Viva Leve

There are news stories that make us sad, and then there are those that make us stop for a few seconds and ask: How can one human being do something like this to another? Recently, in the United States, a case in East St. Louis, Illinois, caused exactly this kind of reaction. A 15-year-old teenager was accused of killing a 78-year-old man who was at a bus stop. According to authorities, the teenager was reportedly dressed as a clown, and the attack appeared to have been random. The victim, John W. Allen, was a Navy veteran and retired bus driver who was in the city visiting family.

When we hear a story like this, it is easy to think that the world is becoming increasingly cruel. But the Bible shows us that the problem of human evil is much older. Jesus taught in Matthew 15:19 that from the heart come “evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” In other words, the Bible does not present evil only as an external problem within society, but as something connected to the condition of the human heart itself.

This does not mean that every person is capable of committing a crime like this, nor does it mean that psychological, family, social, or environmental factors should be ignored. It means recognizing that knowledge, technology, and economic development alone have never been enough to eliminate human cruelty. We can build increasingly advanced societies and still continue to face violence, hatred, abuse, revenge, and a lack of compassion.

And the effects of violence do not end when the crime itself is over. Physically, a life has been taken and a family has lost someone they loved. Emotionally, grief, fear, insecurity, and often trauma remain, sometimes affecting relatives and witnesses for years. There is also a quieter intellectual and social impact: when we are constantly exposed to stories of violence, the way we understand other people and the world itself can begin to change. We may become more suspicious, begin to believe that no one is safe, or even become desensitized to suffering because tragedy starts to feel normal.

This is precisely where the Word of God remains so necessary in our world today. In Matthew 24:12, Jesus warned: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” Perhaps one of the greatest dangers of living surrounded by so much violence is allowing the evil of others to transform our own hearts as well. We can begin by condemning cruelty and, little by little, become bitter, indifferent, vengeful, or unable to feel compassion ourselves.

The Christian response to a world marked by evil is not to pretend that evil does not exist. Nor does it mean that we should stop seeking justice. The Bible speaks about justice and about people being held accountable for their actions. But Christ calls us not to allow the darkness around us to determine what exists within us.

Romans 12:21 teaches us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” This passage seems even more meaningful when we look at events like this. We may not be able to prevent all the evil that exists in the world, but we can decide what we will produce within the small part of it that we occupy. We can teach our children to respect human life, help someone who is suffering, show compassion, control our words, stand against injustice without cultivating hatred, and remind people that a human life still has value.

Stories like this should also make us reflect on what we are feeding our minds and hearts. We live in a generation that is constantly exposed to violence through the news, social media, and even online communities that, in some cases, turn criminals into figures of notoriety. We especially need to teach younger generations that violence is not entertainment and that destroying a life should never be treated as a way to gain attention.

The world has always known evil, and the Bible has never tried to hide that reality. But Scripture also shows us that God has not called us to simply accept a world where love disappears. In a society where so many people are becoming indifferent to the suffering of others, perhaps one of the most powerful ways we can demonstrate our faith is by continuing to be human: showing compassion, standing for what is right, caring for people, and refusing to allow the evil of others to harden our own hearts.

Perhaps, then, the question we should ask when faced with such a terrible story is not only “How could someone do this?” but also “What kind of person will I choose to be in a world where things like this happen?” Evil exists, and its consequences affect the bodies, minds, and emotions of individuals and entire communities. But as followers of Christ, we are called not to allow evil to have the final word. Where love is growing cold, may we be among those who still choose to love.