Since the terrorist attacks on marathon runners and spectators on April 15th in Boston, media outlets are trying to come to grips with this unfathomable act against humanity. In my car, talk radio is a buzz, verbalizing opinion after opinion. Water cooler chats about local sports have been replaced by a more serious topic. Meanwhile, cable news networks are scanning every nook and cranny of this unfortunate event, searching for credible experts to speak on this matter.
From my perspective, most commentators are missing the mark. You can’t punish the law abiding citizens for a few people who have lost touch with reality. Sure, Americans have to be vigilant, proactive about suspicious people in public places. However, you can’t legislate against insanity and if you do, lawyers will just find another way to excuse their client from taking responsibility. The world’s problem is not insane terrorists, its evil within the hearts and minds of individuals.
While many things in Hollywood films are fake, the presence of evil in society is a Clear and Present Danger. Stephen King’s 1994 mini-series entitled The Stand illustrates how evil can change the attitude, behavior and life style of average citizens. Meanwhile, Andrew Neiderman’s film The Devil’s Advocate uses a combination of embellishment and reality to portray spiritual forces of evil. Although many have been duped by lies, countless Americans refuse to accept the truth about evil in this world.
The apostle Paul refers to Satan as the ruler of the air in Ephesians 2:2. One of Jesus’ disciples refers to the devil as a roaring lion, seeking to pounce on and devour unprepared bystanders, 1 Peter 5:8. Jesus claimed the devil could enter your thoughts, Matthew 16:23 and hearts like Judas Iscariot as detailed in the 4 gospel accounts. If 3 godly men, pillars of the church testified to this fact, why can’t modern Americans accept evil as the cause of terrorism? May the words of Romans 10:17 open minds to embrace the shocking reality, “its evil, not insanity!”
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 