There, I said it. I hate that I said it. It’s probably the least Christianly thing I can ever think, let alone say to others. I know this, but bear with me for a moment while I explain this crazy (wrong) thought.
I watched a movie short while ago about Kathryn Bolkovac, a UN Officer who was trying to help young girls being trafficked for sex trade. They were being exploited by the very people who were supposed to be there to help them – police officers, diplomats, peace keepers, etc. I sat through the entire thing waiting for the evil people to be brought to justice. Spoiler alert – no one is ever brought to justice. They all walk away with full immunity from prosecution and the girls are never rescued from their hell of physical and emotional torture. I was hoping that at least in the movie footnotes they’d be prosecuted. If not tortured and put to death.
I realize on the race I’m likely to encounter trafficked people. It’s actually one of the main reasons I want to race. But I always thought about the rescue side. About actually bringing hope to the trafficked and abused. And I heard of people ministering to the perpetrators, but I never really internalized it. I never fully thought through ministering to the abusers. I’ve only really thought about them being punished.
I’m not alone here; I have some ancient company.
You may have heard of a Bible story where a man named Jonah was swallowed by a “whale.” God told him to go to Ninevah and warn some people there to turn away from their evil ways to avoid punishment. But Jonah didn’t want to send them the message because he knew they’d turn away from evil and be forgiven. He doesn’t want forgiveness for them, he wants them to be punished. So instead of obeying God and going to Ninevah, Jonah jumps on a ship going in the opposite direction, to get as far away from his mission as possible. Things go awry, Jonah ends up near death, but then he finally reluctantly obeys God’s command to go to Ninevah. He sends the message that God gave, basically stop doing your horrifying evil deeds to avoid punishment, and the people listened to him. They stopped being crazy evil, and:
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”
And Jonah was so mad.
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1-3)
All the years I’ve been hearing this story I thought Jonah was so crazy. “Why did he run away? He was selfish, why didn’t he want the Ninevites to be saved? How bold can you be to disobey an actual direct order from God?”
That was until I got it. Jonah’s own people were being oppressed by the Ninevites. He had watched them suffer greatly. Jonah was ready to see justice doled out. And I can dig it. I am ready to see, for example, human traffickers brought to justice. I know they rarely get prosecuted here on earth, but I have hope that they will pay in eternity. It sounds so wrong when I admit that in writing…I don’t really stop and hope that they find God and turn from their evil ways. I hope for all types of things, but not that. At least that’s not my initial reaction. The thought of them escaping punishment both now and forever kind of makes me angry. Like Jonah.
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)
Honestly, I don’t really want anyone to go to hell. That’s because I don’t want anyone to abuse or exploit other people. Instead of focusing my energy on reacting, I want to be focused on proactive, preemptive measures to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, when it does happen, my knee jerk reaction is to wish the wrath of God on the perpetrators.
Have any of you ever felt this way? Somebody? Anybody? Racers? How do you DEAL? Sound off below.
