I was motivated
to dwell on the subject of vengeance this week after coming across the
following media reports:
(1) In an
act of vengeance, a Kenyan HIV positive undergraduate student, it seems, has
thus far infected 324 men and plans to infect 2000 more through unprotected
sexual intercourse.1
(2) A video
of a maid physically abusing an infant. YouTube has several videos of such
abuses, each of them demonstrating an utter depravity of the mind through maximal
rage.
The act of the
HIV positive Kenyan student infecting a multitude of men through unprotected sexual
intercourse could be a deliberate act of vengeance. The physical abuse of infants
by maids, who are meant to care and protect, reveals possible vengeance, but a
very certain mindless rage.
The Kenyan
student wasn’t the only one who went on a venomous vengeful sexual rampage;
there are other documented instances of a similar nature - Darnell “Boss Man”
McGee and Pamela Wiser, to name a few.2
It is evil
to avenge one person, but isn’t it a sinister mind that avenges many? Why would
anyone resort to revenge? What would possibly cause a person to operate with
venomous vengeance?
Let’s
consider some scientific conclusions for probable causes.
Social
psychologist Dr. Ian McKee links vengeful tendencies to social attitudes such
as right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance. He concluded that "people who are more vengeful tend to
be those who are motivated by power, by authority and by the desire for
status…They don't want to lose face." Such people, he adds, are those
that "tend to be less forgiving,
less benevolent and less focused on universal-connectedness-type values." Professor of Psychology, Dr. Michele
Gelfand offers a cultural dimension and concludes that anger fuels revenge in
individualistic cultures, and shame in collectivistic cultures.3
Some
scientists attribute revenge to catharsis3 (evacuation of emotional
tensions or emotional release). Although revenge in such situations should
bless the avenger, for in avenging, the pent up emotional tensions are
evacuated and the avenger remains at peace. But scientists conclude that revenge
as an act of emotional catharsis fails to evacuate emotional tensions, instead damages
the individual seeking revenge by keeping the wounds fresh.3&4
Some
avengers consider revenge to be sweet and satisfying. Some psychologists conclude
that another cause for revenge is reestablishment of justice.4
However, studies
into these causes to avenge conclude that avengers have much to agonize, for in
various instances a revenge meant to be satisfying may not satisfy the avenger,
and revenge meant to reestablish justice need not be successful.4
Therefore,
if we summarize these scientific conclusions, we arrive at the following significant
and possible reasons for revenge:
(1) Right-wing
authoritarianism and social dominance.
(2) Anger
and shame.
(3) Catharsis
(evacuation of emotional tensions or emotional release).
(4)
Satisfaction.
(5)
Reestablishment of justice.
To
reiterate, scientists have observed that these reasons for revenge need not
necessarily heal or placate the avenger. Instead, the act of revenge significantly
damages the avenger. Therefore, the avenger remains in the very pitiful state
that initially motivated him/her towards revenge. In other words, even in the
eyes of secularists, revenge wrecks the avenger greatly.
Let’s
consider the Bible now.
Doesn’t the
Bible, Old Testament specifically, advocate revenge through its ordinance ‘eye
for eye’ (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21)?
‘Eye for
eye’ was purely in the context of unbiased justice (neither too strict nor too
gentle) within a judicial system, wherein a judge impartially judges an
offense. God does not motivate his people to avenge through the ordinance of
‘eye for eye.’5
Alternatively,
the Bible categorically teaches that revenge should never be a part of a
Christian life, in the realm of personal relationships. There are simply no
excuses for revenge in a Christian, for God said, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of
your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (Leviticus 19:
18, NASB). The Bible mandates its believers to overcome evil with good (Matthew
5: 38-48; Romans 12: 9-21) and to love each other as the Lord loves us (John
13: 34, 15: 12).
From time
to time we may observe Christians avenging in personal relationships. If the
Bible mandates love instead of revenge, how could a Christian desire revenge
instead of love? If a Christian avenges, then should his Christianity be
questioned?
Christians
who exact revenge may be immature or ungodly. Then again, an immature Christian
cannot be a serial avenger, because serial revenge is a gross violation of the
Scripture. Hence serial revenge is ungodly and unchristian. On the other hand,
if a Christian persists in serial vengeance, then there is a good possibility
of mental sickness as well.
A genuine Christian could exact revenge in a
fit of rage. Thereafter, he/she would comply with the promptings of the Holy
Spirit to repent and relent from vengeance. Then again, this person would not
serially repent and relent. Serial sin cannot be a character of a genuine
Christian.
Let’s for a
moment consider atheists, for they reject God. Hence, would atheists be consistently
vengeful?
Atheists
can, in quite a few instances, relegate genuine Christians to shame through
their extreme kindness, grace, love and charity. Vengeance may not even be in the
life’s dictionary of these atheists.
So the absence
of vengeance in the absence of God is an interesting feature. How do we
reconcile this situation?
In other
words, when Christians take revenge, especially serial revenge, we conclude
that they must be ungodly / unchristian or mentally sick. Alternatively, they were
not Christians to begin with. (Mental sickness is another can of worms, so we
shall keep it aside.)
But should not an
atheist, who rejects God, be actively prone to vengeance? In other words, if not God,
then what causes an atheist to choose love over vengeance? Because we do
observe that in the absence of God, some choose to be vengeful and others not
(some succumb to their desire for revenge and the others overcome that very
desire).
What then causes
the ungodly to not be vengeful? The Bible teaches that, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the
things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in
that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their
conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else
defending them…” (Romans 2: 14-15, NASB, Emphasis mine). The ungodly do
know what it is to be right and wrong, and they choose to be right than wrong,
for they too are under the absolute sovereignty of God.
But those
who rebel to be serially sinful have set their minds on not what is right or on
not what God wants HIS people to do. In fact, they rebel against the Biblical
teaching, “Set your mind on the things
above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3: 2, NASB). Therefore,
the ungodly, by rejecting God, set their minds on the things of the earth, when
they choose to be serially vengeful.
Christians
would at times feel the need to avenge especially when they are victimized for
what they reckon as no fault of theirs. What should be done in these
situations?
Sinful
desires to avenge should be sacrificed at the altar of God’s justice, and Christians
should emulate David’s kindness to Saul, “May
the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my
hand shall not be against you” (1 Samuel 24: 12, NASB; Cf. Deuteronomy
32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). But this is easier said than done, so how
do we emulate David?
Christian
life ought to be intentionally lived in God’s presence. We need to
intentionally live so not to be vengeful. Therefore, we are called to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy
of praise, dwell on these things… practice these things, and the God of peace
will be with you” (Philippians 4: 6-9, NASB).
We are to intensify
our prayer to God in times of sinful desires. We are to intentionally dwell on
that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellent, and
worthy of praise. If we pray intensely and intentionally remain in Christ by
virtue of thinking that which is godly, then the God of peace would rule our
hearts and we will refrain from being vengeful. Amen.
Endnotes:
1 http://elitedaily.com/news/world/woman-kenya-infects-300-men-hiv-part-revenge-act-plans-infecting-2000/
& http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kenyan-hiv-positive-woman-i-infected-324-men-1439152
2 http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/aidsmary.asp
3 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/revenge.aspx
4 http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2011/october-11/the-complicated-psychology-of-revenge.html
5 http://www.gotquestions.org/eye-for-an-eye.html
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