The Greening of the Year

by Ken Pierpont

The One who with the Father and the Spirit spoke the worlds into
existence has promised that as long as the earth remains the cycle of
the seasons will continue. We are again on the brink of warm, sunny
days and evenings among the flowers in the yard. We're in the
greening of the year. It's like the whole world is blushing with
young love.

There are things around us that are dark and disturbing and I would
give you an account of them if I thought you needed it but the
ubiquitous media stream evidence of human depravity into our homes,
and cars, and businesses, and offices non-stop. We don't need any
more detail. Unrelenting evidence of sin's curse surrounds us.
Stories of greed, lust, murder, theft, perversion, betrayal, pride,
violence, tragedy, sports, and weather are tucked between breezy adds
to sell everything from insect repellant to insurance from laundry
soap to ladders from luxury cruises to cemetery property. Young
chirpy model-types in short skirts and perfect teeth sit between
talking heads in suits and chat about the mayhem that plagues our
earth as if they were swatting flies away or brushing ants off the
table at a picnic. But once-in-a-while, when the evil hit close to
home, or when the tragedy touches a friend, or when a series of
painful things hit us at once we are tempted to be overcome by the
evil around us.

How can we keep from being overcome by evil? It would be easy to
allow ourselves to be overcome by all the evil around us. Knowledge
of evil will not overcome evil. Brute force will not overcome evil.
Law will curtail evil but the law cannot overcome evil. Legislation
will not overcome evil. First-century Christians in Rome must have
had a sense of evil pressing in on them. Paul reminded them of the
teaching of Jesus and said, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good." (see Romans 12:21)

We must be those who overcome evil with good. We cannot allow our
spirits to be dragged into the swamp of despair. I am among those who
will continually strain to hear the sounds of spring on an April
morning. I will continually trust that He who conceived such wonder
and such beauty and such life and spoke it instantly into being can
push back evil like spring overcomes winter every year. I long for
that day. Until then I will conspire with others who would overcome
evil with good. I will speak and tell and write good words. Good
words are powerful words. I will conspire with others to do good
deeds. Good deeds are powerful deeds. They are powerful enough to
overcome evil.

When in the evening in the greening of the year I sit in our yard
and breathe in the fragrance of spring my heart is filled with hope
again that one day evil can be overcome by good.

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