"Serious crimes deserve serious punishments —an eye-for-an-eye approach." This was an opinion expressed recently in criticism of a movie called Dead Man Walking. This highly acclaimed and thought-provoking film explores the extremely sensitive issue of capital punishment and the role that spiritual regeneration and forgiveness can play for both those accused and the victims of crime.
One problem with an eye-for-an-eye attitude is that it has never brought an end to violence, nor can it assure us of the protection, security, and peace we yearn for. But there is an answer that brings healing and peace to us and our families. That answer can be found in the law of Love, which Christ Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount.
Two important lessons are evident in both Jesus' teachings and his life-example. One lesson is the importance of knowing and loving God and His law, and of teaching others to love and obey God and to reject whatever is contrary to His law. The Master also taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to forgive our neighbors when they wrong us, no matter how many times that may be. He knew that God is all good and all-loving, and that we are all His children, made in His image. And it was on the basis of this absolute, spiritual fact that Jesus proved, through his works, that each of us is inherently good, and that individuals naturally respond when an understanding of man's true nature is brought to bear on a situation that needs healing.
