Is Evil Real?

Our Western cultural understanding of evil is at best inconsistent and at worst schizophrenic.  Many of us raised in the West have been taught that evil is a real entity who lurks outside us and can influence us or even take over our bodies at times. On the other hand, we are also told that evil and sinfulness are inside us.  Because we are born in sin we need an outside entity like a savior to release us from our evil nature. 

The fact that evil exists certainly can’t be denied.  We see evidence of it all the time.  But how can evil be both inside us and outside us at the same time?  If God is love, why does evil exist in the first place?

Most people’s reaction to evil is to get as far away from it as possible.  We lock ourselves away in “safe” neighborhoods or gated communities.  We steer clear of convicted felons or drug addicts, hoping to insulate and protect ourselves.   But we may actually be running in the wrong direction.

Many years ago I was granted a profound lesson about the true nature of evil.  After a long and close relationship with my first spirit guide, I asked him if he would show me an image of his face.  He graciously agreed, and with my eyes closed in meditation, I began to see an image slowly begin to form in the lower left quadrant of my mind’s eye.  The face that materialized was radiant with unconditional love, compassion and understanding.  It was the most beautiful fact I have ever seen with features that were exquisite in their perfection.  I was amazed and transfixed.

As I was gazing in wonder and delight at this incredible image, I began to notice movement in the upper right quadrant of my inner vision, as if some other face was trying to emerge.  I didn’t want to be distracted from the wondrous beauty before me, but much to my irritation, the second image demanded my attention and I was at last forced to direct my focus there.

To my horror, the image I found was the exact opposite of the first face.  It was the most evil, disgustingly cruel visage I had ever encountered.   It oozed malevolence and deceit with a mouth twisted in a mocking leer.  I was at once repulsed and enraged, and demanded to know why my guide would show me this horrible face along side the other.

“This is also my face,” he said.  “And it is your face as well.  There is no such thing as  a good person or a bad person.   Every human is a whole, with the potential for both absolute good and absolute evil.  What makes the difference is choice.”

With his words also came the understanding that embracing our wholeness means accepting our capacity for evil as well as our capacity for good.  It is only with this understanding of our full potential that we have the ability to clearly exercise choice.  Choice is conscious, and if I am unconscious of my capacity for evil, I cannot consciously choose between good and evil.  This means I am vulnerable to unconscious actions or words that happen reflexively without true choice.

Most evil can be traced to three factors; fear, power and ignorance.  Even the most loving and loyal family dog will bite when frightened and cornered.  If I do not appreciate my capacity for evil, I can easily be caught off guard when badly frightened and pull the trigger reflexively only to find it was my best friend playing a joke.  If I understand my wholeness I will be more responsible with dangerous things and more aware of my ability to hurt or harm with words and deeds, even when frightened or threatened.

Although people seek power in order to avoid and control vulnerability (which is also a form of fear), power can easily become addictive.  A person may initially seek power to protect himself, but the rush that comes with power often leads a person to do whatever is needed to acquire more.  Understanding power seeking behavior as an addiction can help us moderate our own need for power as well as help us find creative ways to help others become aware of the destructiveness that inevitably results from the abuse of power.

Most of all, evil is caused by ignorance.  How many times have we innocently said or done something which later caused irreparable harm.  We long to take back our words or undo our actions, never dreaming they would cause so much harm.  But good choices can only be built on a foundation of bad choices.  It is only through our experience with evil that we gain the understanding and awareness to consciously choose.

Evil exists outside us only through the fact that like energy attracts like energy.  Those who choose evil will attract others who do the same.  Evil exists inside us because it is part of our wholeness. But we need no outside help to save us because divinity is also a part of that wholeness.  Embracing this wholeness empowers us to choose wisely and forgive ourselves.

It is also through the awareness of our own capacity for evil that we are able to extend the light of unconditional love, forgiveness and compassion to those who perpetrate evil, whether because of fear, addiction or ignorance.  It is much harder to judge and condemn when we can see both ourselves and others as whole.  It is this connection that brings the light, and it is only when the light and the dark dance together that we move forward as a human species.

“Lucifer” means light bringer.