Happy Friday, everyone! You know, last week I was face to face with a dichotomy, a contrast of two very extremes. On the one hand, I was witnessing the very worst of humanity. A shooter chose to do something that was evil, selfish, absolutely destructive, when he lifted up a gun and went in and shot at the Annunciation Catholic Church and school.

And yet, at the same time, in that place, I came face to face with the very best of humanity. A police officer who ran into that sanctuary without even taking time to gear up, knowing that children’s lives were in the balance.

A classmate throwing himself over his buddy and getting shot himself. Praise the Lord that he made it and he survived. But again, a selfless act of love shown to a friend.

An elderly woman who stood up as soon as she heard the gunfire. Shortly after, realizing what it was and reaching over and pulling her husband down to the floor underneath the pew, most probably saving his life.

You know, just kind of looking back and forth between those two dichotomies, that contrast between those two, with a lot of people suffering and hurting in the middle. I really began to think of another place where we saw this same kind of contrast, and that was at the cross. At the cross, we saw and see the worst of humanity, all of our sins, all of our bad and evil choices, all of those choices that ended up having such devastating impacts on relationships, on the beautiful creation that God gave to us, on our own bodies, against one another.

The worst of humanity shown right there. And yet, God stepping into humanity through His Son, through the incarnation of Jesus. There at the cross, we see the very best, the Son of God, also true man there on the cross, having an opportunity to demonstrate a love that goes way beyond anything that we would expect. And that’s the love of Jesus on the cross.

To that end, Romans 12:21 encourages us in this time where we are seeing evil and encourages us to focus in on the good. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” You know, I feel at times that nothing we are going to do is going to change the world. But the reality is, is that God has changed the world.

He’s offered that change through His Son, and we get a chance to reflect that change. We get an opportunity to reflect that light in that love and goodness, to a world that is so often demonstrating evil. And we get a chance to do that by allowing that love of Jesus to flow through our words, through our actions, and through our attitudes.

So don’t be overcome by the evil of this world. Instead, look to the cross, receive His grace, receive His power and strength. And share that. Let that good overcome the evil around you.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You very much that at the cross You were not overcome by evil. In fact, just the opposite. You overcame evil with good, a perfect good, a perfect righteousness, a righteousness and goodness that You now offer freely to all who would receive You.