each group uses the other's one-sidedness to justify its own continuing lack of balance, and the division devastates the church's witness and credibility." Ronald J. Sider, One-Sided Christianity? (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan; San Rancisco: HarperSanFranciso, 1993), 15.[return]

5. Walter J. Chantry, Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic? (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971), 19-22.[return]

From Organic Faith: A Call to Authentic Christianity by Ron Mitchell. Published by Cornerstone Press Chicago.