Charity Takes an Enemy, and Calls Him a Friend

     Charity is never judgemental. It does not say, you deserved it. You will have to pay the price. I have no pity for you.

    No, charity is all mercy and no judgement. Leave it to governments to punish for crimes committed. Leave it to God to be the administrator of vengence. Vengence is mine, it says in the Bible. One Christian church has a scripture which says the Lord will forgive whom he will forgive, but of us it is required to forgive all men.

   The scripture in Romans -- how much of today's problems does it give us direction on? "Vengence is mine. . . . Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on this head." In other words, if he is guilty of a wrongdoing, and you bless him anyway, it will prove to be his undoing without you needing to be the administrator of punishment. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Recompense to no man evil for evil."

   You tell me then, does this scripture apply to the homeless? Do we suggest they brought upon themselves their own misfortune? Do we speak of "tough love," and discharge them into the street until they can figure it out? Does the scripture apply to the drug addict, and we tell him he does not qualify for any assistance unless he comes clean of the drugs? 

   Does it apply to the immigrants, who we say are criminals for coming to America without permission? Instead of seeing how they fail to live our laws of America by crossing the border, perhaps we should see we have failed to keep the laws of charity. If they come with a criminal record -- if they have committed murder or rape, or it they do when they get here, let government punish them for such crimes. But, let us not judge that they are all criminals just because one of them is a criminal.

   Charity is never laced with judgement, with punishment, or with scorn. It takes an enemy, and counts him as friend. It dismisses the ill that someone has done to you, and says you bear no ill will in return. Charity is all love and forgiveness, with no room for hate and grudges.

   So, what of home invaders? If we shoot just to stop them, that is just; but if we shoot to kill, because the @#%^$ deserved it, that is wrong. 

   Charity is not an eye for an eye. The question is, in this day and age in which we live, do we fail to apply the laws of charity.