“The
other point too arises from like causes, that sometimes sorrows, sometimes the
fulfillment of their desires, falls to the wicked.
“As
concerns the sorrows, no one is surprised, because all agree that they deserve
ill. Their punishments serve both to deter others from crime by fear, and also
to amend the lives of those who undergo them.
“Their
happiness, on the other hand, serves as a proof to good men of how they should
regard good fortune of this nature, which they see often attends upon the
dishonest.
“And
another thing seems to me to be well arranged: the nature of a man may be so
headstrong and rough that lack of wealth may stir him to crime more readily
than restrain him; for the disease of such a one Providence prescribes a remedy
of stores of patrimony: he may see that his conscience is befouled by sin, he
may take account with himself of his fortune, and will perhaps fear lest the
loss of this property, of which he enjoys the use, may bring unhappiness.
Wherefore he will change his ways, and leave off from ill-doing so long as he
fears the loss of his fortune.”
—from
Book 4, Prose 6
I am
always wary of putting people into separated camps of saints and sinners,
since, as Solzhenitsyn said, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the
heart of every human being.”
Nevertheless,
when my own thoughts and actions tend in one direction or the other, then my
own nature inevitably becomes richer or poorer, and Providence never fails to
offer me the appropriate encouragement or discouragement.
If I am
on the wrong path, Providence can act in a variety of ways, some more obvious
and some more subtle. However it may unfold, I must try to discern how the circumstances
are arranged to provide the best particular opportunities, suited to my own particular
situation.
Justice,
in this fullest sense, does not operate only by abstract precepts or inflexible
rules, but looks deeper into our habits and our motives.
I am
equally called to recognizing such patterns when it comes to the wrongdoing of
others, always hoping that they are given the chance to improve, just as I
would also wish to be given the chance to improve.
When
fortune is taken away, whether it be by losing property, or freedom, or reputation,
or life and limb, it would seem the most direct and appropriate form of
correction. The pain can be a forceful means of retribution, and can serve as a
clear deterrent to others. The fear of suffering has a powerful way of making
us think twice about our choices.
The
danger for me, however, is that I too easily confuse justice with vengeance, replacing
the righting of wrongs with the inflicting of further wrongs. Am I seeing the
loss as a vehicle for a greater gain, or am I dwelling on taking pleasure in
someone else’s hurt?
An
opposite course can be just as fitting, though I do not always take kindly to
it in the heat of the moment. When an offender grows in fortune, and keeps hold
of his ill-gotten gains, he may still be getting his just deserts. His spoils
inevitably bring him misery, because they only make his character worse. Those
who look on also learn an important lesson, that riches and righteousness do
not necessarily go hand in hand.
Take it away,
or give me more, it will all ultimately be in the service of what is best. I
only need to remember where the true sources of happiness and misery lie, and
then I will not be so stubborn in seeing fortune as something worthy in itself.
It may
even be that maintaining what I have will help me to acquire virtues that would
otherwise be out of reach. In first grade, I once grabbed a friend’s toy I had
taken a liking to, and I wouldn’t return it. Instead of complaining to the
teacher, he finally told me to keep it. “You want it more than I do.”
I thought
I had won, but I was immediately overcome by a powerful sense of guilt and fear.
What if someone decided to take away my playthings? How could I enjoy playing
with that toy now? Within a day, I gave it back, apologized to him, and the
memory of that event still comes over me whenever I am tempted to run away with
something that isn’t mine.
Would
being sent to the principal’s office have had the same sort of effect, I
wonder?
Sometimes
we get caught, and we then pay one sort of price. Sometimes we don’t get
caught, and we then pay another sort of price. Either way, each offers its own
possibility for compensation and redemption.
Written in 11/2015
No comments:
Post a Comment