Previously, I wrote about terrorism and forgiveness. Perhaps I should have approached that with a little more humility. Let me be clear: I am not yet prepared to forgive the terrorists who attacked New York City and Pentagon and attempted to attack Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001. I was pointing to the cross as the only bastion of hope for stopping the cycle of violence. But I’m not ready to pull the handbrake on this sick carousel yet.When I think about forgiveness, I turn to the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus said, “Love your enemies,” I wonder who he meant. I’ve always imagined that my enemy is probably a person across town who doesn’t like me. I think I may be able to take a stab (pardon the pun) at forgiving that guy. But Jesus seems to define one’s very neighbor as a person of a different, hated nationality in the parable of the good Samaritan. So I imagine that Jesus would define one’s enemy in even more extreme and uncomfortable terms.
Even though I’m not yet able to respond to the evil of terrorism with love, I aspire to being that kind of person some day. And it helps me greatly to know that even though I’m not supposed to seek out vengeance, our God is a Just God who does. In fact, his vengeance and his wrath are more terrible than anything I can even conceive. I’m sure God’s vengeance would make any payback humans could deliver seem silly and childish. It’s like a toddler toting a wooden sword to go after the man who killed his mother.
I’ve read a good bit of the Old Testament. I know if I can trust my God with anything, I can trust Him to take vengeance on those who truly deserve it. I just need to keep in mind what separates me from those I hate and strive to keep from being one whose actions deserve God’s wrath.
technorati tags: Christian response to terrorism, forgiveness, humility, terrorism, evil, Christianity
Hey Andrew,
I read this entry and the last. I very much appreciate your sincerity and truthfullness. I think giving forgiveness is the single most difficult thing to do. As humans, I would say 99% of us desire to be forgiven no matter how gross our actions (and thankfully God does forgive us), I say 99% because I image there are about 1% of people who while they wish to be forgiven, understand how horrible a thing they’ve done and know that they don’t DESERVE forgiveness, and wish for retribution on themselves even more than forgiveness. The one thing they grasp better than most who have experienced the forgiveness of God is that NONE of us DESERVE forgiveness, but what they don’t grasp is that God desires so much that they accept his gift of forgiveness.
We’ve all EARNED God’s wrath over and over again (I emphasize earned, as in, the Wages of sin…)…anyway…thanks for paying attention to my blabbing…but what I really wanted to say to anyone who reads this, is to check out any info you can find about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa led by Nelson Mandela, and be amazed at what forgiveness can really accomplish…
uuuhhhh…that last entry was by me by the way, Jeff Bergeson…:)