The Hatred Prison

 

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you.  He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.  He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.  He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.  He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.  1 Peter 2:21-23

This may be one of the easiest passages to understand in all of Scripture.  It is, arguably, also one of the most difficult to incorporate into our thoughts.  It is even harder to practice.  When you’ve been wronged, the human response is to, at least, defend…and, more likely, hit back!   Our recently retired president was hailed as the Counter-Puncher-in-Chief; he proudly lived-up to the reputation.  If he sensed a criticism from you, the response would be lethal.

The problem with revenge is the jail time to which it is connected.  Certainly, the kind of revenge that involves committing felonies might require time behind iron bars.  However, the jail time that is most damaging to the human spirit, and the possibilities of genuine community Christ offers, and promises, won’t be incarceration time spent in Attica, Sing Sing, or San Quentin.  The prison of revenge remediation is found within; it is hatred which binds us more strongly, and with greater destruction to the soul, than any cellblock. 

In a previous post (The All-Inclusive Temple of God) I mentioned “cancel culture” which, considering some of the responses to that post, begs a deeper look.  This phenomenon of a power-shift in 21^st century cultural norms is a belief system that holds previous norms are wrong and should be silenced, dismantled, and banned.  It is closely connected to the unique brand of reverse prejudice which creates a revenge cycle, which, in turn, leads to hatred prison just as dramatically as the souls of slave owners in Colonial America wound up confined there. 

Cancel culturalists will probably eat me alive for this thought train, but here goes.  The comparison I make is thus: 

·       In the annals of slavery and since the end of such bondage, the black person was viewed as “less”.  White supremacists, pushers of Arian dominance, claimed a superior position and held down their captives with a strong hand.  Hangover prejudices persist to this day

·       In the new norm of cancel culture, anyone (even remotely) connected to the wrong of the previous norm are immediately suspect (at mildest), or (at worst) held as culpable, first-degree racists.

So, just laying this argument on the low shelf, whites persecuted blacks, and now it is the black person’s time at bat.  Evidentiary of that is the hyper-radical anger that classifies any white person as racist, purely based on race.

I know…the irony screams so loud it’s impossible to laugh or cry…it’s just stunning, that it matters not what a black person said in 1830, he was black, and white America considered him part of nature’s mistake.  In 2021 the tsunami of “equality” overwhelms whatever remorse or compassion the white-skinned descendants of racists may have, and relegates them to racist by color. 

In proper perspective, most white people have never come close to the kind of personal, or group pain experienced by those who are black.  And there is nothing whites can do to atone for the sins of racism and oppression of the past, nor those who would hold on to it in the present, and promote it for the future.  Racism is indefensible and heinous.

But neither is there a commonsense argument for revenge’s retaliation.  Not only do two wrongs never make a right, the only genuine, workable commonsense argument is on the side of mental health.  The only healthy choice regarding racism is not fists in the air, anger, and getting even…it is forgiveness.  For those who care, it’s the only way to avoid spending time in The Hatred Prison.

For You Today

It’s time to join the Cancel Culture movement…let’s cancel racism from any perspective, and put the Hatred Prison behind bars.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

Revenge

[1]

Monday, November 5, 2018

Never pay back evil with more evil.  Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  Dear friends, never take revenge.  Leave that to the righteous anger of God.  For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.  Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”  Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.  Romans 12:17-21(NLT)

There are so many illustrations of how we humans despise the idea that our enemies get away with anything.  A bombing, or jet crashing into twin towers requires a response.  A murder requires lethal injection.  A bop on the head during recess requires running to the teacher and demanding justice!  We are hard-wired, it seems, to default with eye-for-an-eye revenge!  The first thing a recruit is taught when learning to be a good soldier is that the enemy must die!

Doing good to your enemies makes no sense at all, does it?  Yet, that is exactly what the Apostle Paul is saying.  And the idea wasn’t his at all!  In fact, when Paul was still Saul, the Pharisee, breathing out threats against the church, righteous revenge was his stock-in-trade; he worked tirelessly to inflict religious vengeance on the blasphemous Christians[2].  But when Jesus caught up with Saul on the Road to Damascus, the Lord not only changed his name to Paul, this newly commissioned apostle had his mind changed as well.  Jesus taught him what he’d taught on the Olivet hillside:

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  Matthew 5:43-44(NLT)

Now, that sounds altruistic, and even heroic, to walk on the high side of revenge; forgiving instead of killing – but does it work in the real world?  Well, that depends upon in which world you prefer to live – this world’s system of grab all you can and dispose of anyone in your path who is an obstacle … or the Kingdom of God.  The two worlds are polar opposites, and you cannot live with one foot in the Kingdom, and the other in the world.  Trying that will make you a Thanksgiving turkey wishbone!  You’ll get pulled from both sides, and the split will be painful.

So, let’s entertain a slightly different view of meeting the needs of hungry, thirsty enemies; a view that makes sense.  It has to do with what the apostle said about heaping burning coals of shame on someone’s head.  At first hearing it sounds like you’re calling fire down from heaven on someone’s head…get that sucker, God; it’s a real revenge party! 

But the meaning couldn’t be more opposite.  In Eastern culture of two millennia ago, the fires were always burning.  It was much easier to keep a fire going than get a new one started.  Smoldering coals were used to transfer fire from one place to start up a new blaze at another location. 

If, by chance, or laziness, your fire went out during the night, requesting some coals from your neighbor was the first thought.  Doing the neighborly thing you’d put some fiery coals in a pot, and your neighbor would carry them home, balancing the pot atop their head. 

