Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Peter 2:7-8 (New Living Translation)

⁷ But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. ⁸ Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

Wickedness is, well, simply wicked. It denotes something bad that is really really bad. One dictionary reads, “intended to or capable of harming someone or something.”

We read of Lot living in the ill-fated city of Sodom. Lot was sick of the shameful immorality around him. Lot was tormented by the wickedness he saw and heard every day. Lot’s soul was not stained by participating in the wickedness, he just lived in a place where wickedness was a way of life for the vast majority of the persons there.

One has to ask why Lot chose to be in such a place. Surely it was bad for Lot’s well being and who knows how the place was influencing his growing children.

Anyways, being near wickedness can hurt. It hurts the body, mind, and soul. How can we show the good news of Jesus without being near the wicked? We cannot. What do we do?

Let us lean on God for guidance and whatever else we need to survive the torment of being near wickedness. God will provide. And for that, I give thanks.