For whatever combination of reasons, I’ve lived most of my life believing the world is primarily a place of conflict, where good and evil are constantly at war. In many ways my religion supported this idea, and too the daily news and every cop show aired on television; listen to George W. for even a moment and you’ll hear its message clearly. There’s the good guys, and there’s the bad guys; whose side are you on?

I respect what this view highlights. Good and evil do exist. I’ve personally felt them wrestle, and seen the wonder and destruction they leave in their wakes.

But the longer I think and observe and live, the more the world seems much more complicated than simple dualities. It begs more nuance than good-and-evil wars imply.

Here’s why I think this matters. When I view the world through a lens of good-vs-evil, my stance toward life (people, nature, decision-making, prayer), becomes vigilant, tight, expectant of resistance and threat. I have only two categories in which to place myself and those around me, and, for fear of finding myself in the wrong one, must work diligently to establish my position among the good…often by means of establishing clearly who the bad guys are, and proving I’m not like them. I’m not free to recognize or acknowledge the darkness within myself, or the light within my enemies; to do so could jeopardize my spot with the good.

This life-stance deeply troubles me. It looks like a self-fulfilling prophecy whose content, though maybe intended by many to “protect us from evil,” actually perpetuates fear and prejudice and division and hate. It perpetuates conflict.

I wonder whether there aren’t alternative ways of understanding good and evil that can produce more compassion and connection and reconciliation and…hope. Ones that cause muscles to relax and fists and guns to lower, and create safe spaces for honest dialogue and self-appraisal and discovery of common ground.

Maybe focusing on good versus bad – at whatever outer or inner or spiritual level – actually ensures that peace is never won.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 21st, 2004 at 10:05 am and is filed under Philosophy, Psychology, Bridge-building, Religion/Spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.