By: Margaret Brown
The Old Testament deals throughout with concepts of good and evil, as spoken by the Prophets through the word of God.
Having been forbidden to eat from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve disobeyed: they were banished from the Garden and denied access to the Tree of Life. Although we may view this as an allegory, it is also a simple and sufficient explanation for the endless battle between good and evil which plagues the human race.
Having been tempted by the Serpent, Eve made her choice. Nothing has changed through thousands of years and, in the face of temptation, there is always the power to choose.
• Look no further than the suffering in our midst: a choice was made by loving parents to leave their sleeping infants while they had supper. Something many of us will have done, while staying in close proximity in order to make frequent checks on their wellbeing. Now a little girl has disappeared and some person/s must have spirited her away, having been tempted for whatever purpose to do this evil thing. They made their choice either because she was found wandering or with wicked aforethought, the consequence of which has changed many lives forever and tarnished a peaceful place with an unmerited blemish.
As a Christian I believe that in the presence of absolute evil there may yet be hope. Madeleine’s abduction has become the focus for an outpouring of prayer across the world from people of many different faiths, as well as those who recognise no higher authority. Who can tell what will come from this corporate cry for help out of a hidden well of human compassion? Perhaps the courage never to give up hope.
