Put Down Your Middle Finger, Turn the Other Cheek

A couple weeks ago I was leaving  Panera, one of my favorite places to eat, and there was a guy crossing into the parking lot right ahead of me.  Although the parking lot is a highly trafficked area, most drivers will stop for pedestrians…most of them.  As the guy in front of me headed to his car, a young driver decided that he wasn’t going to let him cross over in front of him.  They exchanged dirty looks and then the guy walking decided he was going to cross the street in front of this driver no matter what.  As the young man crossed in front of the car, he looked directly into the eyes of the driver and gave him a “one finger salute.”  I watched the entire scenario as if it were in slow motion.

Those types of occurrences don’t shock me, but they do leave me a little frustrated.  What was to be gained through that brief conflict?  As far as I can tell, nothing.  Although conflict is inevitable in everyday life, we can choose how we respond.  Many times we feel a need for personal retaliation when our so-called “rights” have been violated.  A smart remark, a dirty look, a word of gossip, or personal attacks top our lists when someone crosses us the wrong way, but is that God’s standard of conduct?  In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus throws out a couple words we might overlook if we don’t read carefully, “But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:39).  Jesus commands His followers to turn the other way instead of seeking revenge on those who have offended us.

Retaliating is natural.  Pardoning is supernatural. Revenge may be our human reaction, but release is our divine responsibility.