oh this horrible world

this week i've been reminded of how evil this world is. sometimes i forget that while God will overcome all of the sin and brokenness here, for the time being satan is the prince of this world.


isn't it ridiculous how insulated we become? we act as if we're living this easy "Christian" life when all over the world evil is dominating. there's no way to escape it, but at least we have hope.


"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." John 16:33


something else that's been rolling around in my brain is when people say that they love someone not for who they are but for who they could be. they say that they love the potential they see in someone. and believe me, i've said the same thing. but isn't that wrong? it presents this problem, if you're appreciating someone for who they could be then you'll be expecting them to behave in ways their incapable of behaving. and isn't it a sort of cop out. we're called to love our neighbors, to love our enemies even. and the truth of the matter is that we're all sinful people. choosing not to see that or to look past that complicates things in the long run. we're to love people in spite of all their short comings. we're to love people for who they are, not for who they may or may not become in the future. and who ever gave us the right to decide who it is that our neighbors should or could be? we're a messed up people.


last night my roommates and i were talking about the tragedy that's taken place on virginia tech's campus. how can we look at things like this and not be convinced that the world is an evil place? there's no where to hide my friends. think of the devastation that this event is bringing. bigger than the students or the college, think of the parents of those who died. how about the younger siblings who are about to go away to college, don't you think those parents are going to have some serious reservations about their kids leaving them? what about the kids who were already struggling with thoughts of doing the same kinds of things? what about the students that survived and now have to live with that fear? how can satan do things like this? and how, as God's people can we help to bring love to those that are hurting?


i, for one, don't want satan to get away with things like this.