I’ve recently been reading several books in
addition to the e-book that I downloaded from the library. One of the books
I’ve been reading is the ultimate “good book” also known as the Bible.
I thought that my re-read of the Bible after 20
years should begin in the beginning as “In the beginning.” The knowledge of
good and evil are up front and center. Early in the Bible, Adam blames Eve, and
Eve blames the serpent for disobeying God. This shift of blame exists today.
Too many people won’t own up to their mistakes and/or evil ways.
I’ve been watching videos from Bible scholars
which shine new light on some old translations. Nevertheless, I’ve been plowing
my way through Genesis and it caused me to think about good and evil. Some of
the goings on in the ancient text seem more evil than good to me. The stories
are rife with incest, concubines, multiple wives, slavery, bartering for human
life, destruction raining down from the heavens and etc. etc. etc. There’s a
lot going on among God’s people and I’ve not yt efinished Genesis.
The
Biblical meaning of good is aligning with God through righteousness, holiness,
and love. Evil is associated with sin, darkness and disobedience to God.
Psychologically, good means a lack of self-centeredness while evil means an
inability to empathize with others. Ethically, good actions are centered on the
well-being of others, truth, and charity. Evil acts cause harm, destruction,
and violating the dignity of others.
I’ve come to the conclusion that each of us has
both good and evil tendencies. Some of our moral compasses think north is
south, and east is west. Some of us wander around in a wilderness of hopelessness
for years while ignoring the abundance of love emanating from family and
friends.
Some battle and overcome addition while others
choose to continue on the road to self-destruction. Sad are the ones who don’t
believe they deserve a better life.
We cannot always know what lies in the heart and
mind of another person. We only see through the windows they open for us, and
not through the blackout blinds guarding their darkest secrets. Even in the
most loving and open relationships we guard secrets that would not absolve us
from our sins, but could only cause pain.
At one time when I was younger, I would think
about wh,at others had done to me. The boyfriend that decided to dump me for
someone else. The girl that I thought was my friend who said unkind things
about me. I was a grudge holder and never forgot a wrong. Anger kept me
awake.
One major difference is what keeps me awake at
night now. Sometimes in the stillness of night, I think about what I may have
said or done that harmed another. I think about how it is too late to make
things right. I think about my mistakes. That’s the way I roll. Self-reflection
to a fault.
I have to remind myself that I never claimed to be
perfect. I’m only human and sometimes life is overwhelming. I’ve spent fifteen
years of my life as a caregiver: ten years with Jim and five with Harold.
Caregiving is hard and all-consuming. Caregivers get worn out and cranky at
times, but quitting isn’t an option. Respite isn’t an option either.
I don’t regret being a caregiver, but I’m not
happy about the occasional meltdowns. In the end, love made me persistent.
I heard a
pastor say that some Christians believe that a box exists around Jesus and you
are either inside the box, or outside the box. The job of the people in the box
is to try to convince those outside the box to come in. He said that if we look
at Jesus as inside the box and everyone outside the box, some people will move
toward Jesus throughout their lifetimes and others will move farther away.
Old Testament good and
evil aside, the New Testament gives us numerous examples of following the light
(good) instead of falling into the ways of darkness (evil). I Corinthians 13
says that Agape (Selfless Love) does not delight in evil but rejoices
with truth. At the end of the Chapter: Among faith, hope, and love, “the
greatest of these is love.”
Copyright © February 2026 by L. S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
#ENDALZ
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