The Root of Evil

The world around us is dark. Between COVID restrictions and regulations, protests, riots, vandalism, and destruction of religious statues, it seems the world gets darker with each day. If you dare to turn on the news it could seem like all the good in the world is a surfer who is about to be drowned by a tsunami sized wave in the ocean. There are questions that seem to be screaming for answers. Where is all of this coming from? How did we get here? What is the root of all this evil around us?

There is a common phrase that circulates around families, friends, and social media that says money is the root of all evil. That is simply not true. Money is not the root of all evil. Jesus gives us the parable of the good steward in Matthew 25. Jesus warns us about the dangers of the love of money, but not money itself. The importance of smart and careful money management is taught in Luke 14:28-30 by illustrating the necessity of planning and budgeting.

            “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30)        

It’s easy to say the devil is the root of all evil, which ultimately, we know the devil is behind anything opposed to God. We know the source of our salvation is Jesus Christ. The catalyst that changed the course of history stands on the foundation of love. It is love that paved a path for eternal life with Christ. It is also love that the devil, the ultimately copycat and “Mr Unoriginal” uses to attempt to destroy God’s creation.

            “For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.” (I Timothy 6:10 NAB)

The Early Church Fathers recognized the danger of the love of money. Although money is beneficial and necessary for survival, the love of money drives actions that are often contradictory to the faith and hinder our relationship with God. The love of money causes parents to seek careers, promotions, and larger bank accounts while neglecting time with children. The love of money drives a desire for more material possessions, status, power, or opportunities. The love of money drives individuals to choose to work overtime for extra money over attending Mass. The love of money can drive individuals to cheat on taxes, cut corners in business, have an abortion, or even seek promotions or careers that are ethically questionable.

            “Love of money so tempts our desires with its various seductions that we consent to become its slaves. Riches are alien to us because they exist outside of our nature, they are not born with us, they do not follow us in death. But Christ, to the contrary, belongs to us, because He is life.” (St. Ambrose, Father and Doctor of the Church)

What about the protests and riots? What does the fight against racial injustice, racism, and police brutality have to do with the love of money? I am not saying that all those who are advocating for police reform, changes in laws, or bridging the gap between races are all doing it for money. However, just like any movement, there are larger forces behind it. The driving force? The love of money.

The killing of George Floyd, regardless of his past or his actions, was agreeably wrong and I have not seen one person yet defend it. Riots, protests, and calls for police reform, even defunding the police followed the release of the George Floyd video. Those were not the only things that followed the video’s release. Money. Millions of dollars swept in like a tidal wave to organizations as well as individuals. Soon, George Floyd’s death was a money maker.

According to the New York Times, “black leaders and activists said it was a landmark moment (Floyd killing) in which a multiracial coalition protesting systemic racism and police brutality not only marched together, showed solidarity on social media, and drove books about racism up the best-seller charts but also opened their wallets- especially during a pandemic that has driven 40 million people from their jobs and created one of the sharpest economic downturns in American history.”

Kailee Scales, managing director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, told the NYT that just one single online petition of the organization generated $5 million in donations. The Bail Project received $15 million in additional donations, The Bail Fund Network received an estimate of $75 million in donations, a GoFundMe account for an individual chapter of Black Lives Matter surpassed its $2 million goal in donations. The Floyd memorial GoFundMe account set a record for the site’s website with hitting almost $500,000. These are just a few of the examples and numbers as reported by the New York Times that reflect the correlation between the love of money and the current riots and protests.

The sales numbers for books that hit the New York Times Best Sellers list for the week of George Floyd’s death included Untamed, Becoming, Plague of Corruption, The Splendid and the Vile, The Great Influenza, The Chiffon Trenches, Educated, Hidden Valley Road, A Woman of No Importance, the Library Book, American Crusade, The Body Keeps the Score, The Mamba Mentality, Sapiens, and The World. Two weeks following George Floyd’s death, two thirds of the New York Times Best Sellers were on racism. Those books included White Fragility, So You Want To Talk About Race, How To Be An Antiracist, Me and White Supremacy, The New Jim Crow, The Color of Law, Between The World and Me, Untamed, Stamped From the Beginning, Just Mercy, Becoming, The Splendid and the Vile, Born A Crime, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, and I’m Still Here.

In addition to authors, publishers, non-profits and advocacy organizations financially benefitting from the protests and riots, politicians vying for some of the nation’s top spots also happily reigned in the river of green. The Democratic Party readily piled up the cash coinciding with the nationwide protests and riots.

What is the root of all evil? The love of money. What is the solution to evil? The love of Christ. Who is the master behind the root of all evil? Satan. Who is the master before the root of all that is good? Christ.

Love can lead you to hell or it can lead you to salvation. The roads to both are paved with love.