Recently I had the great pleasure of having dinner with a group of girlfriends, some of whom I have known for over fifteen years. These smart, funny and beautiful women offer both sophisticated discussions as well as side-splitting silliness, a sensation combination I find curative to a long week of responsibility and seriousness.
In one of the evening’s more contemplative discussions, someone brought up the impossibility of good to triumph over evil when there was so much suffering and pain in the world, some of which she had personally witnessed when a friend of ours died several years ago at a tragic young age, leaving behind a lovely, mommy-look-alike daughter.
As we set out to reach our goals in life, optimism is sometimes struck down by the unavoidable dark hand of turmoil, consequence, and struggle. We may find ourselves thinking, “If I could be crushed by misfortune any day now and for no apparent reason, what am I accomplishing by believing that goodwill alone can overcome our worldly problems.”
Considering that this off-putting observation about pointless calamity in the world is quite likely shared by more than just a handful of us, I’ve written this blog in a humble attempt to explain the dichotomy of good and evil.
Many people believe that the turmoil we experience in our lives is perfectly orchestrated in a purposeful way meant to help us evolve in wisdom. I agree with them and also believe that living in a world where the possibility of evil and misfortune exists gives us the occasion to choose happiness and do good, something that often takes courage and sacrifice. How else could we truly experience peace, joy and goodness if not for the interrupting fluctuation of struggle, unfairness and evil?
Struggle, disorder, instability and disaster are the Yin while progress, peace, stillness and agreement are the Yang. They are contrary energies that are interconnected and interdependent. Like all Yin and Yang forces, struggle and peace exist as polar opposites to give rise to each other. The rise and fall of struggle is completely natural and purposeful in our lives. Although misfortune may be beyond our understanding, especially when death is the result, a life full of only peace would lack the turbulence required to compel us towards unconditional love, courage, forgiveness and triumph.
We are given a choice. I can be proud of the good I do because I know there is another option. In this way, any good I do only exists in contrast to the evil done in the world. In the end, I still believe that the good guys win!
