Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Freedom is a jealous God, and especially has no patience with grudges, vindictiveness, and revenge. Those who toy with them may insist upon their freedom, believing they are children of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone, but they are blind to their own chains.
Psychologists tell us that resentments begin with anger and anger begins with fear. If we're attacked by an enemy we do not fear we might not bother to get angry. We can shake off their threats because they're impotent. Those enemies who are not enemies might be our children who are too small to hurt us, or adults too remote to have any influence. We laugh off their threats; we might think they are darling (in the case of children) or sadly pathetic (in the case of adults.)
Sometimes just remembering their impotence can relieve our fears, if we're truly convinced of their impotence. The employer who can't afford to fire an employee is rather powerless to threaten. We deal with them as equals.
Sometimes we have to walk into the enemy camp and remind them of our human dignity. Some enemies exasperate us with their passive aggression, which only demonstrates their weakness. They can be confronted; they might not even realize their microaggressions are so irritating -- or so obvious. "Just stop it!" we might say.
Those who fear God fear no one else. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the scriptures often say. It's also the beginning of self-possession. I know who I am before God, myself, and others. I can do without fear, anger, and resentment.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.