7: Evil is Non-Existent

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

St. Dyonisuis the Areopagite, a greek convert to Christianity in the 1st century when St. Paul preached in Athens at the Areopagus, said that: “[E]vil is Non-Existent.”

This may seem to be a mind-bending concept, but we can look to Genesis Chapter 1 to help explain this concept: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was invisible and unfinished; darkness was over the deep. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.” He created everything that exists, but look at the passage. He did not create darkness. Yet immediately following the creation, darkness was perceived by the Spirit of God hovering over the waters.

The creation itself, being without form and void, could not perceive itself, for “the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5) Therefore, it was only the Spirit of God who perceived the darkness described in the passage.

Therefore, darkness, like evil, was not created, nor are darkness or evil truly opposed to light and goodness respectively. Darkness is simply the perceived lacking of illumination. Likewise, evil is the perceived non-good by that which is good. This is exactly why these two are often paired together in scripture.

Light overcomes darkness without a fight because darkness is absence. So good overcomes evil by the mighty Word of God because evil is nothing more than an impotent, twisted whisper that cannot withstand the Truth.

With this understanding, we can begin to comprehend that suffering in itself, though a product of sin, is neither good nor evil. But, by God’s grace and through communion with Christ, it is the one true path to the Kingdom of Heaven.