“Stories once gave us moral clarity,” observed Jenna Ellis, senior policy advisor with AFA Action and national radio host of “Jenna Ellis in the Morning.”

In her Christian Post op-ed, “Why Do We Empathize With Villains Now?” Ellis writes:

“There are heroes and villains in stories, real and fictional, and the difference was plain: villains do evil based on human conditions of greed, jealousy, betrayal, and selfishness; heroes choose good in spite of the evil and brokenness in the world and their own pain.”

Good and evil exist based on a value system that defines certain attitudes and actions as either right or wrong. Yet today, those lines are increasingly blurred. Our society too often identifies with the wrongdoer while overlooking—or even forgetting—the victim.

Immediately, I thought of Isaiah’s ancient warning:

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!
—Isaiah 5:20

Ellis calls ours an age of “toxic empathy” characterized by “no judgment, just affirmation.” She suggests that we’ve become a society that relates more readily to villains than heroes. I would like to think this applies only to a vocal minority. Yet we see troubling evidence of it.

Consider the public response to Luigi Mangione, the young man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Complaints about the insurance industry, combined with Mangione’s appearance and online popularity, have garnered widespread sympathy. A crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $1.5 million for his legal defense.

Of course, every accused person is entitled to due process. Furthermore, frustration with the healthcare system may be understandable. But neither frustration nor personal grievance justifies murder. Understanding someone’s anger is not the same as approving the action allegedly arising from it.

The same distinction applies in other tragic situations involving trauma, emotional distress, or serious mental illness. Such conditions deserve our concern and compassion. They may help explain someone’s behavior and can even affect personal accountability. But explanation does not turn an evil act into a good one. Nor should sympathy for the offender cause us to forget the suffering of the victim.

Biblical compassion does not require moral confusion.

Christians can recognize a person’s pain, seek to understand contributing circumstances, and still call an evil act evil. We may show mercy to the sinner without minimizing the sin. We can care about the accused without ignoring the victim. And we can leave final judgment to God while exercising the discernment His Word requires.

The Bible leaves no doubt that evil exists. Satan is evil and seeks to enter our hearts with evil thoughts. God hates evil deeds. And we should as well.

“You who love the Lord, hate evil!” exclaimed the Psalmist (Ps. 97:10).

Spiritual maturity requires us to distinguish between good and evil. The Hebrew writer described mature Christians as those “who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).

However, abhorring evil does not mean becoming self-righteous, hypercritical, hateful, or cruel. Jesus condemned hypocritical judgment while commanding us to exercise righteous judgment (Matt. 7:1–5; John 7:24). We must first examine our own hearts, confess our sins, and humbly acknowledge our need for divine mercy.

Nor should we merely denounce everything wrong with the world. Paul’s exhortation contains both a negative and a positive command: “Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good” (Rom. 12:9).

Christians are called not only to expose darkness but also to walk in the light. We must demonstrate goodness, practice righteousness, defend truth, show mercy, and exemplify the character of Christ.

The good news is that God’s grace is available to those who have fallen into Satan’s deceitful web. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice and the Father’s mercy, He can rescue the evildoer, offer redemption, and provide restoration.

The cross proves that compassion does not require moral ambiguity. At Calvary, God did not excuse evil, redefine sin, or pretend guilt did not exist. He judged sin while extending mercy to sinners.

Grace does not call evil good. Grace rescues us from evil.

May we possess the courage and discernment to “abhor what is evil” while faithfully clinging “to what is good.”

—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman