I was thinking about my early childhood years in Newport News, Virginia, when life seemed to be so much easier, even though there was a lot of ugly mess going on in the world. I embraced a world of beautiful music that came from a spectrum of artists of all backgrounds, races and genders that helped me to see myself in a better place where love conquered all, and what was wrong in the world could be righted if we just learned to love more and hate less.

There were authors, playwrights and poets that helped us to see the greatness that we could achieve just by changing our way of thinking.

As a child I was very sick dealing with asthma and chronic bronchitis in my early teen years however I was always a fighter.

When someone told me what I could not do, I took it as a challenge and proved that I could be just as good or even exceed my challenger.

How could I overcome when statistics say that I am doomed for failure?

I’ll tell you why. I always saw the good in the world around me even when I was presented with the ugliness of evil.

The word of God states the following in Isaiah 5:20-25 (NIV)

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. 25 Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.”

We live in a country where evil thrives. Where people who could make our country better are being quiet so that no one will think that they are in any way trying to stop the madness that is around us. Yet what the Christians in America are not coming to grips with is that they have the power of God within them to stop evil dead in its track. But the church has become more obsessed with getting things than they are with getting things right with God.

Let’s go back to my childhood. As I stated beforehand, I was very sickly, so sick that at one time I missed 60 days out of school.

When I was able to go back to school everybody knew that I would fail except me, and so when I was given the chance to pass the exams at the end of the year I took the opportunity and passed with flying colors.

In fact, I was told that I fared better than some of the students who were there all year. Why didn’t it surprise me that I would pass and not fail?

While I was out sick I continued to read the textbooks, study and do the assignments. In other words I didn’t just lay around and do nothing.

Every American Christian has to learn to fight for what is right. Charlottesville was heartbreaking because America said that evil was right in its hatred and right in murdering peace. Evil is the opposite of good, yet the leader of our country stated that both sides were good and bad.

Have we become so ignorant to truth that we cannot recognize evil or good?

In my life I have had to fight for whatever I got, for instance I overcome asthma, chronic bronchitis and many other illnesses by not giving up. When bullies rose up, I rose and fought in defense of my weaker friends.

I fought to show everybody that I came in contact with that I am not going to stoop to the level of hatred, racism and bullying.

I fought to be a light to those in need, to be a friend to those who were lonely and I fight to be an inspiration to the stranger, to the ignorant and to the hateful.

Listen, John F. Kennedy once said that, “We go to the moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard…,” It is hard dealing with evil on a daily basis, but it becomes easy when we make up our minds to fight, to do better.

I take this opportunity to thank the many women who have overcome breast cancer and share their stories to inspire us all. My prayers are with and for all who may be going through, and know that life has its downs, but it is the Lords promise in Psalms division 34, “15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Keep looking up, keep praying up!

May God richly bless you all!

DARNELL WHITFIELD is senior pastor of Diamond Grove Baptist Church in Franklin. Contact him at 742-1343 or revwhitfield@me.com.