The Great Imposter

During our first few days here we noticed red swastikas in windows or on signs during our morning walks. We found it a curiosity and also a little unsettling. So a couple of weeks ago we asked our friends in our Korean class if they knew what that was about. They explained it was a symbol used by Buddhists. I had somehow missed that bit of history, but it certainly peaked my interest. So I did a little Internet search to see what I could find. I read several entries and they were all very similar. I have cut and pasted a little of the entry from Wikipedia below.
 The swastika 卐… dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Mediterranean Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world including China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal and Southern Europe. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism… The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika…  The swastika literally means "to be good". Or another translation can be made… "being with higher self".



I was amazed. I had no idea that the swastika had originally represented something of beauty. Something desirable. Then later we came across this beautiful Buddhist temple as we were walking to the market.  There on its fence was a red swastika. I suddenly looked at this symbol with a different perspective.

How could something beautiful and spiritual become the icon for the vilest of human atrocities? The answer lies in a fundamental truth, Evil is the Great Imposter! Had Hitler created a flag with images of emaciated Jews or the horrors of the gas chambers, no right minded person would have followed him. So he did what evil always does. He took something of worth and twisted it. He took a symbol of goodness and rotated it slightly then led his armies to unthinkable acts of genocide.  Oh how we must watch and avoid this Great Imposter. Evil comes in subtleties. It snares those who are not watchful and careful by twisting truth and goodness until many people are fooled. Until they have become so focused on the fraudulent version they can no longer recognize the goodness in the  authentic version.  Evil thrives in darkness, it can not bear the light of truth. Darkness and light can not co-exist. They can not be in the same place at the same time, for the light always casts out the darkness. Our safety is found in the light. Some people call it our conscience. It is the light of Christ. A gift given to all of God's children. When the light of Christ opens our understanding, evil retreats. Let us all turn to the light of Christ. Let us cast out that Great Imposter.


The world needs us to stand up for truth and to bravely shine its light on those who promote evil.  Let's reclaim our symbols of good. Let's honor truth, cherish our families, nourish charity, in short let us follow Christ.





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