The definition of evil is, profound immorality or wickedness. Because of this, the word “evil” has been heavily associated with the forces of the devil.
People have been categorizing what is good versus what is evil for thousands of years, and it truly is in the eye of the beholder. What one says is good, another will call evil. The prophet Isaiah writes about this subject twenty-seven hundred years ago.
Ah, those who call evil good and good evil; who present darkness as light and light as darkness; who present bitter as sweet and sweet as bitter!
Ah, those who are so wise in their own opinion; so clever in their own judgement! (Isaiah 5:20-21, Hebrew Bible JPS version)
In this passage, the prophet Isaiah was reproving the religious leaders of Israel who were twisting the truth. Isaiah was bringing a word to his people from God who wanted to correct their behavior.
The people were practicing excessive amounts of religious activities, yet they were neglecting the important stuff.
God didn’t want their religious bustle; God just wanted His people to truly know Him and to show kindness and mercy to others. Isaiah was bringing a good word, and the people judged him as evil.
We would expect the battle of good versus evil to take place in the realm of religion. However, to see this kind of labeling going on in modern American politics is mind boggling.
During this campaign season, Donald Trump called the American citizens who don’t agree with him, “the evil within” and it shocked the nation. However, this is actually a gift to us all.
This generation is getting the privilege of witnessing certain behaviors being displayed upon the world stage like never before. The wolf has shed the sheep’s clothing and is blatantly showing its true colors.
It’s unconscionable that there are so many followers who, despite Mr. Trump’s disdainful words and actions, continue to call him good and his opponent evil.
It is a privilege to witness this, because it unites humans who resist this negativity. It brings together people of different religions, different skin colors, different sexual preferences. People are unifying because of one common interest, the desire for love and peace to prevail. Interestingly, these are two attributes that are associated with God.
I believe that it is the display of hateful rhetoric filled with vindictive threats pouring out of the mouth of a leader, who calls himself a Christian, that has caused us to stop in our tracks.
Donald Trump’s show of hatefulness has contributed to a unique condition where people are pausing and reflecting upon their own personal values as to what exactly good means and what constitutes evil. It has produced a cohort who are rejecting hate and desiring love, compassion and empathy.
Kamala Harris exhibited these traits during her campaign, and yet she was called evil.
The Christians who call Mr. Trump good, definitely shines a light on the condition of the Church as the dying body full of wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores described by the prophet Isaiah in the first chapter of his book.
Christians should be out in force protesting that this vile man, Donald Trump, does not represent Christ in any sense of the word. Instead, they have overwhelmingly elected him to lead our nation for another four years, because they don’t know Christ.
These are the ones who Christ will say on that day, “depart from me, I never knew you!”
It is a wake-up call to those who are on the fence in Christianity to get out now, because this group is heading in a dangerous direction. They are the ones in our current era that are calling evil good and good evil.
They are of the same spirit as the religious leaders of the first century who called Christ Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
Christ was called evil as he had compassion on the poor and those in need. They called Christ evil as he healed the blind and lepers who were looked down upon as sinners. Christ was called evil, like Isaiah, because he reproved the religious leaders for condemning the guiltless. Christ was called evil although he was the epidemy of goodness.
Christ taught that you will know a tree by its fruit. He also taught that it isn’t what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth—murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, profanities.
During his speeches and through his actions, Donald Trump has exemplified every one of these characteristics. His fruit is clearly evil.
Yet, his followers call him the chosen of God, and anyone who challenges him, will most certainly be called evil.