When you think about the word “evil”, what comes to mind? Do you think of things such as murder, rape or sex trafficking? I agree that those things are all evil in their essence…but are they actual “things”?
I listened to a podcast the other day (Bishop Robert Barron with Tucker Carlson), that got me to think about evil from a different perspective. Bishop Barron explained that everything that exists is actually good. It is good because it is created and held in existence by God, who is all Good and can-not create anything that is evil. So if something “IS”…it is, by default, “good”. On the other hand, “evil” is simply a deprivation of the good. It is actually a non-existence…sort of like a black hole in space. It’s negative energy sucks in all that is around it, but it really isn’t a “thing”…it is a “non-thing”.
I was reminded of that while at Mass last Sunday. My parish is bursting with young families with children and babies galore! It is a beautiful sight to see! Anyway, the pew directly in front of my husband and I was filled with nine (yes, nine) children…ranging in age from 0 to 10, (I am guessing). For the first 15 minutes, there were no parents in sight…just these nine children, all behaving beautifully. The infant in the car seat was content, smiling up at me innocently. The toddler was being watched over by the oldest boy, while those in be-tween sat dressed in their Sunday best. At one point, one of the little ones, a girl of about two, was pressing her face into the face of her older broth-er…squeezing his cheeks with her pudgy little hands and staring right into his eyes. He reacted with the sort of patience and tenderness that you would expect to see from a father to his little daughter, although he was probably only about 8 years old. It brought tears to my eyes, seeing this lovely family. What a stark contrast to the hopelessness and des-pair that I see every week on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood! Many of the young people that walk by are hollow-eyed and lost…so much drug addiction and all the terrible things that go with that. It can be very depressing to see.
While I am grateful for the witness of the young families at my parish, and it gives me hope that God is preparing a remnant to rebuild his Church from, I still wonder why it is so unusual to see large families in Church? Why do Christian families look more and more like the rest of the world? Acceptance of contraception by Christians beginning in the 1930’s, (which quickly led to the acceptance of abortion in the 1970’s)…tore a huge black hole in the fabric of American families. This black hole has been sucking the light from our nation for over 50 years now.
Think of America as a garden, in which God has planted a variety of the most fragrant and beautiful flowers. Contraception has poisoned the soil, making it sterile and lifeless, while abortion has violently yanked out over 60 million of the beautiful flowers which the Father had intended to glorify His Garden…leaving only gaping holes where they used to be. Those holes do not stay empty for long, for nature abhors a vacuum. The poisonous weeds will quickly fill the void, and if left unchecked, will take over the entire garden.
As Christians, we have the responsibility to fill those voids with our good works.
We are called by God to be the light of the world, and to put our lamps on a lampstand, in order to give light to all in the house.
Just as those large families at my parish are an inspiration of hope to me…I propose that we all have the responsibility to be an inspiration to others. Evil cannot exist where there is good. So be the good where you are! And remember that your little light will shine more brightly when you bring it to the darkest places.
I happen to know of such a place…will I see you there?