There is a well-known Bible quote regarding an act of retaliation. ‘An eye for an eye’ can appear to authorize revenge or justify actions based on a religious code of honor. We have the death penalty in this country to justify executions, which are state-sponsored retaliations for those who committed murder. Not only does this seem to oppose all spiritual teachings, but serves to perpetuate a cycle of violence.
Retaliation, according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as to do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly. I know some people who wear their desire for revenge like a badge of courage (tee tee). Perhaps in some circles, if you are known as a person who will retaliate, you are less likely to be challenged on a position or stance.
According to minister and author Nadia Bolz-Weber, “But inevitably, when I can’t harm the people who harmed me, I just end up harming the people who love me. So maybe retaliation, or holding on to anger about the harm done to me, doesn’t actually combat evil.” Perhaps a whisper from an angel will help with understanding the energy behind retaliation:
Retaliation is an energy that comes forth from the shadows of the human experience. Answering one senseless act by creating another is simply a continuation of the original action. Retaliation is allowing anger, hatred, and violence to persevere. People often mistake retaliation for justice, but the two are mutually exclusive. Justice can be found when love changes the energy around an event or behavior. Amends can be made when bad behavior is acknowledged, then modified in a way that leads to a form of rehabilitation. Retaliation rarely engenders the desired effect of finding resolution with a person who has brought harm or pain.
When someone wants to retaliate, they would benefit by understanding the energy behind such a desire. The thought that one has been wronged by another comes with an inherent caution about the Universal Law of Karma. Retaliation can inadvertently connect to the energy of the original karmic event, leading to a transfer. Holding on to anger, without taking action to release the emotion, can cause crystallization of anger energy in the joints of the body. Releasing the energy of anger is essential to one’s well-being, but an act of retaliation can be detrimental. Retaliation can bring an immediate sense of satisfaction on some level, but its negative effect can remain through several incarnations.
Knowledge about the emotion behind retaliation gives strength to intuition and the ability to persevere with balance beyond such aggressive behavior. Forgiveness will always serve to dissuade one from harming another soul, and to dismantle the ego before responding in a way that does not align with core values. Speaking and acting from a position of truth is the best way to answer bad behavior, for one shadow response does not eliminate another. Light is what creates movement in the darkness. The rejection of truth is simply another form of retaliation. Do not allow those who reject the truth to enter the kingdom of your heart.
To break the bond to suffering, bless those who have harmed you by sending them a good thought or praying for their wellness.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
“Vengeance, retaliation, retribution, revenge are deceitful brothers—vile, beguiling demons promising justifiable compensation to a pained soul for his losses. Yet in truth they craftily fester away all else of worth remaining.”
Richelle E. Goodrich
