Revenge

   The concept of revenge has always been speckled with confusion. On one hand, we see that revenge is futile as any "justice" will ultimately be fulfilled by God. Proverbs 29:26 says, "Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes from the Lord."  On the other, many biblical sins are heavily punished, not by God, but by the community, and what separates one man's righteous justice from revenge?
    As a race, our fascination with revenge is an undying theme. Our media and literature are fraught with it, and often, revenge is not only condoned but exalted. Every time the Count furthers his plan for revenge, we applaud his brilliance and disparage the wicked Danglars. However, what gives the Count the right of divine judgment? We may feel that he has every right to take away the happiness of Danglars, but justice comes from the hand of the Lord. 
   However, in modern society, justice is often placed in the hands of a Judge, and what gives one man the right to condemn the soul of another? Posing a hypothetical, if a man witnesses a horrific crime, but lacks the proof to condemn the culprit, would seeking revenge for the victim be a sin? The Count considers himself to be the manifestation of divine justice, and the men whose lives he chooses to exact his revenge upon are truly wicked. It may be that the Count was God's chosen weapon of justice, or he may be practicing his revenge at the expense of his soul. As a man who created an extensive alter ego for the simple purpose of revenge, the latter is not out of the question. 
   As someone who's always had a very fleeting streak of anger, it's difficult to imagine an injustice so grievous that my life would be committed to avenging it. However, if the crime hit close enough to home, it's not a difficult thought to imagine taking my own revenge. Although some crimes are so horrendous that the heart will never truly forgive, I feel that holding onto old wounds creates scars that will never heal.
   In essence, revenge is a double-bladed sword. It reaches into the moral grey of the human psyche and takes over. Everything that was once important is replaced with a single, driving thought: vengeance. Before you take your revenge, stranger, ask yourself this, "Am I truly a more worthy judge than the one who waits in heaven?"