Strange Scriptures to Grow Your Faithናሙና

Wickedness Is Mysterious

All it takes for us to conclude that evil exists is a look at the news. Heinous acts of injustice and violence leave us with the perception that darkness permeates our broken planet. 

One case is the mass shooting that occurred on Sunday night, October 1, 2017, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. The shooter opened fire on a music festival from his suite on the thirty-second floor. He killed fifty-eight people and wounded more than 850 others before he killed himself.

Reverend Clete Kiley was called upon to visit the Mandalay Bay to comfort the traumatized staff. The FBI had released the room where the shooting occurred back to the hotel. The manager asked Kiley if he would perform a blessing on it.

When Kiley reached the hallway on the thirty-second floor, he felt something he couldn’t explain. He said he could sense evil in the room. “This is what we call the mystery of evil,” he said. “You cannot use reason to put the pieces of this together.”

Evil has a mysterious component to it. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul acknowledges the mysterious nature of evil. He talks about the wickedness that would occur in the days that precede the second coming of the Lord. He mentions that an evil human figure will come and deceive the Christian community. His appearance will mimic Christ’s appearance. 

This figure executes his deception using satanic powers that Paul calls “the mystery of lawlessness.” The word “mystery” comes from the Greek word mystērion. It means “secret rite” or “secret power.” This text is telling us that there is a secret, supernatural power behind the wickedness that works in the world. It backs those who oppose God’s reign, like antichrists and workers of evil. It is the power that Rev. Kiley sensed when he stepped onto the thirty-second floor. 

As we await the coming of the Lord, we will continue to see these powers at work. As believers, we should to pray for our world and clothe ourselves with God’s armor in order to resist their operation. 

In light of all you see, take time to pray. Even though you don’t understand it, your prayers frustrate the working of evil. The world needs a praying church. So the next time you see something shocking in the news, instead of scratching your head, lift your face to God.