From the Pastor’s Heart OP-ED BY DR. ROBERT KENNEDY
After seeing the presage of retaliatory occurrences that have been taking place in the United States over the last few weeks, such as the insurrection of January 6 on the Capitol that threatened the lives of the leaders of the nation, followed by the murder of eight people in Atlanta, Georgia, and the ten innocent people killed taken in the shooting in Boulder, Colorado, I cannot help but state that if we do not do something to stop this culture of retaliation, we all will soon be dead.
It is especially unbearable to listen to the speeches of some politicians who are constantly seeking to deny reality by promoting the right to carry guns without limitations, under the auspices of the Second Amendment’s rights and the need for self-protection. It seems that those who are using their outrageous words to play with people’s minds and encourage fanatical behaviors or provoke retaliation have forgotten that those who live by “the laws of the jungle” will die by “the laws of the jungle.”
This is a reality that is becoming more and more true in many of our urban communities, where a large number of mass killings are taking place on a pretext of retaliation, for some insults that have been done.
I do not know that I need to use any prophetic insight to point to where the retaliation is going. The lessons of history are enough to teach us that any person, family or culture that lives by retaliation will soon cease to exist.
Here, let me point out that retaliation is not only taking place in the public culture, such I have named it at the Capitol, the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia and Boulder, Colorado, but in more private spaces of our job sites, where employers are taking it out on their workers and workers are returning the favors to their employers.
On the job sites, much of the discrimination taking place is due to people trying to “get even” with people. They are finding ways of retaliating for punishment that has been meted out to them.
But let me take you to other private spaces, such as our homes and families, where retaliation is very much being practiced. One only needs to think of what is happening in the many marital break-ups and divorcing and how bitter and angry the responses are.
The tit for tat, the bitter exchanges in language and letters, the numerous fights, and the effort to strip each other of all possessions to the point of greatest humiliation are evidence of retaliation in their private spaces.
Of course, what is happening between parents and children is a point that we must note in this vein of retaliation. Some parents are very unkind to their children. The neglect, the very harsh words and attitudes to them, the unrelenting criticisms, the name-calling and the cursing at them are a few ways some parents retaliate.
Parents also retaliate by refusing to listen to their children. They seek to domineer them, and some even play the favoritism game. Others have broken promises with their children and “provoked their children to wrath” (cf. Ephesians 6:4).
When the children reach older age, they decide that they will take it out on their parents. What Kirk Franklin’s son did to his father seems to be a common occurrence these days. I have seen enough angry text messages and email exchanges between children and parents to justify their behaviors toward each other, and after hearing the background stories, I can only conclude that retaliation was the intent.
Yes, we are in a world that thinks retaliating is going to solve their problems. But, as I have stated, to live in such a world, where we repay in kind for any and every injury that is done to us, is to be in a world of destruction.
The appeal I am making in this reflection is for us to note that we need to stop the retaliation. My sincere wish is that my suggestions will be acceptable to as many rational minds as are about us. But since rational minds sometimes lack empathy and compassion, I appeal to our hearts. In fact, that is where Jesus centered his appeal when he promoted the ethic of love. He stated it clearly this way:
1. Love the Lord your God with all you have got (Matthew 22:37)
2. Love your neighbor (Mark 12:31)
3. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44)
4. Love yourself (Mark 12:31)
5. Love (Honor) your parents (Matthew 15:4)
Jesus not only proclaimed the ethic of love, but he also taught love in the way he lived and died. He showed how love and justice work together. While justice calls us to put things right, love teaches us how to practice justice rightly.
Yes, on his way to the cross, Jesus did not retaliate against anyone. He forgave those who taunted him and even those who crucified him. He calls us to learn the way of forgiveness instead of retaliation.
The serious point of my appeal is, let us learn forgiveness in place of retaliation. If we do not turn away from retaliation we are sure to destroy those around us and ourselves.
