Retribution is a legal concept and not a moral one.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. Recent political events have the idea of retribution much on people’s minds. Some of us want the ex-President and his adherents to answer for the violence at the Capitol. Others of us feel the ex-President is the rightful president and the current president should be impeached.
There’s a lot of righteous sentiment. As a nation, we’re feeling bloodthirsty. Folks want the target(s) of their anger to pay for offenses committed. Emotions are heightened around these topics and our discussions aren’t always entirely sane. Some of us feel we have a personal stake in ensuring that crimes are punished. We believe there are moral transgressions requiring payback.
As a society, we have legal and governmental means to hold individuals accountable for their actions. There are known logical consequences for law-breaking. While our legal system and governance are not perfect, they are out agreed-upon means for determining possible guilt and punishment.
It’s useful to share our views with our elected officials, to generate and sign petitions, to make our feelings known peacefully. It is not healthy to live in outrage and polarized resentment. As a people, we need to heal, to find a way to be united.
Today’s message advises me to lose any bloodthirst I may harbor and to trust that justice will be served. I certainly can personally lobby my officials for the outcome I feel is fair, but I and our nation will be best served if I don’t marinate in righteous anger. It’s wise for me to spend my personal energy on creation rather than destruction.
How about you? Do you trust that we will see justice and can move forward as a nation?