The Scepter of Wickedness Will Not Remain in the Land Given to the Righteous
For the scepter of wickedness won't remain over the allotment of the righteous; So that the righteous won't use their hands to do evil. — Psalms 125:3
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. — Acts 12:1
Author
Dr. Roberto Miranda
Summary: Wickedness exists, but God has set limits on it and remains in control of history: hatred may prevail for a moment, but goodness and the love of God will ultimately triumph. Even amid tragedy, darkness can cause the light to shine through heroism, prayer, comfort, and unity. Our frailty leads us to seek hope in God and makes us better channels of his grace. Although this consolation may be small for those who suffer loss or irreversible wounds, we pray that they will not harbor bitterness, that they will receive peace, and that they may rise to a renewed life, assured that nothing will separate them from the love of Christ.
As we have seen so vividly this week, evil exists in this world. But God has also placed a limit on it. It can manifest itself only for a moment, but then it must yield its place to a Higher and Nobler Power, who, in the final analysis, is in complete control.
We are people of faith. We believe in a benevolent God who holds history in a steady hand; who, although He allows hatred and fanaticism to have their moment, has also declared again and again, through the many voices of faith in this millennium, that in the end, good will prevail; that, yes, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:50).
Events like the one that wounded us on that sunny Monday afternoon, just a couple of days ago, remind us that we live in a mysterious world, where a loving and sovereign God sometimes allows a small spark of negative energy to penetrate our realm, but only to ennoble us and draw from us an even greater measure of generosity and goodness.
The dilemma of evil is that even as it carries out its dark and sinister work, it always ends up strengthening the good and making the very light it so desperately tries to extinguish shine even more brightly.
We have all been inspired by the images and stories of heroism and goodness that emerged from the very moment this terrible tragedy occurred: In our weakness, we are made strong. In our suffering, we have been inspired to pray for one another. In our wounds, we have offered comfort. In our diversity, we have united. In our perplexity, we have been inspired to run to God and to remember that no matter how strong, fast, or outstanding we may be, we are, in the end, fragile children of eternity, capable of finding true hope and comfort only at the Father’s breast, in the stillness of prayer, and in spiritual humility.
In that paradox of weakness into which we have entered, we can receive more grace and become stronger, better channels through which God’s grace may flow into this fallen world.
This is, of course, small and immediate comfort for those who lie in a hospital bed contemplating a life that has been irrevocably changed, or who mourn a loss or an injured loved one. We pray that they too may receive the grace to see beyond this moment of suffering and to believe that their lives are still far from over; that they may rise above their pain and their loss and become spiritually stronger and more agile human beings; that they may find fullness of life and happiness and attain personal fulfillment in the new normal of the world they inhabit.
May they never allow bitterness or hatred to remain in their souls for more than a moment. May they receive the peace that surpasses all understanding. May they be able to translate into their own spiritual language the apostle Paul’s words of reassurance:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation or distress, danger or persecution, hunger, destitution, or violence? Even in these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37)
God’s love still has the final word. God has not forgotten Boston. God has not forgotten our nation. He is simply weaving a beautiful and radiant tapestry that includes a few dark threads.