Forgiveness, not revenge, is the Christian way.
Forgiveness, as in [Rwanda]https://www.thinkingchristian.net/posts/2009/04/as-we-forgive-stories-of-reconciliation-from-rwanda/(https://www.thinkingchristian.net/posts/2009/04/as-we-forgive-stories-of-reconciliation-from-rwanda/), in Pennsylvania, in a warrior’s broken heart.
Definitely not revenge, as in the outrageous “Christian militia” actions reportedly taking place in the Central African Republic.
Amen.
Theological and exegetical maturity are so vital.
Forgiveness does not entail pacifism, by the way, but it does mean limiting oneself to a proportionate response, for just purposes.
Tom, I think you’re right on. Forgiveness is so hard. I’ve seen a lot of people searching almost cynically in response to Charlie Hebdo, as if forgiveness is a kind of copout. But I think biblical forgiveness is not choosing to ignore, nor, as you said, is it pacifism. I think it’s more akin to trusting that God will be the righteous Judge he claims to be. That said, I’ve still found it a very difficult thing to do.
P.S. I was in your last breakout at Defend the Faith. Great class. It was one of my favorites because it was just so practical. I learned a lot from listening.
Thank you, Joe, for being there, and for the encouraging words!
The problem is that this is a war. It’s not some one-off isolated incident. It’s an ongoing war by radical Islam against the West and everything it stands for, Christianity included if not most prominently. On top of that it’s an asymmetric war where there are no front lines only random victims. Proportional responses are difficult to measure when one day someone is your neighbor and the next your executioner.
Bill,
I mean… they shot kids. At least reportedly. I think self-defense has a justification, but not like that. In any case, I think the war in the CAR is more tribal than a broader set of opposed idealogies than a Boko Haram case.