By Rev. Barbara Prose

“Never react to an evil in such a way as to augment it,” the great French philosopher Simone Weil wrote in 1933 as she contemplated how to be a good human in a world that seemed to be falling apart.

I find myself reflecting on those words after returning from ten days of Noble Silence on a Vipassana meditation retreat, to a world that seems to be falling apart.

“Never react to an evil in such a way as to augment it.”

We often shy away from the word evil because it seems to challenge our commitment to and faith in the inherent worth and dignity of each and every person. But if we can’t discuss evil, then how can we hear or heed the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who wrote, “Is anything more obvious than the presence of evil in the universe?”

Despite my own resistance, over the years, I have decided it is important to accept that evil does manifest itself in the form of such things as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, rape, child abuse, genocide, colonialism, extractive capitalism and many other human creations. 

Since the responsibility for evil lies solely with people and not in a supernatural devil, we are the ones who have the responsibility to not only see and understand evil, but also the ones to have the insight and courage to be and do good. 

So, let our theme for the month of February be Good & Evil. And as we move into the new year, facing the personal and political challenges of the day, I hope you’ll help me remember that we never want to “React to an evil in such a way as to augment it.”