is "an eye for an eye" always the way to go?

 “Nothing can be more important than being able to choose the way we think.” 

~ EKNATH EASWARAN

Tragedy in South Carolina. An armed gunman walks into a church and, after being ministered to, shoots and kills nine people. I usually do not bring up the issue of race in a story, but in this case, I feel it is relevant. The church is a predominantly black church, the gunman, white. Yet unlike in Baltimore, unlike in Ferguson, MO, in this case, there were no riots. There were no reasons for the police to enact a curfew. Instead what I saw truly amazed me: black, white, Catholic, Protestant, everyone gathering together, praying for peace...praying for FORGIVENESS!

Love Your Enemies  Matthew 5:38-40
"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.…"

Peace. Although we cannot control the actions of others, we CAN control our own actions as well as REactions. This is why I bring this topic up, the fact that in the midst of sorrow, there were signs of love evident everywhere. Our knee-jerk reaction is to always cast judgment, to always want those who have wronged US to feel the pain of that injustice. To hurt as much as we have been hurt.  But Jesus has shown us the way.

The Beatitudes  Matthew 5:9-11
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.…"
When I was young, my mother abused me horribly. Words of pain were thrown my way, I had food withheld from me, I was beaten more times than I can count. I tried so hard and always, in her eyes, failed her. So once I turned 18, I left. For good.

My dad called me one day about 25 years later. Mom was on her deathbed, would I come over? I did. For the next three weeks, I cared for her. I forgave her for what she did to me. I prayed over her. And just three days before she finally passed on came the words I never thought I'd hear: "I'm sorry." She became comatose and never regained consciousness.

There are those who tell me that I never should have done what I did. But why? What purpose would it have served for me to feel that anger forever? Love is always the better option.

Whenever you feel the knee-jerk reaction of wanting vengeance, remember this, Jesus came to teach us about Love, about not throwing stones, about forgiveness.  Love heals all.

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.