Tolerance in Evil Times

Society's changed rather a lot in just the last fifty years. Things that were once considered to be wrong have now not only become right, but they're flaunted – celebrated, even. And it's being demanded of us that we toe the line, that we not merely accept but enthusiastically embrace that which, deep down, we know to be wrong. Philosopher and social critic, Thomas Mann, was exiled from Nazi Germany as he became increasingly vocal in his criticism of Adolf Hitler. He'd seen firsthand how German intellectuals, churches, and ordinary citizens tolerated Hitler's rise, excusing his rhetoric, ignoring his brutality, hoping it'd all pass. But that tolerance allowed evil to metastasise. As Mann warned, failing to confront wickedness for the sake of social peace isn't a virtue; it's complicity. By the time the world acted, millions had already perished. Evil unchecked doesn't fade—it devours. Mann summed it up well when he said, "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil."  Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (NIV) We're not called, you and I, to remain passive observers. We're called to shine light into darkness—not through self-righteousness, but by truth and love. When we sit idly by, tolerating or excusing evil for the sake of comfort, popularity or fear, we're participating in a dangerous moral reversal that Scripture sharply condemns. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.