This senseless violence is challenging that verse in our National Anthem which says “our country where peace abounds”. St Kitts is quickly becoming anything but peaceful.

Many professionals have been studying this blood thirstiness that is among of our nation’s youth and have come up with a number of causes and possible solutions. One possible cause for the seemingly endless bloodletting is revenge and retaliation; somebody did me something or somebody did my friend something so i am going to get back at them at any cost, so the cycle of violence continues. I happen encounter such an attitude in a recent interaction i had with a young man who was harmed physically and although he promised me that he was not going to seek revenge he said his friends might have other plans for that individual who hurt him.

My brothers and sisters when will the killing stop. If the attitude is ‘I must get back at the person who hurt me’ then we are very realistically looking at destroying whole communities or drastically reducing the population in our beautiful island. Jesus has some wonderful words of wisdom for us which will be very helpful to us if we are open to receiving them.

Jesus in that famous ‘sermon on the mount’ addressed the whole notion of retaliation and revenge as he said “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ but i say to you, Do not resist an evildoer”. He challenged his audience “if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” Matthew 5:39.

The ancient Hebrew law of retaliation (Exodus 21:23-25) to which Jesus was referring , was predicated on the tribal practices in which a single offence against a member of a tribe would require the total destruction of the offending tribe. Jesus rejected this understanding and sought to shed some light on this understanding which could easily lead to the annihilation of entire societies. All that is required most times is some love and forgiveness, which will decrease the hurt and loss that will affect everybody, both the offending party and the offended party.

Many of us have quoted and misquoted Jesus’ suggestion to turn the other cheek. Many of us have said in no uncertain terms that we are not going to turn our cheeks, or we like to ask what happens when we run out of cheeks! I think we are missing the point.

Jesus’ recommendation is not so much non-resistance as it is an encouragement for us to respond in positive good in the face of evil. So when we are hurt or insulted, we offer the other cheek as an act of love and an act of grace. This act of grace contradicts ordinary human reaction to harsh treatment, but it overcomes the wrongdoer by love instead of a greater show of force. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Violence only begets violence”.

Our young people need to understand and our adults need to show by example that violence and violent retaliation only perpetuate the cycle of violence and at the end of the day neither party is the better for it. Look at what happens when we refuse Jesus’ suggestion of turning the other cheek and try to take matters into our own hands. The person who retaliates violently kills or harms his/her victim, goes to jail and looses his/her freedom. But they are not the only ones who are affected; their family members are also affected, because if they have children they will be locked away and unable to be a part of their children’s lives the way they should.

With all good wishes,

Rev Brian Fraser