Often the good advice found in the Bible sounds pretty crazy to us. I don't think that is a new situation. After all, even in the earliest pages of the Old Testament folks were busy ignoring the best advice. Otherwise Noah would have been besieged by neighbors trying to book a room on the Ark.
No, advice in the Bible rarely encourages us to be "sensible" because our "sensible" monitor is seriously skewed. For instance, St. Paul reminds us that those of us who would seek to be followers of Christ are expected to forgo revenge. This does not mean that governments are wrong when they do their human best to maintain order in a criminally disordered world. But is pretty clear that we as individuals are strongly prohibited from personally repaying evil for evil.
For instance in 1 Thessalonians 5:15 St. Paul writes: See that no one repays evil for evil; on the contrary, always try to do good to each other, indeed, to everyone. This is diametrically differently than most folks, filled with fear, anxiety and uncertainty in this age, in all corners of the world, both calling themselves Christians and proclaiming hatred of Christians actually embrace with any seriousness. We avoid our neighbor and gossip about them to other neighbors to justify our meanness. We demand perfection from ourselves, our parents, our children, even though not one of us has any hope of achieving it and has, in point of fact, suffered terribly when we have tried to achieve it or tried to force others to achieve it. We be crazy because we keeping doing what we know does not ever work.
So what does Paul say? He not only says "don't expect to control others when they do bad stuff," he THEN adds this absolutely impossible directive: "always try to do good to each other." Like we should take that seriously when people disappoint us, insult us, injure our reputation, our bodies, our finances? But that is just what it says "always try to do good to each other" and it comes right after the do not repay evil for evil part, so he is NOT talking about doing good to each other because we have been well treated.
And then, and this is the really unbelievable part: He adds this: "indeed, to everyone." In other words, we not only must seek to return good for evil within our community of believers, within our neighborhoods or with people "like ourselves" but we must always try to return good indeed, to everyone.
I mean, how can we expect to do any of that? Actually, left to our own abilities, desires and longings, we can not do it -- at least not for very long or very well.
I read a book by a woman who wrote of her personal commitment to forgiving for her own well-being following the murderer of her husband. Frankly the book made me itch. She advocated for forgiveness but there was a snarkiness that not only sounded like she was a superior human being for being committed to do this, but also she made it very clear who she judged to be "bad actors" among her friends and family.
This is not enough. St. Paul is talking about doing good in the face of evil. If you ever have an opportunity to hear someone speak who has forgiven the murderer of their son or daughter, do it. For us humans, it seems quite impossible, but some folks take their Bible very seriously: they have lived their faith, walked their desire to do good, longed that the death of their child might at least lead to true repentance and redemption for the child of the killer's parents.
And I don't know a single human being who can even begin to do that except with God's help; with the Spirit of God tending, loving, healing, guiding and rebuilding us in a wholly "other worldly" way.
I hope with all my heart I never have to face this, but I am committed to take my puny little, piddling small and utterly unimportant petty sense of being wronged and stomp on its neck every time it tries to lift its miserable head to take time, energy and resources that I am better off spending to reflect God's love into a world that will never truly understand forgiveness at this level.
No, advice in the Bible rarely encourages us to be "sensible" because our "sensible" monitor is seriously skewed. For instance, St. Paul reminds us that those of us who would seek to be followers of Christ are expected to forgo revenge. This does not mean that governments are wrong when they do their human best to maintain order in a criminally disordered world. But is pretty clear that we as individuals are strongly prohibited from personally repaying evil for evil.
For instance in 1 Thessalonians 5:15 St. Paul writes: See that no one repays evil for evil; on the contrary, always try to do good to each other, indeed, to everyone. This is diametrically differently than most folks, filled with fear, anxiety and uncertainty in this age, in all corners of the world, both calling themselves Christians and proclaiming hatred of Christians actually embrace with any seriousness. We avoid our neighbor and gossip about them to other neighbors to justify our meanness. We demand perfection from ourselves, our parents, our children, even though not one of us has any hope of achieving it and has, in point of fact, suffered terribly when we have tried to achieve it or tried to force others to achieve it. We be crazy because we keeping doing what we know does not ever work.
So what does Paul say? He not only says "don't expect to control others when they do bad stuff," he THEN adds this absolutely impossible directive: "always try to do good to each other." Like we should take that seriously when people disappoint us, insult us, injure our reputation, our bodies, our finances? But that is just what it says "always try to do good to each other" and it comes right after the do not repay evil for evil part, so he is NOT talking about doing good to each other because we have been well treated.
And then, and this is the really unbelievable part: He adds this: "indeed, to everyone." In other words, we not only must seek to return good for evil within our community of believers, within our neighborhoods or with people "like ourselves" but we must always try to return good indeed, to everyone.
I mean, how can we expect to do any of that? Actually, left to our own abilities, desires and longings, we can not do it -- at least not for very long or very well.
I read a book by a woman who wrote of her personal commitment to forgiving for her own well-being following the murderer of her husband. Frankly the book made me itch. She advocated for forgiveness but there was a snarkiness that not only sounded like she was a superior human being for being committed to do this, but also she made it very clear who she judged to be "bad actors" among her friends and family.
This is not enough. St. Paul is talking about doing good in the face of evil. If you ever have an opportunity to hear someone speak who has forgiven the murderer of their son or daughter, do it. For us humans, it seems quite impossible, but some folks take their Bible very seriously: they have lived their faith, walked their desire to do good, longed that the death of their child might at least lead to true repentance and redemption for the child of the killer's parents.
And I don't know a single human being who can even begin to do that except with God's help; with the Spirit of God tending, loving, healing, guiding and rebuilding us in a wholly "other worldly" way.
I hope with all my heart I never have to face this, but I am committed to take my puny little, piddling small and utterly unimportant petty sense of being wronged and stomp on its neck every time it tries to lift its miserable head to take time, energy and resources that I am better off spending to reflect God's love into a world that will never truly understand forgiveness at this level.
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