Good and Evil (Discerning and Choosing)
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
“Evil has a way of deceiving others. In fact, deceit is one of the great traits of evil. And many times, evil presents itself as just the opposite–goodness and charming. So charming that we are disarmed. So charming that we let down our walls and barriers. And so charming, that we are completely surprised and shocked.” (Jackie Morfesis)
“We are capable of choosing between good and evil, however sometimes it takes a great amount of discernment to know what is the good. This is especially true because at times we may not be choosing between good and evil but between two goods or two evils. We need godly wisdom to be able to discern the path we are to follow in life with its often-ambiguous choices. As one friend told me, what should guide our lives daily always “is to do the next right thing.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“It is never God’s will for anyone to do evil, but in order to give us real freedom, which is essential for real love, God gives us the freedom to do evil. He allows us to choose evil, and most of the world’s “difficulties” come about because people have freely chosen wrongly. However, God can bring good even out of such evil. As St. Paul says in Romans 8: 28, “All things work together for good to those who love God.” (Dr. Mary S. Ford)
“…“wickedness” rarely appears in rough garments. Today it often wears the mask of politeness, uses psychological triggers, and hides behind flattering compliments. The devil is a master stylist; he knows that poison is easier to swallow when it is dissolved in sweet syrup. The modern “wicked” are not only open villains. They are also manipulators who—through screens or in personal arguments—try to poison your heart with anger, despair, or pride. Their words may be “smoother than oil,” as the psalmist says, yet behind them lies a drawn sword (Ps. 55:21–22). The purpose of such speech is division. It divides families, nations, and above all it separates a person from God. The end of such speech is violence. Either these words crush the will of another, or the Lord in His justice shuts such mouths, not allowing evil to spread endlessly. How then can we, living in a world of skillful imitations, avoid perishing from spiritual thirst—or from poison? There is only one answer: sobriety of mind, spiritual watchfulness. We must learn to look not at the outward form of speech, but at its spiritual fruit. Ask yourself, after reading an article, watching a video, or having a long conversation: “What is now in my heart?” If arrogance, irritation, or a kind of “holy anger” against your neighbor has taken root there, know that you have touched the mouth of the wicked.” (Metropolitan Luke Kovalenko)
“How then can we discern the good from the evil when it is often so cleverly disguised? A fundamental method of chemistry is distillation. Distillation is the process of separating the different components of a liquid mixture by means of their different boiling points. For example, in desalination, salt water is heated until steam can be collected. The steam is then cooled to become fresh water. We can use this idea for separating the good from the evil. When temptation arises, we can ask ourselves what yielding to it will produce?...If we set aside the attraction of a temptation and ask what the outcome would be if we submit to it, we can distill its essence and determine whether it is good or evil.” (Fr. Basil)