Image by More Good Foundation via Flickr

This morning I visited my FB page and found a very sad and horrible picture being passed around – it was of two kids hanging a puppy and enjoying the act (for what their faces could tell).  The person(s) who shared the link was asked to keep posting it to see if these people are caught and punished.  I love animals and all living things, and in a moment of rage, I shared the picture with the plea, and used some profanity directed at the abusers.  This prompted this post.

I am not one to like that kind of language but the rage that boiled inside me when I saw the picture gave way to those words.  Then, feeling a bit sorry about my poor choice of words, I thought – In that case, WWJD?  Immediately the scene of a Jesus irate at the merchants in the temple came to mind.  Apart from his divinity, at that moment of anger, Jesus was being human – his humanity was leading his actions.  I thought, “Ok, I can’t compare myself to Jesus, but I understand why I reacted in such way – my humanity.

Then, I thought, “Wait a minute!  Why were these kids committing this crime?  Because of their human condition?  Because of the evil that we humans are capable of and let out many times?  I pondered the issue and realized that we all are capable of committing evil, whether in the name of God or the Devil (if you believe in such) or just by the fact that we are human.  My reply to the picture was “I wish they die the same way … (and other words that I not dare repeat here).  The point is that in a millisecond, out of fury, I saw myself hanging those kids and enjoying their death as punishment for killing that puppy.  At that moment, was I worst than them or equal?  I don’t know, other than I was angry at their evil act, and they were enjoying their evil act.  That is the only difference I can find.

So WWJD?  I don’t know other than I am sure that he would not just stand there watching these kids kill a puppy and I doubt that he would open his arms and say “Come here my children for you have sin.”  No, he would probably be as pissed off as he was with the merchants in the temple; however, there is nothing written as if he hit one of them or not.  Maybe that is the answer – it is fine to let your emotions out and your true feelings; however not always ok to act on them.  As humans, we are capable of acts of Love and Evil; as spiritual beings our nature is one of Love.