I don’t think it’s as surprising as people say that Malcolm Turnbull said in the news and on Twitter last week he had lobbied his replacement Scott Morrison and other Liberal colleagues in relation to the uncertainty around Peter Dutton’s eligibility to be an MP, believing he should be referred to the High Court.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Turnbull made it clear he was even willing to cross the floor and vote with the Labor Party in relation to Dutton’s eligibility.
Dutton makes a leadership challenge that leads to Turnbull’s replacement as prime minister and now Turnbull wants the new PM to deliver Dutton’s eligibility to the High Court. Are these events connected?
The fear of finding needles in strawberries has reached Lavington (in country NSW) this week when a local eight-year-old girl found a needle in the strawberry she was about to bite into for her after-school snack.
Needles in strawberries have now been found in all six states of Australia. What’s the motive?
Why are needles being put into strawberries, risking harm to innocent little girls?
Who would do such a thing?
I don’t know who, but what’s the bet the “why” is some misguided and warped version of revenge and will prove yet again that almost all the evils of the world emanate from revenge.
I could consider the wrongs of revenge, but that would be predictable reading for you and lazy writing from me.
I may be wrong, and I hope I am, but after 18 years in ministry, I have come to believe that revenge is the most reliable, “sincere” and pure of all human motives.
Pure evil maybe, but pure all the same.
If so, Jesus’ forgiveness of his executioners is quite underrated.
Vice is simple. It’s virtue that is the mystery of this world.
Why are people good to us?
Maybe they are good, but maybe they are good to us because they hope to benefit from it.
Maybe people are only nice to us because it makes their world easier.
Maybe the only reason someone is being nice to us is because they’re being paid to be nice to us – this would explain why at fast food drive-thrus the person taking your order is so much more patient with you than the people in the car behind you.
However, sometimes even the person being paid to serve you is actually rude to you, which only proves that even money can’t buy you love.
But revenge is a motive that is obvious and uncomplicated.
Even good people can find themselves dreaming of getting revenge on their enemies, and they can justify it too.
The most famous quote regarding revenge is of course: “revenge is a dish best served cold”.
The origin of this saying is vague but ancient.
It advises that revenge is more satisfying if carried out later, when either long-feared or unexpected.
This saying has never really made sense to me as I think most people don’t have the patience to wait and follow its advice.
However, the saying has a fascination for us as we witness from time to time the phenomenon of revenge acted on only after many years.
Why? I don’t think it’s because people are actively waiting for time to pass.
I think it’s more a case that, even after many years, the pain of being betrayed or robbed of what was ours still hasn’t gone away.
Perhaps it’s possible the opportunity to act on this human motive only presented itself after a very long time as is the case in Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
Perhaps the motive for revenge is so pure that even the passing of many years does little to dilute it.
Sometimes things need to be taken away from people for their own good or the good of others. I get that.
However, failing this, in my experience and my advice to you is: in order to avoid the awful consequences of revenge, even years down the track, never unnecessarily betray someone or take from someone that which they value.
Remember, it doesn’t matter what value you place on these things, what matters is what value they place on them. Just ask... lots of people.
In order to avoid the awful consequences of revenge, even years down the track, never unnecessarily betray someone or take from someone that which they value.