Why There Must Be Evil

There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. – Buddha

Sometimes we wonder why there is evil in the world, why there are bad people who do bad things to us or others. It is a universal question in life and humanity. I wondered it myself after I was attacked and still do to some extent. I wonder sometimes why evil exists at all. Why I had to see it – his violence, his rage, his lies, the deceit, the pure evil I saw in his eyes.

What takes the humanity away enough in a person for them to become evil and attack and harm another? What is the real definition of evil? It is different for each of us, or does it just depend on the damage it does? Is evil violence against another, a lie, or even a truth? Is it what we see in a horror movie or read in a book? Or it is only evil when it crosses that line and becomes real? And what would we not do to protect those we love, our family, our country, our freedom, from that kind of evil?

We have all seen evil in it’s various entities. I myself have in the eyes of another man and it choilled me to the bone. But knowing it exists, or even seeing it firsthand, and being a victim of it are two separate things entirely

The fact is…is that it is just life, and good and evil are a part of it. There must be villains in order for there to be hero’s.  There must be dark for there to be light. It is the struggle between the villain and the hero, the good and evil that exist in us all. It is what draws us in and what makes a good movie, TV show, or book. Think of how dismal the story of Star Wars would have been without this eternal struggle. There is a natural balance to life of which good and evil are a part.  It is also part of the fact that we all must go through hard times to grow, at least I think. And that makes perfect sense.

But more beyond these words, deeper than what is on this screen or those pages, is the message that goes down deep, to those places that exist in the dark. It is what gives us hope, that evil can be overcome, that darkness is taken by the light, that good will always win, eventually. How many literary works are based on this, from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, to The Shawshank Redemption, to even the Bible? Maybe it is the eternal optimist in me that makes me believe, after everything, this is still true. Because good and evil is at the core of all of us, and so is hope. Hope to overcome not only evil, but also adversity.

The same hope that tells me I can overcome any adversity is the some hope that tells me most people are, at the core of humanity, good. The same faith that tells me I can be stronger is the same faith that tells me those I love will do the best they can every day, even if I have seen otherwise. It is the same knowing that I am not a victim, just because evil exists. It all originates from the same deep place. And it is that place, deep within, that sit still and listen, so that I may touch the divine within myself. Because we know evil is out there, we must also know, within ourselves, that the good within us is stronger, that love is stronger, and that we are stronger.

This knowing seems to dispel the fear of evil. If we know that we are stronger, because good will overcome it, then how can we fear it? It is simply just a fact of life, no more, no less. And certainly nothing to be feared. Maybe even more of an inconvenience than anything. Yes, evil can be a bit scary, but so can a spider…until you realize how much larger are you than it.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21