MLK: How Can You Break Out of the Descending Spiral Today?

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy; instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr., “Where Do We Go From Here?” [196])

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Lamech, who collects women as property, brags that he is more vicious and violent than anyone else.

Genesis 4-11 describes what Martin Luther King, Jr., called a “descending spiral” of violence: you hit me, and then I hit you back harder.

The only way out is sacrificial love. The only way to break the cycle is grace—to give your enemy not what he deserves, but grace.

With whom can you break the descending spiral today by showing grace?

P.S. From where did Cain get his wife? Short answer: we don’t know. Longer answer: either it was his sister (remember Genesis 4-11 is what happens when people do what is right in their own eyes), or there were other people created that we didn’t hear about.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 4:17-26

Why Doesn't God See Cain's Offering as Favorable?

It is human nature to want to control or manipulate God (or the gods) so we can get the outcome we want. Think about the lucky rabbit’s foot or the baseball slugger’s warmup superstitions or avoiding broken mirrors: these are little practices that are supposed to make things go well for us. Offering sacrifice is the purest form of this behavior. “I will make an offering so that God or the gods will either be pleased with me or at least will feel placated and will leave me alone.”

Now, consider Cain: we know he is a farmer, and so he is dependent on the weather, which is outside of his control. God does not ask for or desire sacrifice in order to be favorably disposed towards Cain, but Cain wants to manipulate God by offering a sacrifice. When he offers some of his produce to God, he is showing a desire to be in control.

When God is not favorably disposed to the offering, Cain shows murderous rage and jealousy towards his brother Abel. Cain wants his offering to gain favor with God, and when it doesn’t, his anger is the anger of a prideful man who feels he has been humiliated; it is the anger of an entitled man who doesn’t get what he wants.

The irony of the Cain and Abel story is that, after the murder, God shows his character by being merciful to Cain.

I think Abel’s gift of the firstborn from his flock is meant to be seen as a gift of thanksgiving toward God—it cost him more, and I think it is reasonable to assume he gave it freely and joyfully, as opposed to trying to manipulate God.

How are you giving to God today—like Cain, or like Abel?

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 4:1-16