Years ago a friend of mine destroyed the first few days (and maybe more) of his married life. Shortly after leaving the church and heading out on his honeymoon he intentionally ran down a jack rabbit with his car! Not a good idea for the jack or for my friend!
I was reminded of that (male) killer instinct the other day. I was giving a young man a ride in my car. We came upon a white tailed deer with her delightful fawn. Up came the young man’s arms into a shooting stance and he was heard to mutter, “If only I had my gun!”
I was never much of hunter, nor marksman. However, I remember the last buck I dropped in mid flight. At dusk, on a chilly evening in November 1976, on my way back to the farm, after trudging for a couple hours, a beautiful 5-pronged buck bounded across the clearing at least 100 metres away. On one of his high jumps, I pulled the trigger and sent him nose diving back to earth. Never again. I sometimes tease my hunter friends that when I became a Christian I came up several bad habits … and the first one was the murdering of innocent animals!
On a much more serious note, the killer instinct in men throughout the world is appalling. How can murders and terrorist do it? But, maybe worse yet, it is done daily by the media, athletes and (most despicably) politicians who set out to destroy their opponents. I am dumfounded at the “hate literature” that supposedly mature, veteran politicians have the audacity to drop in my mail box.
And professed “church folk”! Better not go there.
It is no wonder that Jesus warning about gossiping, slander, and malicious anger (Matthew 5:21-22).
Why do we tolerate it? Something to consider.
1 comment:
Bernard Krogsgaard recently gave a book to me to read called "Will the Real Heretic Please Stand Up." In it the author researched the response of the "early Christians" (those who wrote and lived closest to the apostles) to issues like serving in the army and to capital punishment. It is fascinating to read about their response.
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