by Sandra Elizabeth

Created on: May 16, 2009

We define evil as we define everything, by summarization and as with everything, we all walk around with our own condensed versions of evil's description. There's just one little problem, and make no mistake about this, evil cannot be summarized.

It can blend in with every other description, simultaneously, if it wants to. Yet, we make the mistake of focusing (as we do) on the short version and are content with our comfortable labels; greed, envy and the rest of the seven deadliest. We label its image Satan, its residence hell and its advisory God. In being satisfied with our trivial categorizations, we stop probing and that's where we make our mistake.

Evil is very much like a camouflaged lizard. If we're searching for it, we might not see it blended in with the grass and the twigs, even when we're staring right at it (until it blinks) and if we're not searching for it, we'll never even know it's there (until it strikes).

Don't search for evil under its key definitions, it's right along side love's characterizations, it is among smiles, hides underneath joy and can be found in compassion (these are some of the labels we don't put on evil and these are why most times it goes unnoticed). We make the mistake of trying to sum it up nice and tidy like, blinders intact, with our basic descriptions of what we believe it to be. In actuality, we have no idea.

Good would not exist without evil's existence and wherever good is found, we can be sure that evil lies in wait. Sometimes we can spot it, sometimes we can't and it strikes from out of nowhere (the same can be said for good). The important point here is that we stop looking through its description (under all the usual key words) and start looking right in front of us.

We are not immune to evil but we are not defenseless either; some have (on occasion) put up a good struggle. However, there can be no struggle if there's not an acknowledgment of its presence. Again, it will strike and you will never even see it coming. This is certainly not a fair fight but "fair" is just another word we define and just because evil is not associated within its summarization, does not mean it is not lurking around; it is.

Many definitions place us under false assumptions, in believing that we have depicted the truth; when what we have depicted is only our definition of it. We could be wrong; we've been before.

The best way to define evil is not to let it trick you into ever thinking that you can.

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