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Cannot Make, Can Only Mock // Abbie Hedden

While I have been known to make too many Tolkien references, I feel like we have to make this connection. Tolkien did not enjoy "The Lord of the Rings" being called an allegory, but the way he portrays the orcs is a great metaphor for evil. They were originally created as men and elves, but as Frodo said, "The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. don't think it gave life to Orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them..." (The Return of the King, p. 190) They began as beautiful creatures, and were corrupted to become evil. Does that make their Creator evil? By no means. I think Augustine was struggling with how evil can exist while God is good. He is the Creator of everything, we were given free will - that is part of the glory of His creation. While I don't know if I will ever understand the nature of evil and good entirely, I can see how evil is but the absence of good. But if evil is the absence of good, and God is good, and God is everywhere, how can evil exist? I can't fully understand that, and my brain is kind of exploding. I hope that Augustine comes to a more conclusive answer so that I can be in peace about it.


PS Emmet and Braylan

Comments

  1. kaitlyn terryFebruary 1, 2021 at 10:56 PM

    I struggled with this as well. It has always baffled me that there can be both a good God who does not look upon evil and the existence of evil. His omnipotence combined with the existence of evil has always confused me.

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  2. IsabelleFebruary 2, 2021 at 7:59 AM

    The battle of good vs evil and how God affects it is a timeless struggle that humans have tried to understand. One thing that I love about Augustine is that, while he asks questions during his talk with God, he knows there are some things he is not meant to know. God is all-knowing, and humans tend to raise themselves on a pedestal when they believe they are "in the know," which is why I think God doesn't reveal certain things to us. We simply have to trust. P.S. Love the Tolkien reference!

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