Misguided Retribution
...if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Exodus 21:23-24 NIV
I read in the news that Tiger Woods has been under fire from other golfers, by the media and even by his soon to be ex-wife. All of this makes me laugh... well, sort of an angry laugh. It is true that Tiger has had some moral failures. But before I can get angry about this, I suddenly remember my own moral failures. What the guy did was wrong, but what I sometimes do is also wrong. The only difference between he and I is that his moral failures have been broadcast to the world. It is something that he and I need to ask for ecclesiastical clemency of.
Today's verse is often touted as a revenge verse but its true message is to let the punishment match the crime. Don't get over zealous in your desire to payback - be just. I wonder why people are so angry with Tiger? It isn't as if he is the only one with moral failures. What is a fair punishment for his moral malfunction? Maybe forgiveness is the only way to destroy the memory and pain of failure without destroying the person.
No comments:
Post a Comment