Goodness is stronger than evil


 It is impossible to come to terms with the horror of this past Saturday's shootings in Arizona, for there is no way to comprehend such an act. But thoughtful reading of news reports since then has affirmed the truth proclaimed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:5: "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, for he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart."

In this case, many of the "things" in question have been known to those who follow Arizona politics closely but are now being articulated on the national stage. These include the general political climate in Arizona, a state with a long and troubled history of opposition to the celebration of Martin Luther King's birthday; Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's harsh anti-immigration stance; the state's scarily permissive gun laws; and the ways in which conservative talk radio in Tucson has fanned the flames of anti-immigration ire. The latter provides affirmation of the accompanying truth that extreme denials usually signify guilt: In response to Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik's press conference comment that Arizona had become “the mecca for prejudice and bigotry” and that local TV and radio hosts should do some “soul-searching,” one prominent morning radio host retorted that Dupnik’s comments had “incited stupidity around the world.”

Goodness is stronger than evil,
love is stronger than hate,
light is stronger than darkness,
life is stronger than death,
victory is ours through him who loved us.
(Bishop Desmond Tutu)

Thanks be to God!

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