This recent incident with the U.S. ship being attacked by pirates really caught a lot of attention. I was a little surprised to find in me a strong sense to see justice done. No, it was more than that. To use Jerry Falwell’s famous line, I wanted someone to “blow them away in the name of the Lord.” It probably comes from watching too many violent movies, but I often find myself longing to see criminals dealt with violently.
Let me say that I think the people involved acted appropriately, that is, I think this was an appropriate police action. What concerns me is what I see in myself and hear at times from other Christians. We can express a love for sinners, but then we turn around and cheer when some of those sinners are killed. There should be no joy at seeing someone’s life taken. Even if we think it was necessary, it should evoke sadness in us.
Like it or not, those men that were felled by sniper’s bullets, those criminals, were men that Jesus loved so much that he died on a cross for them. God loved them. If I’m going to be more like Christ, I’ve got to learn to love them too.
We need to be praying for such people. Praying that they come to know the Lord. Praying for peace in their world, in our world. And now, praying for the friends and families of those who are mourning their loss.
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4) We pray for all men. Even pirates.
Don, you had better watch out, you may be called one of us “Bleeding heart liberals”
But this is one post of yours, that I can totally agree with. well said brother Neyland, well said. and amen
Tim sorry for some reason I thought I was on Don’s blog, shuda known better :) but who ever wrote it I agree with it.
Tim,
But we must recognize that our prayer, “Come Lord Jesus!” is double-edged.
We want all men to come to repentance, but we want Jesus to come back and crush evil once and for all.
It is not unchristian to want to see evil destroyed. To rejoice in the death of the wicked is unchristian, but to rejoice that their wickedness has ceased is to look forward to the end of all wickedness.
Laymond, I take it as a compliment to be confused with Don Neyland, even though no one should confuse my thoughts for his!
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Nick,
I agree that God will punish wickedness. I have even grudgingly admitted that this act of violence was probably the correct course of action. (Though I still wrestle with that a bit)
What scares me is what I see in myself and in others, that need for revenge. I didn’t just want to see this situation end peacefully; I wanted a violent end, a show of force that would make evildoers cower. I want a show of military might that will keep bad people from wanting to harm me or those that I love.
I don’t want Polycarp praying for his captors; I want him to surprise them with an ambush, I want God raining down fire on the coliseum, burning up the Romans and saving the martyrs. I want Peter to imitate Samson and kill a thousand enemies there in Gethsemane.
Those are the instincts I have that trouble me.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Of course, whenever I read of someone committing a criminal action against another person there is within me the want for vengence (blood). This is especially true of those who abuse and murder children (in which I find myself wanting the most henious form of capitol punishment to be administered in the swiftest of fashion). And so I am human, with a part of me that still has yet to be sanctified so that out of my “being holy as God is holy” the love of God (which even loves child predators) will flow.
So I really struggle with how to be loving to those who committ egrecious wrongs and also embrace justice.
Grace and peace,
Rex
So, Tim, whaddaya do with all those Psalms that take this tack:
“…your hands mete out violence on the earth. …Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O Lord, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanishlike water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked” Psalm 58: 2b, 6-7, 10.
No question that God loves all people. It’s interesting though, that we are all perceived as having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom3:23). So, instead of bemoaning our bloodthirst for justice and righteousness (Hm, where do we get that, anyway?), maybe we should be writing essays that compare and contrast our thoughts, actions, and status with those of the pirates. Then we can thank God for having sent his own son to absorb God’s own violent streak so we wouldn’t have to bear the ultimate consequences of our own pirate-like tendencies.
Happy Easter,
Susan
What do we do with the
deprecatoryimprecatory Psalms? [That’s what I get for trying to use a fancy word.] Are they expressions of human feelings? Godly feelings? I’m not sure there is an easy answer. One that always jumps out to me is: “O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us— he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” (Psalms 137:8-9) I don’t know that any of us can envision infanticide as being a godly act.Your last paragraph reminds me a bit of the old “There but for the grace of God go I.” Some of that crosses my mind. I think about what happens when someone I know uncharacteristically gets drunk and kills someone, or when a “good person” commits adultery and ruins two families, or all of those things that I can overlook in people that I care about (especially myself). We all need God’s grace, so why do I want to deny it to some?
I’m trying to sort through a lot of things.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Excellent thoughts, Tim. I have to admit that my first reaction to the news was to cheer.
Ps 137 was the one I was going to pull out as well, because it is one of the passages that ought to challenge how we read Scripture. Are all the motives and thoughts attributed to the narrator of Scriptural passages normative for us, or are they sometimes honestly depicting the depth of grief and fear and rage that is inextricable from the rest of the narrative?
Placing ourselves in the pirates’ shoes, though, is much of the theme of the book I’m currently working through: Ekblad’s “Reading the Bible with the Damned.” It is deeply challenging and subversive.
This is the real “don”.
I agree. Human, but God ordained, justice is necessary. But we should never become arrogant in that we forget Who gave us that right and ‘just’ how careful we need to be when we dispense it.
I found myself more caught up in this 53 year old Captain being so courageous: giving himself up for others, jumping into the ocean…. wonder why? Pirates, the high-seas, doing the right thing- the stuff of young (and old) males. ;)