Good triumphs over evil, always
Here is a reflection for my scripture class inspired by the discussion of evil in the garden of Eden:
Friday’s class focused on the presence of evil in the garden of Eden and in our lives today. As a Catholic Christian, I certainly believe evil exists and that the devil also exists. I sometimes prefer to not believe in evil to reassure myself. But I think that in believing evil, we are truly recognizing the might of God. To understand that evil is present is to understand that He is the all powerful being who triumphs over all the workings of the devil. And that realization is powerful. I consider myself as an optimist, always trying to see the good in everything. But there are times when it is important to recognize the darkness of the world in order that we may find the light. This brings me to the question of how evil is portrayed in stories. I am a huge fan of books and movies and my absolutely favorite symbolism is light and dark. The most powerful stories are the ones that have both, and light overcomes. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, for example, Dumbledore states that “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” This may seem like a simple phrase, but it really is quite powerful and one of my favorite quotes. Evil is actually manifested in this book as a dark creature called a dementor. It does not speak or act; it is simply a dark presence that sucks out all that is good from a place and from a person. The only way to cast out the dementor is by repeating the spell, “Expecto Patronum” – this emits a powerful light in the shape of an animal which represents the wizard or witch casting it. However, these words only work if the person casting it can keep the most joyous memory in their mind. Happiness defeats fear; love defeats evil. This symbolism is constantly repeated throughout these seven books. The greatest, most powerful villain of all is defeated with love. To acknowledge evil is to acknowledge the power of love. We have no cause to fear when we have God. Another example of evil in literature is found in the one ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Tolkien does not specifically state what the ring represents, but evil is certainly manifested in its use. The story of the Lord of the Rings does not have a very active villain; however, the villain is ever present. When one encounters the ring, he is slowly consumed by it and the ring begins to control his actions. The power of the ring is unique because it affects each person in a different way. It can cause one to succumb to fear and in others, it sparks pridefulness. One of the characters, Gollum, was possessed by the ring for over a century and he is nearly destroyed by it. If evil remains in our lives and we do not seek to rid ourselves of it, we enable it to seep into our souls and corrupt us. But Tolkien does not let the darkness win; once again, light overcomes and good triumphs. There are occurrences of this in a literal sense i.e. when Sam uses the light of Galadriel to escape the spider, Shelob, or when Gandalf appears in the midst of a battle at dawn shining a light in all of the orcs’ (the minions of the Sauron, the main villain) eyes. Tolkien also proves the importance of fellowship in conquering evil. Frodo, one of the key figures, is only able to overcome the growing power of the ring because of his friends who hold onto the goodness in the world, namely Sam. The characters are strengthened by their friends faith in goodness, which we can take to represent Goodness Himself: God. While I am not witch able to cast a patronus to ward off evil, I have the power of prayer and my guardian angel beside me. Although I do not have the light of Galadriel to guide me in the darkness, I have my Mother Mary to guide me. I may not be able to literally defeat a powerful villain with love, but evil has already been conquered by Love Himself. Evil exists in the world and manifests itself in many ways but I need not fear because all I have to do to cast it out is by uttering the most powerful word: the name of my savior, Jesus Christ.













