Lurking Evil

When I was a kid, I remember my dad used to quote a line from a radio show that he listened to as a kid – “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” With no offense intended to The Shadow (the name of that radio show), I think our Lord is the only one who truly knows that. Even though I know mentally and from the Bible that all humans are way short of the glory of God and even though I am aware of horrors that have occurred at the hands of humans historically, I still find myself astonished and horrified.

Most recently, I have been grieving for the people of Iran. In the past two days, the protests were given a face in the person of young Neda Soltan. Neda had just gotten out of her car during a traffic jam caused by a protest rally. In the next moment she was shot through the heart and died in the arms of her friend and piano teacher. She wasn’t throwing rocks; she wasn’t shouting. But someone put her in the sights of his scope and pulled the trigger. What evil inside a heart allows that?

I know such evil exists, but somehow when it occurs in a specific instance and I am confronted with that specific consequence, I find myself sickened. This particular instance has gained worldwide attention, but there are tens of thousands of equally horrible things being done constantly. Sometimes in the name of religion, sometimes in the name of “national security,” sometimes simply because the perpetrator has the power.

Only God knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, and only God is able to do anything about it. This event is just a stark reminder to me of the need of the world for God and for His ultimate sacrifice in Jesus, who took the consequences of evil onto Himself in order to allow our hearts to overcome it. It takes that level of cosmic power to deal with the depth of evil that could train its sights on a young woman for no cause but to take her life and instill fear and hatred. May God somehow use the tragedy taking place now in Iran to enable His message of love to reach the people. I pray for workers willing to go take that message.