Evil and the Justice of God.

I've re-started my reading of this book written by N.T. Wright. The title of the book is what draws me to read it...especially at this point of my life. He lays out three ways in which he characterizing the new problem of evil.

First, we ignore evil when it doesn't hit us in the face.
Second, we are surprised by evil when it does.
Third, we react in immature and dangerous ways as a result

Going on he remarks about some of the immature/dangerous ways:
" We can project evil out on to others, generating a culture of blame....
alternatively, we can project evil onto ourselves and imagine we are to blame for it all."

Im confronted with evil everyday of my life...we all are. regardless if we call it for what it is...evil is present. many have delicately carved new words to define evil - personality flaws, natural reactions and so on. this is not my problem. in fact the total opposite is my problem and this book speaks to mine as well. im paralyzed by my understanding of evil. i see it so often and realize it in my own heart so much that i cannot live and move.

im am confused on how to "love" people who are undeserving of it. by that I don't mean the poor and lowely..i mean the selfish and prideful...how do you love those people? isn't justice what is needed? don't they need someone to knock them off their pedestal? but its not supposed to be me is it? so instead I'll just complain about them behind their back and try to ignore them and the issues they bring up...because #1 I dont have time for them and #2 i dont really believe they will ever change- therefore wasting my time.

so what is God's answer for this? i'm not quite sure. the scriptures seem to show me that the prideful and selfish will be cast down...Jesus handles them delicately but boldly. i think of the pharisees and how he always shows grace to the humble but opposes the proud. but is this how i am to treat others or am i one of the pharisees that needs to be opposed?

i know the way i'm handling it cannot be the right way since it is doing no benefit for anyone and is in fact damaging me spiritually, emotionally and i fear even physically.

I again relate with paul in romans 8..the good i want to do i cant do but what i dont want to do this is what i keep doing. who will save me from this body of death? The Lord Jesus Christ.

Im excited to finally finish this book and to learn more about my own heart through it. more updates coming soon!