Senseless Sin, Good Fruit, & a Few Words

A few weeks ago, someone decided to play a rousing game of baseball on our mailbox. We don’t know who the culprit was or why they committed such an offense. Frankly, we don’t really know anyone in our neighborhood (as much as such a thing exists in a rural area) enough for folks to hold a personal grudge. A random act of violence. Senseless; that’s all it was. That’s the word, the description I keep returning to when I think about it.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any anger over what happened. It’s infuriating to see your personal property carelessly attacked by people you don’t know and for no reason. All a person can conceive when that happens is justice and vengeance. Mostly the latter.

Your mind turns, whirring with the possibilities of how to get one over on the perpetrator. Do you do the same to them? What happens if they don’t (and they won’t) consider it even? How do you even confront an unseen force with expectations of coming out ahead? What good would it do to instigate a feud with the person(s) who did the deed?

It would accomplish nothing but more destruction, more heartache, and possibly bloodshed and death. Again, senseless.

But how does one cope with the realization that nothing can be done to stop or prevent such obnoxious assaults on a person’s space? That’s what damage to property often feels like: an invasion or penetration of the sanctity of a person’s home.

The best option for overcoming this kind of attack and the ill motives behind it is to ignore the whims of the darkness of your inner self. They already caved into their own selfish and evil desires; why sink to that same level or worse?

Some of you may be asking why I’m making a big deal out of a mailbox being caved in. The point is simply this: it’s a simplistic representation of the sinful nature we all possess. “It’s just a stupid mailbox,” some might say. No, it’s a mere echo of the most painful reminder we should all bear to remember.

Broken mailboxes lead to anger. Anger leads to vengeance. Vengeance begets suffering. Suffering is the endgame of evil. No, I’m not channeling Yoda. This isn’t a dumb soliloquy about emotions being the root of terrible things. It’s a basic analogy showing the quick descent into letting madness, wrath, and pride reign over oneself and others.

Now, the question of whether or not we (as Christians) are called to be pacifists is one that I will leave to more learned men than myself to answer. Personally, I don’t think strict adherence to abstaining from all violence is the correct way to view this passage:

“You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” (Matthew 5:38-39)

Many read this as advocating zero tolerance for violence from a believer. But this seems to avoid more complicated issues like self-defense and righteous justice. Is it wrong for a man to defend himself from great and life-threatening harm? How about his family? If a murderer or a rapist escapes legal justice, is it moral for a Christian to step aside and let that happen? I’m not saying that a man should become a vigilante crusader, but merely that this command isn’t about letting whatever happen to you happen without recourse.

Should you seek recompense on a man who has wronged you? No. Should you let an evildoer commit any manner of atrocity to you or your family? Again, no. The key is to find a balance, to be the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) in your dealing with the world. We’re to set better examples for other believers and non-believers alike.

The Lord says we are known by our fruit. Do we produce good or bad fruit? Remember that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22).

As I said, I’m not an expert analyst on biblical exegesis or eisegesis (though I try my best to provide valid interpretation and extrapolation of Scripture) so perhaps I’m wrong that we’re not necessarily called to pacifism. But I do know the truth that our best tools—and the best demonstration of our renewed selves—are those fruits of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians.

Senseless as the actions of the mailbox destroyer might’ve been, it would’ve only exacerbated the situation to react in the undue and not-Christian manner that my fallen mind wanted to conjure up. I’m grateful to the Lord that I (nor anyone I know) was not in a position or willing to act on those atrocious thoughts of getting even.

Praise be to Him.

Now, I’d like to clarify a few things regarding last week’s blog post about education.

I’m not against public schooling or even the scholarly subjects taught by educators. What I take issue with is the inevitable surrounding atmosphere and culture that pervades and corrupts young minds.
Colleges are not inherently evil or deceptive, but the proliferation of a specific agenda and bias from secular-minded professors leads to the indoctrination of students into their worldview.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who has nominated The Smiling Man Conspiracy thus far. I don’t know how many of you there are, but every vote counts as the campaign moseys on. Whether the Scout editors select the book or not, know that its publication won’t be too long after. I can’t give a precise date until I know the result of the campaign, but the release will come.

To those of you who took advantage of the discounts on Tales From Lone Oak & The Shadow Over Lone Oak last week, I’m also thankful. I hope you enjoy the fun, fast, and thrilling reads!