Sermons In Time

The Character of Evil

The Character of Evil
February 3, 1991

Last Night, many of you came to the showing of "Dr. Cook's Garden.' Many years ago, the choir director in the church I was serving was director of drama at the local Junior College. After many of the local productions, it was fun to use a play cutting for the theme of the sermon the following Sunday. For several weeks now, last night's play ban absorbed our attention. It has an appropriate theme for today's service.

Dr. Cook was a small town doctor obsessed with having a perfect town, just like his perfect garden. He wanted no weeds, no imperfections, only "the healthiest, happiest town in the whole world.' To have such a town, he devoted his whole life to its care. Whenever there was a person who became too ill to help, or another who was so obstreperous that no amount of struggle could change their behavior the Dr. had to deal with that person. The way he did it, assuming full responsibility for his actions, was to "cut out" that person.

The struggle became very personal. The Dr. became so obsessed with perfection by his own standards he became increasingly evil. Evil reached into the very soul of the man until killing became a pleasure. "Deciding, carrying out, being triumphant, and still being alive" became an evil pleasure. Evil pleasure finally destroyed the man. He became evil personified.

Not often do we have the privilege to see evil developing so graphically displayed. Only in Robert Louis Stevenson's story of 'Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde" do we see such a portrayal equally well done. Stevenson, of course, has written a classic. Today, I want to let us see the insidious growth of evil in the human spirit. Let us see what it can do to any person who harbors its growth.

1. Evil has an insidious way of sneaking up on us. In the play, Dr. Cook seriously wanted a town
as beautiful as a garden. He wanted people to have more care than flowers do. He wanted there to be no one with the ability to bring unhappiness to the people of the town. For years he struggled with those who stood In the way of that happiness. Finally, he took into his own hands the lives of those detractors of happiness.

Whenever a person begins to see life from a narrow, personal perspective, there is a serious danger of being evil. Dr. Cook took upon himself the prerogatives of God. He was not willing for his town to "muddle along." the Dr. did not want to have those within it who were incurable. He fought those who stood in the way of progress, those who were destroying the life of others because of their own hurt and pain.

One of the very real issues in our society is the question, "when do you let someone die?" Even more serious is the question., "Can you take the life of someone for whom there is no hope?" It is only a short step further to the question, "How do you deal with those whom you do not like? What happens to those whose life patterns you do not approve?" The very serious danger of euthanasia capital punishment, war, abortion, and any other way of "taking life" is what it does to those who decide about those acts. "Getting rid of the enemy" is never an act that is complete. At the close of last night's play, a new "enemy" emerged in the person who refused to put up a safety fence. It's a bit like this: "After Hussein, who's next?" Even a country such as our own has to caution itself not to take upon . itself the prerogatives of God.
one of the telling lines in Dr. Cook's Garden is, "Lives aren't all of them sacred... I When that attitude is present disdain for the different and imperfect is only a step away. Sparta of old desired perfection. It was not long until any small physical defect was as reason for destruction. How easy it is to move such a spirit into a similar attitude toward those who are different. Even those with whom we disagree can be unworthy.
The interesting fact about evil is that the more certain we become of our own convictions, the more we are in danger of doing that, which is evil. One of the saving graces of the Mid-eastern action was the reliance on the United Nations. Dr. Cook took upon himself the "God like stance." There were no others with whom to consult. There were no quality assurance programs. There were no ways in which he was accountable except to himself.

2. One of the insidious characteristics of Evil is an egocentric spirit. When the world revolves only around ones self,, there is an idolatry which emerges. It is the internal idolatry of the soul turned in upon itself.

In "Jekyll and Hyde," Dr. Jekyll had very limited relationships. Stevenson intentionally has no women in the story who are wholesome, and with whom Jekyll may relate. Mr. Hyde is totally perverse, fulfilling the perverse needs of Dr. Jekyll The evil of Mr. Hyde is not Just the "Potion" from the lab. it reflects the soul of this perverse man.

When people are egocentric, they can see no other opinion, no other way of acting than their own. Dr. Cook relied completely upon himself as a doctor. He also became the judge and Jury and chief executioner of that which he thought was not good for the town. The evil did not just happen. Evil grew within the doctor for many years before he acted upon it. Even the egocentric spirit

grew as the years went by. When he first came to town, he really didn't want to be the only Dr. there. Later, "held fight like mad if anyone came near the place."

Thinking one's opinion is the only one that is valid is deadly. Death comes to relationships. Even friendship was dishonored in the town when friends "questioned" Dr. Cook! Many a person has isolated his or her life by the spirit of arrogance and aloofness.

3.Evil has no ability to be creative,, constructive, orbuilding. Evil only has the power to destroy. When
others are seen as the enemy, or if one insists on having their own way condemnatlon enters full force.
Dr. Cook could not bear to live with those who opposed him. When the play was nearly over, an
Interesting change took place in the life of the Doctor. Not only had he killed people. He began to
experience the pleasure in doing so. In a very insidious way, there was a demonic pleasure In being victor
over those who did not agree with him.

When the spirit is evil, there is only condemnation and death. There is no redemption, no hope of change. There is no capacity to understand the power of continued confrontation and dialogue. In the play, the need to be in control became so perverse the Dr. Cook sought to kill the one who was "almost like his son."

We often do not realize how destructive criticism Is. The negative word is so easily spoken. The person being negative knows only how to say what is wrong. That person does not understand how to say what is right. Left with only the negative, destruction Is just a step away.

Usually, we do not see evil in its full development. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the evil spirit in the Dr. takes control. Evil consumes the man. So, also in Dr. Cook's garden. The story ends in the Dr.'s death. The audience would miss a vital point if they saw the heart attack as the cause of death. The man was consumed by his own evil. The consuming evil was his private concept and desire for a perfect town.

In the play, Jim, the young doctor, says, "Doc, towns muddle along. People muddle along too. So does the world. The words 'muddle along.'may be disconcerting to those who cannot stand to have their world messed Up, but the alternative is not as healthy as we often assume. Control of others Just does not work. Whether the control Is by a dictator, a brutal parent, a kindly doctor or a needy mother, it is still control of others. Such control is deadly for both parties. Understanding that both the controller and the controlled become the victims of evil is important. Freedom of the human spirit is essential for vitality.

Doctor Cook relied too much on his own strength. He became his own God. Idolatry is much
closer than we realize.

4. So. to turn from evil is to act differently.

First, it is to recognize one's own limits and to live within them. Dr. Cook tried to do it all: Keeping up because there was no one else to rely on; studying, knowing more than other Dr. Is did; preserving that which really mattered and destroying that which stood in his way; and spotting that which he wanted to see grow and blossom. Going it alone Is just not enough. We cannot play god.

second, reaching out to others for help# understanding, and respect. It is especially Important to understand and respect those whose opinion Is different from your own.

third, respecting the of others regardless of how difficult that may be. Those with severe limits, those who hurt, those who bring distress are also important. In Romans, Paul speaks of Character development in Chapter 5. Character development Includes accepting trouble, enduring, and realizing our common humanity with others. Such character does not depend upon our own strength or power. Our strength comes from that one who values every life, every person, good and bad, holy and wicked. Change comes into our lives when we live with and work with those with whom we disagree in deptht All of us have to leave the outcome of the world to God. All the arms in the world won't do it. All the oil in Kuwait won't do it. All the power of the Pentagon won't do It. All the fervor of Dr. Cook won't do it.

After Dr. Cook's death, a young lady fell and had a concussion because "Tom Lick won't build a fence." And the story goes on. Such is the nature of life.

amen.

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