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St. Augustine of Hippo wrote in his spiritual autobiography, Confessions, that “evil is the removal of good and the eventual absence of good.” In his later work, the Enchiridion, he argued that God, the supreme good, can create good even from evil.
As I read the words of one man and reflected on the actions of another who was close to the horrific tragedy that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania last weekend, I was reminded of a timeless thought about the nature of evil and why it persists.
Former First Lady Melania Trump, in her first statement after the assassination attempt on her husband, said some profound and beautiful words: “Political games are worse than love.” Those last three words, “worse than love,” resonated because they said so much in so few words.
Trump rally victim and hero Cory Comperatore died protecting his family, ‘would do it again,’ friend says
Perhaps still in a state of shock, she was able to see pure evil for what it is, horrifying and ugly up close: the absence of anything, only the absence of good — a crucial insight at a perilous moment in the great American endeavor.
I pray that every husband and father will find the courage within themselves and, when the time comes, choose the greatest love: to give their life for their family.
Mrs. Trump’s words suggest a way to turn down the heat in our national debate: If evil is the absence of good, as shadow is the absence of light, then good is at least the absence of evil, if not more, which means that evil can be defeated by substitution.
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In a finite world, every good deed crowds out room for evil in a zero-sum sense. Choosing good halts the diminution of the transcendent, which is by definition evil. And as the former First Lady succinctly suggested, the greatest restorative good is love.
FILE – Former First Lady Melania Trump speaks at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives. (CSPAN)
Like a firefighter, Corey Comperatore’s loving choice was one of action, no words, no time for reflection. As the gunfire rang out, he used his body to shield his family from the onslaught of gunfire. In the end, he sacrificed his own life to save the people he loved most.
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Perhaps Mr. Comperatore had thought about it thousands of times before, so it was muscle memory at the time of his choice. Every husband and father prays that he has the courage within him to choose his greatest love, to give his life for his family, when the time comes.
![Corey Comperatore headshot image](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/corey.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Corey Comperatore was a Trump rally attendee who was killed in an assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. (Facebook)
The Comperatore family need not wonder who their father and husband loved, or how much he loved. Love is an act of will, an act of wishing happiness on the other person. The more selfless the act, the purer the love. After all, Mr. Comperatore loved as purely and self-emptyingly as humanly possible.
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In the aftermath of the tragedy, Mrs. Trump counseled the nation on how to avoid future evil, and when evil is inevitable, heroic firefighters showed the nation how to create greater good from it.
St. Augustine is proud of them both, and can express that directly to Mr. Comperatore.
To read more articles by Mike Kerrigan click here