Why does God allow evil?

British naturalist and environmentalist George Monbiot has made an interesting observation about wolves.  He has observed that Yellowstone National Park had been without wolves for some 70 years.  They were all killed off by 1926.  Since that time, the park became overrun with deer.  The deer grazed away the vegetation, which caused other destructive forces to have sway over the park.  Then, in 1995, wolves were finally reintroduced into Yellowstone, and the effects of what Monbiot calls "rewilding" were dramatic.

The wolves brought the deer population down to a sustainable level.  But that's not all.  Suddenly realizing that there were predators among them, the deer made some radical changes to their behavior.  They started moving more, and staying together in herds.  They began to avoid places in the park where they could easily be trapped.  Then, like dominoes falling, other strange changes started happening in Yellowstone.  The vegetation grew thick in the places where the deer were no longer congregating.

The increase in vegetation allowed more birds and beavers to move in.  The beavers built dams, which became habitats for otters, muskrats, ducks, fish, reptiles and amphibians.  The wolves also killed some of the coyotes.  With fewer smaller predators, there was an increase in the number of rabbits and mice.  These smaller animals boosted the population of weasels, hawks, foxes and badgers.  Meanwhile, ravens, bald eagles and bears fed on the carrion that the wolves left.

But that's not all.  The river patterns in the park began to change.  The regeneration of lush vegetation stabilized the riverbanks, leading to less erosion and straighter water flow.  So instead of winding back and forth, the river current grew stronger and straighter.  "The wolves, small in number, transformed not just the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park--this huge area of land--but also its physical geography," Monbiot concluded.

But you all know that I am not an environmentalist, and this blog does not concern itself with naturalism.  This blog exists to encourage people spiritually.  So what possible spiritual meaning could be found in "rewilding" or reintroducing wolves in to Yellowstone National Park?  And what does any of this have to do with the question posed in the title, "Why does God allow evil?"

When I looked up "imagery of the wolf in the Bible", I was directed to http://www.zoocreation.com/biblespecies/wolf.html and a chapter of Wood's book, Bible Animals from 1875.  I found out more about wolves than I ever knew.  Sure, wolves are mentioned in Scripture, but indirectly.  No wolf ever attacked David's flock of sheep; where he writes of killing the lion and the bear, nowhere does it say he slew the wolf.  Similarly, lions are specifically mentioned as attacking Samson and other prophets.  We read of dogs that consumed the carcasses of Ahab and Jezebel.  Bears were called by the prophet Elisha and attacked the children who were mocking him for his bald head.

But in no case is the Wolf mentioned, except in a metaphorical sense; and this fact is the more remarkable, because the animals were so numerous that they were very likely to have exercised some influence on a history extending over such a lengthened range of years, and limited to so small a portion of the earth...Seldom seen by day, (the Wolf) lies hidden in its covert as long as the light lasts, and steals out in search of prey in the evening.  This custom of the Wolf is mentioned in several passages of Holy Scripture, such as that in Jeremiah 5:5,6: "They have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.  Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them."  In this passage, the reader will see that the rebellious Israelites are compared to restive draught cattle which have broken away from their harness and run loose, so that they are deprived of the protection of their owners, and exposed to the fury of wild beasts.

So the Wolf symbolizes evil in Scripture.  Evil is something the Christian should avoid at all costs.   But without the presence of Evil in this world, we, the Sheep of His hand, would forget the Shepherd.  We would wander off, and stay in the lush valleys, near the still waters.  Like the deer in Yellowstone, we would eventually grow fat and lazy, and would see the vegetation disappear and the banks of the river erode, so that the waters would eventually dry up.

So knowing that we should avoid Evil, but realizing that God allows it to be present here, we should hold on to the promise found in Romans 8:28, that "All things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."  Like the deer learned to avoid the wolf, we need to learn to avoid evil.  Like the wolf, evil has several traits that, if learned, can help us detect and avoid it.  As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, "If you know your enemies and you know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles....If you do not know your enemies or yourself, you will be imperiled."  So let us study the Wolf, and make connections to the Evil which we all need to avoid.

The Lone Wolf
A single wolf will not attack a herd.  But it will follow at a respectable distance, to study the herd, to learn their ways, and to search out their weaknesses.  We, then, should follow the scriptural admonition found in Hebrews 10:25: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  You are less apt to be caught up in sin if you are involved in a Church, especially if that church teaches Scripture and encourages you to embrace Christ.

Nevertheless, even the most ardent believers, the most adamant church-goer cannot shake evil entirely.  Like the wolf, evil will follow at a respectable distance, waiting and watching for a chance to separate you from the pack and attack.  Be vigilant, my friend.

The Pack Attack
When hunting in a pack, wolves are bold, cunning and ferocious.  They will come together and strike at a herd of much larger, stronger animals, and they will not stop until they prevail.  They will always send a few to the outside perimeter, to cut off any who try to escape.  When they attack, they instinctively go for the parts of the body that are most vulnerable.  All of us have weaknesses, vulnerabilities.  If we find ourselves too far from the Body of Christ, we should beware.  And if we are in a Body that is under attack, we should look for unchecked sins.  Like God told Cain, who had just offered a sacrifice inferior to that of his brother, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7).

In John 10:1-16, Jesus compares himself to a good shepherd, who watches over the fold.  If the wolves should come to take the sheep, he would rather give up his life that to let them succeed.  Contrast that with the false teachers, who are compared to bad shepherds; they are hired for money, but they have no interest in the sheep, and therefore will not expose themselves to danger in defense of the fold.  We need to make sure that the churches we join are shepherded by Christ, and good, strong under-shepherds (pastors).  If not, we are as vulnerable to attack as if we were not involved in church at all.

The Crafty Animal
Wolves will do whatever they can to avoid a trap.  In some instances, when they feel they are trapped, wolves have been known to "play dead."  Wolves prefer to hunt at night, under cover of darkness.  They are cunning creatures, preferring to steal upon its prey and take it unawares.

We should always be wary.  Matthew 7:15 warns us to watch for false prophets, who come appearing to be "in sheep's clothing", but are actually ravenous wolves.  The good news is that Jesus knows that there is Evil in the world.  Matthew 10:16 says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."  He is there for us, there with us, willing to walk beside us through life's peaks and valleys.  He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but he does allow us to be tempted.  He knows that there is Evil in this World, and for good reason--so that He can show His power and love in a way that will benefit us.

Ultimately, He will take us out of this world.  In the Heaven He has prepared for us, he promises in Isaiah 11:6, "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."

Sing sweet and low a lullaby till angels say Amen
A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem
While wise men follow through the dark, a star that beckons them
A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem

A little Child will lead them, the prophets said of old
In storm and tempest heed Him until the bell is tolled
Sing sweet and low your lullaby till angels say Amen
A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem

A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem
A mother tonight is rocking her Baby in Bethlehem