A conspiracy of one

This scene is now a familiar pattern of seemingly random violence that threatens the very fabric of our society. Various places: churches, schools, work places – and now national memorials – have become crime scenes. In this case, the news media are calling it a "conspiracy of one" since the gunman apparently acted alone.

It is a truism that one person can do much harm. A heart filled with hate and evil intent can wreak much havoc in the lives of people who happen to be in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Over and over, this scene is played out in different parts of the country and other parts of the world. Sickening, discouraging, revolting acts, yet they must be dealt with as well as all their lingering consequences.

The capacity for doing terrible things is certainly found within human nature. The prophet Jeremiah wrote about this millennia ago, when he said: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Ezekiel, another ancient writer, focused on the same type of behavior when he wrote: "Make a chain for the land is filled with crimes of blood, and the city is filled with violence" (Ezekiel 7:23) – an apt description of our land today.

Yet, we must always remember that just as one person can do much harm with evil acts of cruelty, one person committed to doing the right things can do much good. The Bible is filled with examples of individuals committed to God's way of life that accomplished great things and rightly influenced the lives of many others. They were often misunderstood, maligned and persecuted, but they pressed on and are remembered for their faithfulness, loyalty and accomplishments. You can read about some of them in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, in your Bible. There you will find inspiring stories of good triumphing over evil, heroes of the faith whose lives made a difference for good.

You may say that is nice rhetoric, but what can I, as an individual, possibly do to make a difference? The Apostle Paul praised the folks in Philippi for what they were doing, becoming, "blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

While the evils that have been done by this hate-filled person in Washington, DC cannot be undone, each of us can do our part to set a right example to a world that desperately needs it.

You can learn more about the good you – as one person – can do without a conspiracy in our free booklet. What is a True Christian?