Sentinel Watch November 14, 2011 Issue

To defeat evil intentions

Shelly Richardson

Albert Einstein once said, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” This point about the importance of being alert to evil has great meaning for me, especially in light of “lone wolf” attacks such as the shootings in Tucson, Arizona; Oslo, Norway; and more recently, the Seal Beach shooting in Los Angeles.

Not long after the Oslo attack, I was working with students in New York City. One of them asked: “Why does it seem that one evil act has so big an impact? Why can’t one good act have the same response?” 

I’ve thought about her words often. The answer that has come to me is that even though horrendous acts may occur, they are not the norm—that’s why they get so much attention. It’s important to remember that many more people all over the world, at that very moment, are doing good as reflections of God, who is good. We may need to be more alert and watchful to resist evil, but we should never underestimate the power of this spiritual impulsion to do good.