Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
To the crowds accusing Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, he responds that a house divided cannot stand.
Evil does not drive out evil. It’s a well-known though often overlooked truth when pain blinds our vision. The thirst of retribution dominates and the cycle of using evil to drive out evil can continue indefinitely.
Love alone can drive out evil. Love is not always fuzzy and warm. Love can require us to go against our immediate instinct, against our immediate desires that can at times be filled with violence and self-centeredness. We can think, for example, of how we might respond to loved ones when we’re hungry and tired. Strength and dedication are required if we truly wish to be loving. But this alone will transform the world.
The beauty of it, too, is that love does not drive out love. It only strengthens it.