Overcome Evil

I was thinking about the "Civil Forum" from the past weekend. I was thinking about the question "What do we do with evil?" My first immediate response to that question when I was sitting in my living room was I would defeat it and I thought of this:

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."
Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Romans 12: 17-21 (The Message)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:18-21 (NIV)

"As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." "Discover beauty in everyone." I passionately believe that it does depend on me, us. What would happen if person by person we "took care" of people that we considered our enemies. Would we really overcome evil by doing good to them. I have heard of a lady that acted this out is a real way. Instead of standing outside of an abortion clinic with a sign and preaching, she would go in the waiting room and sit down and wait for somone to sit by her. She would engage them in conversation and ask them would they abort their child if they knew someone would take care of both of them for the next two years? She would offer to care for the person and their child for this long. I wonder how many evil acts she overcame with that one act? How many evil acts did the woman who was going to have the abortion avoid because she did not have to deal with the grief and loss and the anger? I wonder how many good acts came from the child that was born?

I wonder if she would have tried to overcome evil with her own anger with a sign out front of the clinic protesting, would this person she cared for even listened? The act of evil would have been done and all the acts after.

I wonder what happens when we all effect our own individual worlds just like this in everyway that we can possibly imagine? At some time I think we would defeat a majority of evil, maybe all the evil. Evil could be defeated, it is what Jesus came to do! Jesus said:

"A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

John 10:10

What would happen if we were really the body of Christ in every situation every day in our everyday life? This is the power of God. This is the kingdom of God. It is right here and right now and we have been enpowered by God through Jesus to overcome and defeat evil. It just may not be in the way that we think.

Namaste'