Examples of Evil: Forseen and Unforseen
Unlike sin, evil is alarming. It is alarming because it emerges unexpectedly in unanticipated ways and from unforeseen people. The post I present is a paper representing a potential part of a sermon. The practitioners of evil range from those guilty of genocide in Rwanda and the world community allowing the genocide to happen, to Pontius Pilate allowing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, to Martin Luther, the primary initiator of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Evidently, evil knows no boundaries.
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In 1994, the world community experienced the horrors associated with genocide. Over a span of one hundred days, the Hutus slaughtered a minimum of 500,000 Tutsis and Hutu political moderates, sympathizers, and suspects in Rwanda, with estimates as high as one million; if the later estimate is correct, the Hutus murdered 20% of the total Rwandan population.[1] In response to this horror, the developed nations of the world – including the United States – sat by in silence. Why this response? General Romeo Dallaire was commander of the United Nations forces sent to Rwanda in 1993 to keep the peace with few troops and minimal resources.[2] His insights concerning the genocide are revealing. The United Nations refused to intervene because of fear of casualties to their own troops. In a Machiavellian fashion, the powerful nations viewed Rwanda – having “no strategic value or resources”[3] – as politically and economically not worth saving. As Christians, how did we allow this tragedy to occur?
The answer seems to originate in defining our “neighbors.” In response to a lawyer, Jesus tells the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:29-37).[4] In this parable, a man traveling, from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls victim to bandits, beaten, and left for dead. The religiously connected people pass the beaten man; that is, the priest responsible for administering God’s laws as well as the Levite responsible for upholding God’s laws both pass by the beaten man. However, the Samaritan – a man belonging to a people rejected by the Judeans[5] — feels compassion for the man, tends to his wounds, puts him up in an inn, and pays the innkeeper to look after the man using his own money. The answer to the lawyer’s question becomes obvious; the “real” neighbor to the beaten and penniless man was the man that helped him. Altruistic action not religious doctrine or practices were important to Jesus.
Unfortunately, Christians throughout history failed to take Jesus’ parable to heart. One of the most “famous” Christians failing to be the Good Samaritan was Martin Luther, arguably the igniter of the Great Reformation of the sixteenth century. In 1524, a rebellion involving German peasants erupted. The rebellion originated out of dire economic circumstances. Because of a declining population due to disease and hunger, landlords extorted even higher taxes – among other harsh measures – on peasants to make up for lost revenue.[6] As such, a poor population became poorer and more desperate. The peasants tied religion to their economic demands in creating their “Twelve Articles; that is, the peasants based their claims on scripture.”[7] Justo Gonzalez, a Christian historian, allows that Luther initially attempted to broker peace with the German princes. “When he first read the Twelve Articles, he addressed the German princes, telling them that was demanded in them was just, for the peasants were sorely oppressed.”[8] Yet, when the peasants rebel, Luther’s sympathy turns to rage. James Kittelson, a Reformation scholar, notes that in Luther’s writing of Against the Murderous and Thieving Hordes of Peasants, Luther urges the German princes to kill the peasants while informing them of the evils of rebellion.[9] Luther’s refusal to stand with the peasants – especially given his influence with the German princes – costs thousands of peasants their lives. According to Gonzalez, “more than 100,000 peasants were killed.”[10] How do we as Christians break our recycling of indifference and scorn concerning politically and economically oppressed populations so as to prevent future tragedy?
Christians expand their boundaries, including those who differ from them both politically and religiously. Jesus, himself, was victim of a political figure making a “safe” choice. Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judaea,[11] had no desire to convict Jesus, especially given the lack of evidence against him (Luke 23:14-23; John 18:38). Yet, Pilate refused to take a stand against injustice; the “practicalities” associated with a potential riot influenced his actions (Mark 15:15; Matt 27:24). Jesus Christ, then, is the example. Matthew 25:31-46 chronicles Jesus’ role in the final judgment. In welcoming those on his right hand, Jesus proclaimed, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me” (Matt 25:35-37). Christians must see Jesus in people of divergent faiths, creeds, colors, incomes, and sexual orientations. Actions for the benefit of others outweighs any value assessed using political and social measures.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Africa Program. “The International Response to the Rwandan Genocide: A Failure of Humanity.” Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Online: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?event_id=68205&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&topic_id=1417 (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
Frontline. “Interview: General Romeo Dallaire.” Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda. Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/interviews/dallaire.html (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day. New York: HarperCollins, 1985.
Kittelson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Wikipedia. “Pontius Pilate.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
Wikipedia. “Rwandan Genocide.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
Wikipedia. “Samaritan.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan#Rejection_by_Judeans (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
[1] Wikipedia, “Rwandan Genocide,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
[2] Frontline, “Interview: General Romeo Dallaire,” Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda, online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/interviews/dallaire.html (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
[3] Africa Program, “The International Response to the Rwandan Genocide: A Failure of Humanity,” Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, online: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?event_id=68205&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&topic_id=1417 (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
[4] All scripture citations are from The New Jerusalem Bible unless otherwise noted.
[5] Wikipedia, “Samaritan,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan#Rejection_by_Judeans (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
[6] James M. Kittelson, Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), 190.
[7] Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1985), 41.
[8] Ibid., 41.
[9] Kittelson, 191.
[10] Gonzalez, 42.
[11] Wikipedia, “Pontius Pilate,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate (accessed 19 Apr 2009).
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