It is Metanoia Time.

I don’t want to think of evil, or believe in evil, or acknowledge the presence of evil.

And yet … as the situation in Ukraine continues … as political lies flood some media outlets and people believe the lies and repeat them as if they were truth … as weather conditions continue to pummel the world with floods, snowstorms, tornadoes, earthquakes, exhausting heat  … as graves of residential school children are discovered … as some around the world have so much, while others have nothing … as homelessness, contaminated water, unbreathable air, dangerous work situations cause lives to be compromised or lost … as children, youth, adults, seniors die of gun violence … as freedoms are eroded … the signs are there and I must not be naive.

Evil exists.

That word ‘evil’ is spoken a lot these days by many people for many reasons.  Accusations of ‘evil’ come to us on tv, in face-to-face conversations, through phone calls, via text messages, FB posts, messages and emails, and even handwritten correspondence … not just by adults, but by youth and children and elders … not just by politicians, but by ordinary citizens.  

It’s easy to … tweet or text or type first, rather than think
… react first, rather than respond
… speak words of love, rather than show that love in action
… enable others, rather than be honest
… dwell in and focus on one’s own selfish desires, rather than allow the needs of others to be the motivating force.

When people say “All …” be that all religions or all politicians or all Democrats or all Republicans or all Conservatives or all Liberals
or all NDPer’s or all Jews or all Mexicans or all gays or all Italians or all Blacks or all trans or all Southerners or all differently-abled or all Americans or all poor or all elderly or all mentally ill
or all Asians or all youth or all … (fill in the blanks) … and then make a sweeping statement degrading, disrespecting, bullying, ignoring anyone in a particular category, there is no opportunity for dialogue, respectful listening, compassionate hearing, genuine caring, sincere conversation, sharing of opinion, or elimination of prejudice/bias let alone reconciliation, healing, hope.

The world craves hope.  But if Hope leaves, what remains?
Evil.

Before the 8th century when the ‘hearing, speaking, seeing evil’ concept began to take form through the writings of Confucius, the Biblical teaching: “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22 NKJV) provided wise counsel.

But evil didn’t go away.  Can it be defeated?
Difficult … but yes.

It involves change … a change in one’s way of life … a transformative change of heart … a turning-around … metanoia …  turning around *e-v-i-l* to become *l-i-v-e.*

It is time to stop … denying … enabling the existence of evil.

Evil is real.
It exists.

It is time to name it.
It is time to turn the letters of ‘evil’ around to ‘live’!
Change – Metanoia Time.