Why has the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman ruling grabbed America by the throat and not let go?
- Because a young black man lost his life.
- Because a young hispanic man has had his nearly destroyed.
- Because the media need to manufacture crises to make money.
- Because it shows prejudice (on both sides) is still alive and well and needs to be addressed, continually.
- Because it is a tragic story filled with grief.
- Because depending on your opinion, it may or may not represent a miscarriage of justice.
- Because we have a great human ability to care about tragedy and suffering.
Yes, and . . .
- Because we too often prefer to express our concern about tragedy and suffering from a distance.
C.S. Lewis makes this last point after attempting to answer the theological question, “What about the people in Africa who may never hear about Jesus?” Though a valid question, Lewis wonders how often we pose it to move the debate away from our own hearts and lives.
In other words, it’s safe to be passionate and outraged (on both sides) about the Martin/Zimmerman tragedy because we don’t really have to do anything about it. We don’t have to look our actual neighbors in the eye and care or stop judging.
This distance is an old and common dodge. A slick young lawyer tried it when Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan.
“Who’s my neighbor?” the lawyer deflects, putting that safe distance between him and his guilt and the needy.
“You are,” Jesus answers. To whomever is near you.
P.S. Whenever I write about a current hot topic or name drop in my blog, I feel sleazy and cheap. So, please, my friends, Jesus, and the late Mr. Lewis, forgive the piling on and name dropping.
“Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. “I will repay.” (Romans 12:19)
Romans 12:19 “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
I’ve been sharing blog comments and observations on this situation with the Redstate people. Public feelings, emotions, reactions are at a high level, and this is not unexpected for plenty of reasons. Clearly the verdict rested on other considerations, such as facts and evidence and legal definitions.
Thank goodness for the clarity of God’s Word and His Will. He knows humans are not equipped to handle this stuff well. Self-defense is not vengeance. Any vengeance/retribution motives that linger “in the air and hearts of men” must not be acted upon with violence. We can give our heart stresses in these matters to God. He is faithful and able to do what is right. Our faith and trust should be in Him and nowhere else.
I’ve often wondered if God will repay those who have wronged me with mercy? And if so, how I would react to that. Thanks for weighing in Georgie-ann.
I think He very well might (just as a merciful parent might pardon contentious siblings in their learning/growth periods), but I need to trust Him completely in His ways, and not doubt that what He does is perfect. God, as the mercifully inclined parent with infinitely greater vision, understanding and wisdom than ours, knows and sees much more about all these things than we do. Therefore, we need to leave Him as the final arbiter in these matters — no matter what I think or feel (humanly) about it. This is a position that also lets us be free of unnecessary and unprofitable entanglements.
And, we don’t have to see the (expected) rewards or punishments “before our very eyes” (for our own “personal satisfaction/vindication”) in this lifetime! We are told we see through a glass darkly, but in time ALL will be revealed. These issues are not about our own little egotistical emotional mountain tops that we endeavor to prop up and occupy so assiduously. All that is very childish spiritually, in fact. God is at work on even bigger issues.
Rewards may come on the family line (as blessings on the generations of the righteous who “fear and obey” and love Him), or in other ways we wouldn’t necessarily instantaneously “recognize.” His ways are far above our ways, and beyond searching out. If you want God’s best, study, learn of Him, fear (be in awe), obey (submit) and love Him, trust Him and His word,… let God be True and every man (including our fallible selves) be a liar,… without faith, it is impossible to please Him,…
As far as “punishments,” these ultimately will be against our true deceiving enemy, satan, who yet holds many individuals and cultures in relentless chains of blindness, hatred, and bondages of all sorts. God’s goal is to release as many of these as possible (“whosoever will”), at which point they will no longer be his (satan’s) “tools” through which to hurt us,… and they may even become our friends! So, in the long run, it IS God’s wish to set the injuring people(s) free — and therefore us, from them (in their “old” state), also!
It is a marvelous work that He is doing! I long ago realized that the greatest so-called “revenge” in any troubled situation, would be to get the offending soul(s) saved and delivered from satan’s grip/stronghold!
As they say,… “the devil’s mad and I’m glad!”,… Amen and amen!
“The truth will (always) set us free.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
Psalm 37:9 “For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.”
Psalm 71:5 “For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.”