So, Paul’s imagery contains goodness with a barb.  Fiery coals are a good thing when your fire has gone out.  But these fiery coals of shame turn it upside down; given to an enemy, a good deed becomes their shame in counting on the kindness of one to whom they have shown no kindness.  That kind of response changes hearts from revengeful to kindly. 

And changed hearts changes lives, communities, and whole cultures.  It can change the world!

For You Today

Burning coals; it only takes a spark to get a fire going.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] See Acts 8, 9 & 22

So Much Anger

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD.  Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock.  The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift.  This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.  “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain.  “Why do you look so dejected?  You will be accepted if you do what is right.  But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!  Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.  But you must subdue it and be its master.”  Genesis 4:3 - 7 (NLT)

The story of Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, is such a familiar story.  I believe many of us miss some very important lessons in that tragedy because we imagine there’s nothing we haven’t read before.  Big mistake!

Just consider how many Hollywood movies should footnote the Bible in their credits.  Their stories come right from the brother’s struggle which revolved around money and sibling jealousy.  And don’t forget the money was church stewardship – gifts of offering!

And when Cain’s disobedience and pride were confronted he got ANGRY!  And he stayed angry while he plotted against his brother.  How many families have been destroyed by anger’s ugliness?

Why So Much Anger?

I would be hard-pressed to recount all the ways anger evidences itself in our world.  Let these words open the door in your memory; let them relocate some images for you:

·        Columbine, 911, Iraq, Jihad, Afghanistan

·        Wal-Mart at Christmas where shoppers can be trampled in the name of the baby Jesus

·        Drunk drivers, IRS, Bernie Madoff, Insurance companies

·        Boxer Mike Tyson’s teeth biting-off Evander Holyfield’s right ear!

·        Every show Jerry Springer ever made.

Now, I’d like to be able to say our human family’s anger problem is someone’s fault – blame it on the Republicans or Democrats – the President or Congress makes me angry!  It would be convenient to blame society and the economy – my next-door neighbor.  It would be really easy to simply say “well, it’s my nature; I can’t help how God made us.” 

It would be easy, indeed; it would also be wrong.  Anger is not in the genes – it resides in the spirit.  Anger is a desire for revenge.  With Cain it was the fact that he brought an offering and God rejected it (because it was not what God had required).  Cain got even with God by striking God’s creation.  

That’s anger!

When I was six or seven my mother and aunt took the kids to the lake to swim.  My younger cousin Gary spent half the afternoon building a magnificent sand castle.  I was envious and wanted to play with it; he told me to get lost! 

Mom got tired of our ruckus, and told me to leave Gary alone.  I

looked at Gary like Cain looked at Abel.  I left, but I stepped right on his sand castle as I walked away! 

Anger is part of our existence because deep down in the spirit:

·        if we want something and can’t have it,

·        or someone says something and we don’t like it,

·        or she’s prettier than most and we can’t stand it……

…we get angry, and we want to get even.  It is born of a kind of arrogance that demands our own way – and plots revenge if we don’t get it!  Anger is one human’s attempt to punish another. 

Today

Take some time today to see if you recognize you in any of the above.  

Tomorrow we will begin to unravel how to deal with anger.

The Cost of Unforgiveness (Part One)

Monday – September 2, 2013

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

This text reminds us of the importance of forgiveness, making allowance for each other’s faults (because we DO have them you know!); we forgive because we are forgiven.  Also note – there is no mention of a request for forgiveness (apology).

How are you at forgiving?  Do you make others come to you, groveling, before you’ll even consider it?  Do you say you forgive, and then keep bringing it up, rolling it around in conversation or just thinking about it until you unravel whatever forgiveness you might have given?  Have you not learned to forget to talk about another’s wrong towards you?

Maybe this will help:

Have you ever considered the cost of NOT forgiving?

I’ve known people who took a grudge to the grave.  Trust me – that is not something you want to carry into the next life, standing before the throne with belligerence and malice in your heart. 

Consider the Lord’s Prayer:  forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  It’s a small line which connects these dots; our own sins are forgiven by God in exactly the same way we are willing to forgive others.  If you refuse to forgive, you place yourself outside God’s forgiving promises; not a good place!

What about the cost of DELAYING forgiveness?

There’s a bit of unwise advice which always makes its way into this discussion about forgiving others.   It is the idea of forgiving “too soon”.  You hear this expressed in a variety of ways: 

·        I’m not ready

·        She hurt me too deeply to forgive right now…

·        What he’s done is unforgivable; why…

The problem of withholding forgiveness is that the longer you hold something, the closer you are to owning it.  In this case, holding hate in your heart becomes a familiar, almost safe-haven for self-justification.  It is a control-device, holding the offender hostage; you have opted to retain power, rather than release the power of God to heal both you and the offender.  When you won’t participate in healing, you prolong the sickness of strife and division.  

Harboring unforgiveness is like going for a test drive at the car dealership. 

The salesman wants you behind the wheel, smelling the new leather seats, feeling that power as you accelerate, and the smooth way that baby handles the curves.  It’s a known fact of human behavior – once you take it for a test drive, you’re half-way to signing on the dotted line.

When you delay forgiving, you also harbor anger or resentment, foolishly thinking it is only a delay against a later, more “convenient” time to forgive.  What you have really accomplished is to place yourself in the driver’s seat of a car you really would never choose to buy (under more sane conditions).  In short, you’re participating in revenge!  Who wants the power of crippling another person held in his hands like a car key?

Tomorrow

In tomorrow’s post we will talk more about how to go about forgiveness. 

For today – get forgiveness on the prayer agenda.  And if you have trouble finding a place to start, start like the man whose child was ill.  He asked Jesus to heal the child.  Jesus told him all things were possible with faith.  He said “I believe; help my unbelief”.

So….I will forgive; help my unforgiveness!