April 25, 2007
Love Good and Hate Evil
Dear Friend,
About ten years ago I read M. Scott Peck’s book, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil. Peck was a psychiatrist. He developed simple but powerful definitions for good and evil. “Evil,” he wrote, ”is the force residing either inside or outside of human beings that seeks to kill life or liveliness.” “Goodness,” on the other hand, “is that which promotes life or liveliness.” These definitions work for me. Everywhere that evil prevails we witness either the actual taking of life or the destroying of the joy of life. But, where goodness triumphs, a fight to save life and to restore the joy of living becomes evident.
The Scriptures teach us that God is not neutral or passive in the human struggle between good and evil. Our Lord Jesus Christ said in John 10:10“…I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” This means Christ sides with good against evil. The psalmist said in Psalm 97:10: “You who love the Lord hate evil.”
The struggle against evil begins in each of our minds. We advance good when our thoughts, hopes, and ambitions are lively and life enriching. We become “the people of the lie” when our thoughts are despairing, deadly, and devoid of hope for meaningful living.
You, who love the Lord, join me in this great struggle to love good and hate evil.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
