CERTAINLY, AS WE LIVE, WE WILL ALL COME TO KNOW THE PAIN OF A TRANSGRESSION WHICH SEEMS... UNFORGIVEABLE. FROM EXPERIENCE I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE ONLY THING WHICH TAKES AWAY OUR THIRST FOR REVENGE IS ...THE SPIRIT AND LOVE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. HIS WORD TELLS US...'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY'. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS SAYING. FOR HE WARNS US ALSO IN HIS WORD...NOT TO JOY IN OUR ENEMIES DOWNFALL. WITH THIS IN MIND, WE KNOW THAT WHEN THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US TO...PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES...THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS. IF YOU CANNOT PRAY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS HURT YOU DEEPLY...YOU HAVE NOT FORGIVEN THEM. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ONE SHOULD SUDDENLY EMBRACE THEM, BUT WE CANNOT HATE THEM AND SEEK VENGEANCE. AND THEN THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER; WHAT IF THEY'VE COME TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY REALIZE HOW WRONG THEY WERE AND TRULY REPENT, AND SEEK GOD'S FORGIVENESS? HE IS MERCIFUL AND WILL FORGIVE THEM. THUS ONE COULD BE SEEKING REVENGE UPON SOMEONE WHO HAS REPENTED OF THEIR WRONG DOING. REMEMBER...GOD ALONE IS THE JUDGE OF ALL AND ALL THINGS. SO, EVEN IF WE DO NOT TRUST THEM ENOUGH TO RECONCILIATE ...WE MUST PRAY FOR THEM. AND THAT IS THAT. AMEN. I AGREE WITH YOUR LAST STANZA, TOTALLY. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

A very apt piece of work, given we are asked to confront your premise each day. The sad par to of this poem is that it will likely not get read by those in most need. What makes your poem alive and worth thinking about is the thoroughness with which you attacked the subject, but maintained a dignified and rational position. Well done.

Thank you for the advice. I recently got even and it has caused me concern. Lowers me to the place where the original was. But I will stop short of any violence when playing tit for tat.

It's violent revenge that results in long wars between two sides that can't seem to stop and just forgive each other. Like the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys when, I think it was a Hatfield, that stole a pig from a McCoy.

Ron