In the 1970's and 1980's some horrifying crimes were committed. The perpetrators of these nefarious acts become instant household names. The ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer David Berkowitz killed because he believed a demon dog was guiding him to perform evil acts. People talked about this murderer. They discussed what might cause a killer to take the life of innocent people. When Berkowitz killed Donna Lauria, New Yorkers wanted to know who did it. They wanted justice. When Christine Freund was killed, Americans cried out for answers. They wanted an end to what was turning out to be a living nightmare. Evil was obvious and unjustified, not given excuses or glory.
Arthur Gary Bishop, William Bonin, Robert Charles Browne, Ted Bundy, Richard Chase, and Richard Ramirez were all sadistic murderers who the world reacted to with shock and righteous anger. I remember watching news reports about these individuals as each one was caught and brought to trial. In those days, and the days before them, people seemed to get upset when evil reared its ugly head. Today, I don’t see that same shock and outrage.
Look at some of our Hollywood movies over the past 25 years; studios, writers, producers and directors are turning out more and more movies that blur the lines between good and evil. Movies like Scarface, Natural Born Killers, Goodfellas, and, Reservoir Dogs skew the divide between good and evil, making villains into heroes and heroes into expendable extras. Writers and directors creating such filth claim creative genius inspires their Technicolor display of madness and debauchery, but I call it playing to the lowest common denominator of mankind’s mental instabilities. If madness and horror warrant such admiration, why aren’t movie studios accepting resumes from the psychiatric wards and death row prisons?
Blood, murder, mayhem – all in a day’s work. But where are the heroes? Can the average man on the street even remember a time when the good guys always came out on top? Worse yet, can most people even distinguish between good actions and bad actions. People steal from their employers because it’s not as bad as stealing from strangers. People steal from strangers because it’s not as bad as stealing from friends. And people steal from friends because it’s not as bad stealing from relatives. When is stealing ever not bad?
Where has evil gone? Is it hiding beneath the peer pressure of political correctness and the inability to point a finger at anyone without being labeled a hypocrite? Are we afraid to accuse anyone of wrongdoing because our own closets are about to snap off their hinges? I have a lot of questions. Hopefully, we all do. I pray we are all asking, “When will this tide of ambiguity, apathy, and puzzlement land on the shore of direction, orderliness, and explanation?”
Evil still exists. It hasn’t left us alone and free to be careless with our lives. The lighthouse of God’s word is providing a beacon for the ocean of seeking souls to find the safe shore. Set your sails to not only take you to this shore of wisdom and truth, but set them to take you away from the tossing sea of hopeless venues seeking our attention in this world. Remember that one day soon we will be with the One who passes final judgment on those that embrace, adore, and perpetrate evil in the universe. Let Him greet a soul found fleeing from evil.
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