He will repay my enemies for their evil.
          In your faithfulness, put an end to them. (Psalm 54:5)

              Amen! Yes, God, go get them. Get my enemies. Smite them, smite them good! Rain hellfire upon their heads. They deserve it. And just in case you’re not sure who all my enemies are, let me get my list.

              There is plenty of this kind of talk in the Bible, talk of getting even, talk of enemies getting what they deserve. An eye for an eye. And I know plenty of people who latch on to these sayings, certain that their own enemies will get all they deserve, and then some.

              A part of me wonders if these sayings aren’t more of our human nature and a sign of our brokenness and less a sense of God’s will. After all, how do we reconcile this desire to “put an end to” my enemies with the commandment to welcome the stranger in our midst, or Isaiah’s vision of the wolf and the lamb eating together, or Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies?

              I suppose it is human nature to want our enemies to “get what they deserve.” And maybe it’s even good to get those feelings out in the open, to confess them before God. Once spoken out loud, we may even remember God’s grace and God’s mercy and look for ways to turn enemies into neighbors.

              After all, somewhere out there may just be someone who sees me as their enemy, wishing hellfire to rain upon my head. And me without my umbrella!