An Alternative Lifestyle
The Old Testament (the “bible” of the early first century Jesus follower), was rife with images of a God who sought retribution for human misdeeds. The most famous passage in the O.T. is that “eye for an eye” verse, Exodus 21:23-25” “…you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Which is why it is still the practice in some Middle Eastern countries, for instance, to cut off the hands of a thief, and so forth. The God of the O.T. can be, at times, a powerful entity in the universe that is to be feared; a God who smites people. Our insurance policies still describe horrific natural disasters as “acts of God.”
In the theological world this is called The Doctrine of Retribution. It is the idea that God must exact a punishment for the crimes of humanity. It is Adam and Eve being banished from the garden. It is the flood consuming the sinful world. It is Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt. It is the walls of Jericho falling down. And it is the Doctrine of Atonement, suggesting that some sacrifice must be made in order to placate God.
For us, it was September 12th, 2001, when we wanted retribution as a nation for what had been done to us. On a smaller scale retribution is active whenever we hold grudges, write one another off, or slander one another by speaking ill of one another through idol chatter and gossip. We can engage in a lot of retribution with the mere wagging of our tongues.
Jesus re-imaged God for us, and subsequently turned the doctrine of retribution upside down. The most profound and thorough example of this is Luke 6:27ff. Here is a segment of that chapter:
But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?...If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?...If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?...But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for (God) is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
I hope and pray that I can live out this teaching of Jesus in my life. I hope and pray that we can grow to live this teaching out as a community of faith. It is not just what we do at church council or a congregational meeting that bears this out. It is what you and I do with all of the decisions we make from day to day; as people of Hope, as members of our various civic communities, and ultimately as citizens of the United States, that determines the extent to which we subscribe to the doctrine of retribution. Jesus has given us an alternative…to be merciful, gracious, and full of loving-kindness in all we say and do. The choice is ours.
P.S. The UCC Collegium of Officers (including David Moyers of the Wisconsin Conference) have written a Pastoral Letter on the Iraq War. Copies are available in the Narthex at Hope. More information online @ http://www.ucc.org/100kforpeace/. If you wish to sign the petition, you may do so at this web address. Pastor Shiels and I have both done so.