The big question. Are we Good or are we Evil? Such a childlike question, black and white, in a nutshell, either or, no consideration of nuance, gradation, range scale or continuum. What, for that matter, is Good and Evil? Are they relative subjective subject to change in an eternal state of flux influenced by evolving more’s fashions flavors of the month flavors of the millennia ebbs and flows fluctuations of the stock market of the Dow of the Tao the length of skirts and the shortness of breath? No. More likely Good and Evil are pliable, clay in the potter’s hands, bendable, pliant to the smithy’s hammer retooled revised reinvented by whatever authority rules the roost at whatever given time.

Absolute. Absolute definitions of Good and Evil? Says who? You have to believe someone usually god. What god? Whose god? Whatever god you were told of indoctrinated with as a child so many competing gods the god of Allah the god of Abraham or the angel named Maroni (ah an Italian god?) the Yahweh god the The One True God everyone they all think the other god is the false god the cult god who to believe what would happen if you believed in none perhaps you’re a searcher blind wandering with a white cane better go down the right path or you might stumble and fall into the abyss, But, having said all that, there could be a consensus a solidarity perhaps universality yes that’s asking a lot but The Golden Rule is valid independent of a god I don’t want to be whacked over the head with a two by four so I won’t whack someone else with one are empathy and compassion dependent upon the grace of god or are they inherent hardwired people who feel the pain of others and want to mitigate suffering I would posit are good and those devoid of empathy and want to inflict suffering are bad building an orphanage is Good burning one to the ground after the innocent orphans have been tucked in (probably after saying their prayers thus compounding their suffering good god do you need a hearing aid!?) is Evil. But here’s the rub the fly in the ointment the elephant in the room. In a materialistic world a universe of matter and energy and nothing else can Good and Evil be palpable measurable observable under the microscope detectable through the telescope in the world of science Good and Evil have no atomic code no gnome no fossil record therefore they are metaphysical why even waste our time so say the scientists why bother we have better things to do leave these questions to the fools and philosophers go away and debate among yourselves how many angels can stand on the head of a pin. A question. A provocative question. Can there be Good without Evil or Evil without Good? Can there be a Yin without Yang a North without South tall without short rich without poor? But. But what if there is no balance no polarity no eternal law of opposites darkness without light Hell without Heaven?

And so I have descended into the sinkhole the pit the abyss of pessimism of doubt of cynicism. I believe in Hell but am skeptical of Heaven. I have seen Evil. It hovers a malignant mist a halo of darkness I have seen it etched on faces a virus moving through assemblies becoming crowds then the halos appear one for everyone radiating darkness the crowd shifts becomes a mob I have seen the leer of Evil the smug jubilation of the mob the wide mouths obscene gaping holes grinning with glee at the carnival at the warm Summer night’s picnic smile for the camera try not to drool as Black men hang from the trees

swaying in the Summer breeze.