Why We Do What We Do

Micah 2:1-2 states:

¹ Woe to those who plan iniquity,
   to those who plot evil on their beds!
At morning’s light they carry it out
   because it is in their power to do it.
² They covet fields and seize them,
   and houses, and take them.
They defraud a man of his home,
   a fellowman of his inheritance. 

There's a segment of the world today that wants to believe that this kind of people doesn't exist. They choose to think that everyone wants to just get along, as opposed to understanding that there really are people in this world that want to steal, kill, maim and destroy. Last night, I was viewing some pictures taken from inside North Korea, and the most depressing ones were those of Kim Jong-il and his father Kim Il-sung surrounded by hordes of smiling people. These pictures are total frauds, since a country that has a happy populace doesn't require strict border control to keep the people IN THE COUNTRY.

Micah's words show that God understands that evil exists in this world, and God tells us that he will deal with evil in the end. What we don't always realize is that God deals with evil even today, and he does it through us. He does it when he works through us to fight despotic fascism in World War II and he does it when our justice system punishes people who break the law. God had to lay down the law of the Old Testament precisely because he knew there would be people who would like Micah described, people who do plot evil in their beds.

We're in the middle of generational discussions as a country, regarding what we do and what is provided for us. Europe is questioning the whole concept of a cradle-to-grave social safety net, but what Europe knows (but never acknowledges) is that safety net is financed by the United States. How, you ask? By our commitment to a strong national (and increasingly international) defense. In other words, the money we spend on international defense is money not being spent by European nations, and believe me, anytime discussions on the U.S. reducing their military commitments occurs, Europe shudders--they know who keeps them safe and by extension finances their social safety net. As a nation, we recognize that there is evil in the world, and that evil isn't benign, but calculated and planned. As a nation, we've dedicated ourselves to doing the best we can to keep that evil in check. How much we should do or how well we're doing it, I'm not even remotely qualified to discuss, but we should all, as Americans, take pride in the fact that we place the emphasis on eliminating evil throughout the world that we do. Bottom line, no matter what, Micah tells us that evil-doers will never go away. With God's help, it's our duty to fight evil wherever and whenever we can.

Scott