'THE devastated parents of murdered landscape architect Joanna Yeates last night said it was a shame their daughter’s depraved killer Vincent Tabak would not face the death penalty.
David and Theresa Yeates welcomed the guilty verdict and life sentence against the sex monster. The punishment will mean he spends at least 20 years behind bars.' Express.
Christians are told in Romans 12 that vengeance is absolutely wrong.
Tragically, our society helps foment such feelings by not having either a righteous or scriptural or justice-based system of punishments.
RETRIBUTION IS NEUTRAL BUT REVENGE IS PERSONAL!
If retributive punishments are properly in place, not feeling vengeful becomes considerably easier.
When a man like Tabak escapes so lightly after such a terrible crime - it is almost impossible for most people in the position of the Yeates family to put aside their negative and self-damaging feelings.
They do not just feel the wreckage of their family but our current social setup beckons them alluringly towards serious spiritual damage.
I cannot know what their 'state of grace' is but I do know that society has hurt them to such a depth that they are going to be having 'a life sentence' which will not end a mere 20 years down the line!
All I have stated here is an outline of the current situation. I must also attempt to say what this family must now do - irrespective of the above.
If they cannot forgive Tabak - they must, at the very least, be prepared to forgive.
