Yin and Yang?

Do we need the shadow to prove the sunshine?

One of the comments I got on a blog a few days ago referenced a world philosophy which believes both good and evil are necessary, therefore there really isn't any good or evil. All things in the end turn out to be good. You need the hardships in life as much as the blessings in order to shape your character and bring you to the best end. This sounds very truthful at first glance. All things work together for those who love God right? So all things therefore end up being good. The hardships are the things that produce perseverance, and perseverance produces character. Paul teaches contentment in all things.

This seems to be what is taught in Genesis 39. Joseph is sold into slavery sure, but he is purchased by the captain of the guard and ends up in charge of his whole household. The trials of slavery and a master's seducing wife do land him in jail, but even there he ends up on top. He is placed in charge of the whole prison. So These things just teach us to serve God, live with integrity, and persevere. In the end God will bless and we will be better for it. So it was all good right? Being sold into slavery, getting thrown in jail, It all works out in the end, so its all good.

This philosophy works out especially in this suburban life in which I live. Things in general are good and blessed and the little snags that we run into like...oh...depression, credit card debt, car troubles. These things really do just shape my character and I need to learn how to be content in the midst of them.

But this philosophy goes horribly wrong we I go beyond my suburban life to other parts of the world and into history. Children sold into the sex trade as infants, genocide, cannibalism, the holocaust. Then we come back home and I remember the friends who have had miscarriages giving birth to still babies, domestic violence and sexual abuse leaving mothers and children scared for life. Rape and murder for wearing the wrong color bandanna or because someone wants your shoes. I'm sorry these things are just plain evil. No, I'm not sorry at all. I'm outraged, hot tears fill my eyes, my jaw clenches I begin to breathe faster.

These things are EVIL!!! There is good and there is evil, there are things that are just plain evil. Yes we endure them, yes they can make us stronger, yes God uses them for our good, but that doesn't make them good! An infant hired by strangers for their sexual pleasure is not good, thousands of people being killed for their race isn't good, mental illness isn't good, miscarriages aren't good. Don't let anyone try to tell you that they are. They just aren't! They're evil!

So why does God allow them? Do we really need the shadow to prove the sunshine? Do we need to see the darkness of evil so that we can know the light of good? Unfortunately this answer seems to be yes. This evil world wasn't God's original plan, but it is here now and it has to run it's course so we can see what it means to walk away from God. So we can know what is good and what is evil, and know we never want evil to raise its head again.

The end will be glorious and filled with light and we will know it all the better because we have survived the darkness, but it doesn't mean that the darkness is good. It means the darkness is evil and we never ever want it to come back again.

So while we are here may we endure, may we grow in character, may we have the dedication and purity of Joseph, and may God use all things for our good. But may we never call the evil...good, the shadow...light, or hell...heaven. There is something better still to come a land where we no longer need the sun or lamp for the Father and the Son are its light. A place were sorrow and suffering will be no more and evil will be gone for good.