I love the way The Message puts it, ‘An eye for an eye……… That’s not going to get you anywhere. Here’s what I propose, ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ … No more tit-for-tat stuff.’ Matthew 5:38-42. Where is revenge going to get us? Sadly there are countries all round the world who are doing just this – tit-for-tat. The circle needs to be broken. I believe in the past there have been tribes who, intent on revenge have decimated their tribes to near extinction. To get ones own back involves violence, injury and death. The story of Poldark comes to mind.
Maybe we all have a wish to stand up for our rights, but it is not our right to cause trouble to others. Who are we to execute judgment? In Romans 12:19 we read ‘Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord, I will repay.’ Matthew 5 tells us we have been called to be peacemakers . The prayer by St. Francis of Assai says ‘Make me an instrument of Your peace, where there is injury, let my bring peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.’ In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.’ That sounds good
Not many of us have the power help nations who are at war, but when we hear a piece of unkind gossip (nearly all gossip is unkind) we can refuse to repeat it and conversely find something kind to say about that person. We can lobby the politicians, write to the government and fight for injustice against the underdog. Of course, we should not suffer abuse ourselves of any kind but God’s wisdom can protect us. After any interaction with people, they should feel uplifted.