Hit Them Back....

I’ve been rethinking something in light of this glimmer of revelation I have about nonviolence. I’ve been rethinking a lot of things…and seeing things in myself that I don’t like. This particular thing has to do with a rule they have in our school district concerning fighting. I imagine they have a similar rule in many, if not all school districts. The rule concerns fighting. If someone hits you, you cannot hit back. You can use only the amount of force necessary to get away from them…but you cannot hit back. Once you hit back, it does not matter who hit first and both students involved in the fight are suspended for three days.

My daughter’s friend, Abbi, found herself in just such a situation. At the lunch table another student reached across the table and slapped Abbi across the face. Abbi is very athletic and cocky and outspoken and very pretty. I am sure the girl who hit her thought she had a good reason to do so. Abbi paused, pullled her hair back in a ponytail, walked all the way around the table (all the while one of the lunch monitors was saying, “Abbi, you don’t want to do this, Abbi, sit back down” Not sure why they did not physically restrain her at that point) Well, she walked around to where the girl was now standing and they got into a fist fight amidst the cheers of all the kids in the cafeteria. Teachers broke it up. Both girls were suspended.

At the time, I sided with Abbi. All along I have advised my kids that they were never to start a fight (and they are not fighters; as in picking a fight….but I think they could all hold their own…especially my 6’ 3” son who weighs 250 and is a front lineman for the football team….but then who would be stupid enough to start a fight with him) but if someone hit them first, in spite of the consequences, to have at it.

Now I am wondering about that advice. It is one thing to think of being persecuted myself; but it is an entirely different matter when I consider someone persecuting my children. So could I now, with this different understanding of what Jesus calls us to, advise them not to hit back? I don’t think so. Although I know that “turn the other cheek” is ultimately the only way to peace in the world, I think my advise to my kids would still be, “Hit them back.”