Today is November 4.
  
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.    
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”     
    
Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 12.   


17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.   
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.   
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.   
20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  
  

Today’s reading uses a weighty word, the word evil. The Apostle Paul assumes the reality of evil in our world and in our lives. How do you feel about that word? And where might you see evil in the world around you, or in your life?   
  
Increasingly, our culture makes two mistakes about evil. On the one hand, we deny evil. Things or people aren’t evil, we reason. People are broken, but not bad. Bad things may happen but not evil things. On the other hand our culture wants to make evil things or evil people unredeemable. It’s a way of making something or someone unforgiveable.  But the Apostle Paul denies both approaches. On the one hand, he says, “yes evil things happen, sometimes by evil people.” On the other hand, he says, we are to respond by trusting in God, even showing love and goodness to evil people. As you hear the passage again, consider your own response to evil in the world today.   
  
The word for evil is both personal and moral. When you experience evil, it hurts personally. And we inherently know it’s wrong, it’s bad! It’s normal to respond with hurt and anger when you experience evil or sin. But the Gospel invites us to not allow our hurt and anger to be the final word about those experiences. It invites us to a deeper work of trust in God, of forgiveness, and love. As we close our time of prayer today, consider someone who you may feel hurt or anger toward because of something they have done. Can you move toward a work of trust, forgiveness, and love through the power of Christ? 

Music: Make Us Like Jesus - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)