Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Good and Evil

A couple of news items today have me feeling discouraged right now.


A father in Idaho driving his two kids to their mother’s for Christmas got stuck in a snow bank. So he sent the 11 and 12 year old out into -5 degree temps to walk the remaining 10 miles. The 11 year old died and the 12 year old was found in an abandoned rest area 4 miles away, delusional from hypothermia. The kicker is that the father got the vehicle out of the snow bank, but instead of going on ahead to pick up his kids, he turned around and drove home. The father makes $10/hour spreading manure.


A flock of seagulls swarmed a couple eating ice cream cones. So the man took a stick and beat one of the gulls and broke its wing. The bird had to be euthanized. This type of gull is known to be very aggressive and survives by stealing food from other predators. It was doing what came naturally.


I’m not sure why these two news articles disturb me so much. Maybe the senselessness and lack of empathy. Where is God in the rage and violence? Where is God in a careless parent and poverty stricken life?


I hope that God exists in the learning and change that happens because of the darkness. I hope that there is a greater purpose. I hope that every incident shapes and alters the world in some way, large or small, but always for a great good. I hope that for every act of evil there are ten acts of hope and love.


It’s just that sometimes there seems to be more death and hate and war than we could ever overcome.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Powerful post sister.

Syd said...

I believe that God watches these things and is sad. He gives us choices to make and we humans are bad when it comes to choices. So when a death happens because of a bad choice, God is there to scoop the victim up and offer comfort. That is my hope and my faith.

Kathy Lynne said...

Funny we seem to be on the same wavelength today. I believe God is there...we just need to see Him.

Wait. What? said...

Molls reading this made something inside of me click - like - that is it - that is why... My father was an orthodox priest and my mther the perfect priest's wife - that was to the public view of course...

We were made to pray to believe from a very young age all the while my mother would beat me and play with my head and she taught me not to trust anyone...

As punishment I was made to memorize versus from the bible...and I have been struggeling with why I cannot find my god in my life...

J-Online said...

I had not heard these stories. The one about the two kids just breaks my heart.

Shadow said...

there is way too much death, violence, destruction. it gets to me too.

Kathy Lynne said...

and then we have the story of the courageous pilot who landed his plane onthe Hudson River. Amazing.

cedrorum said...

These are sad and there are so many more that occur every day that we don't hear about. Your questions remind me of something Jesus supposedly said. "God is within you". I think it is a great metaphor to get the point across that god, or whatever or whoever you believe to be God, is in all of us, but it is up to us to realize that fact and take responsibility for our actions. It is sad to me when people ask or pray to a God and ask for things they could do themselves. There is not enough responsibility in people anymore. People rely on God for too much.