Mark 8:36

Thought for the day:

For what shall if profit a man, if he gain the whole world yet suffer the loss of his soul?

- Mark 8:36


When I am angry at someone else, at others, who have done me harm – economic harm in the specific case I’m thinking about – this verse comes immediately to mind. You’d think I’d be consoled – those bastards are gonna get what’s coming to them! They’ll get what they deserve! – and, yes, those thoughts are true. Vengence is mine, saith the Lord, and all that.

But it also leaves me cold. After all, should we ever – and I mean, ever – ever willfully wish harm to others? Even others who have harmed us? Obviously, no. Cf. Matthew, chapter 5 verse 44. At the highest level, we are called to see Christ in all. At lower levels, we are called to love because anything less ultimately harms ourselves (bodies, minds, and souls) more than the other. So such gleeful gloating at the prospect of the guy(s) who screwed me spending eternity in ol’ Gehenna leaves me cold for, well, the same reason that the chance I (or – God forbid! – my wife or daughters) might take up occupancy there fills me with dread.

I am not a hero. But I would like to encourage you to simply pray for those who have done you wrong. For lofty reasons or lower ones (it’ll do wonders for you blood pressure). My list constantly changes, and those who’ve done me wrong years ago come off the list when I simply feel absolutely no ill will towards them. And it does take years, in some cases.