Life is Stranger than Fiction

The recent conviction of Alex Murdaugh sounds like an American crime novel. It's the story of a middle age white male lawyer, from a powerful southern dynasty, whose family almost owns and runs their South Carolina town. Murdaugh thinks he is above the law. Addicted to painkillers, he embezzled funds to fund his habit and extravagant lifestyle. He even shoots his wife and son to cover up his sins. It's a story that has captured the interests of many. Movies and mini-series will follow.

Murdaugh is a stereotype of a kind of person. Privileged people, often white males, are greedy, manipulative, self-absorbed at their core, and will stop at nothing to hold on to power. They are basically evil. They cannot be trusted, and must be brought down.

There is an opposite stereotype. On the front page of my news websites today its young Afghan women. They are barred from university and cannot access education. One girl says, "My plan was to finish university, do my masters, and then my PHD. I wanted to work and serve my nation, my people, my country. I can't do that now." She is oppressed, a minority, and a victim of male-enforced religious extremism. She is basically good, and it is just to champion her cause and hear her voice.

Behind these two stereotypes sits a binary. People are basically good or evil. That is the world's assessment of human nature. Most of us are basically good, especially victims, except for the few bad eggs, who ought to be cancelled.

Is Andrew Forrest or Mike Cannon-Brookes good or bad? One owns a mining company and champions China, the other is a billionaire about to sack 500 people. But both invested and lost millions trying to grow renewable energies. Simple binaries don't fit the data.

The Christian view of humanity is more nuanced. Everyone: male and female; powerful and victim; religious and atheist; is made in God's image and is capable of good. And everyone is tainted by sin and capable of evil. Even (King) David, 'a man after God's own heart' can commit adultery and murder. All of us are a mix of good and bad.  

The Christian view of the world is insightful and explains our experience. Be proud of it.

By Rev. David Rietveld