Hitting back and what it tells us! Exploring the first Old Testament reading in the prayers for today which is from the second book of Samuel (2 Sam 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13), there is much revealed to us about contemporary behaviour of hitting back when people speak critically or abusively of us. Our hitting back does not protect our dignity but rather reveals our insecurity. When people say bad things about us, either they are or they are false. If , we can accept them; nothing new is being said. If they are false, we can ignore them. Of course, there may be situations where, for serious reasons, we might have to defend our reputation. I might lose my job because of false accusations or I might even find myself unjustly being charged with a crime. But much of the time, our reaction is an indication of our touchiness and an inner sense that we really deserve even more than is being said. So we go on the defensive. Apart from David’s example, we can look at Jesus, especially during his trial. He met his accusers with a dignified silence. In doing so, he towers over them in dignity and strength. (Source: Living Space Commentaries on scripture at sacredspace.ie)
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 07:23:05 +0000