I was watching TV, the show Criminal Minds to be exact, and as they do each episode they quoted a famous, or maybe not so famous, quote relevant to the story. In this particular episode a serial killer was acting out what he believed to be normal because he had been abused as a child. And then the quote:

Those to whom evil is done do evil in return. – W. H. Auden – American Poet

This tends to be human nature. Have you ever been hurt or betrayed by someone? If someone pushes you, isn’t your knee jerk response to push back? And if we look at the full quote by Auden, we can see why: “What all schoolchildren learn, those to whom evil is done, do evil in return”. Yes, this tendency is bred into us from childhood.

But is this the Christian way? Or in other words, is this the way of the cross? Here is what Jesus did:

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”. – Isaiah 53:7 (King James Version)

And on the cross, after He had been falsely accused, beaten, and nailed to a cross, here is what Jesus prayed: ”Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. - Luke 23:34 (King James Version)

So once again we see that the ways of the world are not the ways of God. And if you have been the victim of evil, there is no need to return evil for evil, hurt for hurt. Yes, protect yourself and take yourself out of harm’s way. Then give it to God, like Jesus did.

What do you think? How should we respond to evil in our lives today? Leave a comment to let our readers know what you think.

Here is where you can find more quotes from Criminal Minds.

Today’s Bible or Not quote:

“Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.”

Is today’s quote from the Bible, or perhaps Shakespeare, or some other work of fiction? And if it’s from the Bible, how do you reconcile the idea of an evil spirit coming from an all-good God?

Let us know what you think.

Evil enters like a needle and spreads like an oak tree.