Goodness, For Goodness' Sake!

Listening just now to Liz McAlister's eulogy at Dan Berrigan's funeral, she quoted him as having said "We live in inexplicably evil times."  This really strikes me.  Yes, inexplicably, because we have had Christ and Moses and Buddha and so many other messengers of God from without and within.  We should know better.

How much good is born into our own hearts, how many people in our own lives, how many faiths, how many humans have lived in our history who have given us clear and inspiring examples of how to live?  How to play well with others.  We can all feast on the goodness of the earth.  What is it that makes evil so tempting?  Why does anyone "want it all" at the expense of anyone else having simply enough?  Why should anyone not be happy until they've taken all the toys from the sandbox?  And the violence? The hatred, fear and loathing of imagined enemies.  Our brothers, our sisters?  Imagination turned reality, when finally, we do become one another's enemy.

I just don't understand it.

What's so hard about being good?  We can see it, embrace it and live it.  Go ahead.  Spoil yourselves.