The balance of good and evil

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary resonate with the world condition and the internal condition of the battle between good and evil. The role of evidence in the exercise of judgement is too often neglected. The assessments in the Book of Ezekiel about the wicked man changing to good and the righteous man choosing evil are serious. The righteous man descends to iniquity, abominable things and treachery after presenting evidence of his previous goodness. This rejection is deemed mortally serious. Some analysis uses the mass balance method of measuring good and evil. The good and righteous acts of life only need to “outweigh” the nasty and self serving episodes. The texts today support the importance of the intention and direction of our movement in the tensions between good and evil. The psalmist aware both of the depth with which his transgressions have damaged the intimacy with the Divine and the immeasurable mercy and forgiveness of the Lord expressed in the intense desire of the Divine to restore the relationship. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus cautions against a surface, keep the rules and laws, approach to right relationship with God and others. The intention and the direction of our engagement with God and people marks the path we are currently living in the tension between self worship and intimacy with the Divine through our indwelling Spirit.