Just Thoughts: An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a
Tooth?
There is justifiable anger
when we hear that extremists in the Middle East have brutally executed two
reporters. What should we as a country do about it?
Of course that is not easy to
answer. We do have some guidance from Mahatma Gandhi, the believer in
nonviolent activism in the pursuit of justice. Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth . . . leaves the world blind and toothless.” And we have
the words of Jesus: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ But I say to
you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your
right cheek, turn the other one to him as well” (Matthew 5:38-39).
A
bit later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may
be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and
the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).
War and
violence were certainly vivid realities in Jesus’ day, and Jesus, who himself
was brutally executed, was not naïve about violence and revenge.
We need to
find alternatives to violent revenge—which only gives birth to an ongoing cycle
of revenge. Is there a way to break the cycle? Can Jesus’ words be put into
action? What would the world look like if we paid attention to Gandhi’s warning
and Jesus’ words?
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