Vengeance is mine said the Lord. Deuteronomy 32:25 RSV
One of the uglies which continues to rear up in human relationships is an insatiable appetite for revenge. Too often, persons are not content with righting a wrong. Instead, they must get even, or worse, just “get” another for every wrong, both real and imagined. Ever heard the threat, “I’ll get you for this.”?
'Tis true that things can only become better as we seek to correct, to improve. But, there is a right way and a wrong way to pursue reform. And, too often, it’s the wrong way which is followed. Have you noticed how often an avenger misses the point all together. He’s quick to jump the offender and leave the offense wanting.
If such were the case of a single event, I would think little about it. But, it is the very frequency of this attitude which alarms me. From sports to government, from neighbor to neighbor, “getting even” becomes a way of life. Here deep in the heart of the Bible Belt, this attitude appears and appears and appears. As one sage quipped, “It is easy for me to love my neighbor…across the seas; it is the old goat next door who is impossible to love.”
The all-time favorite retort in sports is “Wait ‘till next year!” And, that’s a grand attitude, if…it means that the speaker is going to work extra hard to improve his game, to come out on top. More power to him! But, if it means that he’s merely going to lie in waiting, deviously seeking to find his opponent’s weakness, it’s dangerous.
And, it ’s sad.
Anytime, any one accomplishes any goal (no matter how good) by unethical means, it’s wrong. The very foundations of this country lie in fair play, in acknowledging that how you play the game is as important as the game itself. Why else, would we be concerned with “our rights?”
Sometimes, it’s scary how very true the words of the Bible prove to be…often truer than even the most literal interpretation cares to admit. Vengeance belongs to God, not because God desires revenge, but rather because we mortals are incapable of controlling the desire. Vengeance, like any form of hate, is self-destructive. The avenger, like the hater, erodes from within. And in the end, he destroys more of himself and his own relationship with God than he ever harms the one he hates. Even if the avenger succeeds in his revenge, the fruit of such victory is bitter, not sweet.
1976
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