Let 'Em Up Easy

As the Civil War culminated and Abram Lincoln gathered the spoils of conflict, he advised Union officers regarding the vanquished, “Let ’em up easy.”  At the end of great bitterness, a note of grace. That same advice may be good for us today. Then, again, Lincoln was concerned about rebuilding, and, often, we are not.  

If the fire is to quench, it must be extinguished.  The alternative is for it to burn until there’s nothing left.  And, if wounds are ever going to heal, someone has to reach the place of reconciliation without redress.  By this, I mean that everything may not be the same as at a previous point, but that’s OK. Life does not have a reverse gear.

I suppose it is human weakness that makes us want to apologize without losing face.  We could say that real repentance would have no such concern, but most folks I know do.  That point aside, I honestly believe there would be more apologies and better relations if people were more approachable.  Sin on both sides.

If we were nicer, we would be happier.  D.L. Moody said the hardest thing for God to do is make a person kind.  Self-sacrificing empathy and real concern for other people are at the root of Jesus’ teaching that we should treat others as we would want to be treated.  Most who are wrong know they’re wrong, and none of us want to be beaten for our sins.

The Prodigal Son went home because he had no money and was starving.  The younger son also went home because he believed he could go home. I ask Jesus to forgive me because I believe He will.  Enough water has passed under the bridge for me to know that people will not always forgive a fault- even when they are part of the problem.

How grateful I am for the friends who, over the years, have let me up easy.  Some have not let me up at all- I just had to get up. Since the Bible connects spirituality and sympathy, I no longer believe the most rigorous are the most righteous.  Life is hard, and we’d all do well to go easy on another once in a while.

Jesus would not break a bruised reed, but He was the epitome of strength.  It may be that a great part of being strong is knowing when to use force. Strength without accomplishment is wasted energy.  Sometimes, strength is found more in accepting a blow than in administering one. If we don’t punch ourselves out, we might win the fight.

Lincoln was successful in reuniting renegades because he made a conscious choice to take the gentle approach.  If we are to be gentle, it will take conscious effort, as well. It is natural to walk the stringent route, but the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.  If we can be humble, we may become honorable.

Isaiah said God’s people would build up ruins and be called repairers of broken walls.  All around, we see devastation and despair. However, because something is in disrepair does not mean it is beyond repair.  People are worth the effort, and relationships are worth saving- even if there are faults to forgive. Let ’em up easy.

Sterl