Dear Selfless,

Good and Evil have always been created by lovers and creators. The fire of love glows in the names of all the virtues, and the fire of wrath. 

Zarathustra saw many lands and many peoples. No greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than the works of the lovers: "good" and "evil" are their names.

Of course, Nietzsche went on to censure everyone who is duped by the creators of good and evil, who succumbs to the system that those lovers set up; but, like most passages in Nietzsche, the kernel of truth in his storm against morality is golden.

Both good and evil are the works of lovers. People murder in the name of love; they also sacrifice their own lives in the same cause. And there is no act on earth with more impact, more influence, than one done for the cause of love.

I find it frustrating, then, that so many people find good and evil in trite, meaningless actions. Good and Evil are powerful. They affect lives in profound ways: one strips people down to nothing, stealing freedom and laughter and warmth; the other builds people up, giving them confidence, community, and strength. One instills love; one drains it.

Good and Evil have far less to do with specific actions than with specific people. In fact, they cannot be separated from the effects they have on the people around us.

This past week, I learned about a couple Evil happenings in the world, things that break people, destroying their ability to feel or even comprehend love. I also saw firsthand a number of Good things: things that bring a measure of hope and community into lives devoid of both. It reminded me that there are more important things in life than commercial success. Life isn't about success; it's about love.

I think it's easy, sometimes, to forget about radical concepts like Good and Evil while living in middle-class America. We don't see either very often. But when we do, we see the power they have. It's disconcerting and a little uncomfortable, but it's also a reality. And it's not a natural phenomenon; it's a weapon wielded by regular people. We can instill love, or we can drain it. Either way, it has a potent effect on someone's life.

"Love God," Jesus says, "And love others. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." I think this is a passage often overlooked in the Christian community. Everything that matters in this life has to do with love.

There is no greater power on this earth than the works of lovers.