Never hide a Sword behind a Cross

Dear God,

Have you ever wondered about the story of Dinah (Jacob’s daughter). I have and I am always surprised at the weight of lessons that hit me every time.

Picture this: So, Jacob’s family lived in a quiet but bustling suburb of the city. Jacob Abraham, the patriarch, is a man with many children (half the neighbourhood jokes that his family alone could start a football league). Dinah, his teenage only-daughter from his 1st wife, is bright, curious, possibly the most beautiful girl in the city and eager to explore life outside the walls of her family’s compound despite the strict restrictions. One Saturday, she decided to visit some girlfriends in town. Nothing unusual (except that this visit sets off a chain of events that will shake the entire community), one girl, one mistake and the whole city burnt.

Now during her rendezvous with her friends, she met Shechem Johnson, son of Chief Hamor Johnson, the city big man, a renowned socialite, running an entitlement empire that includes his only son. Shechem was spoiled, entitled, and used to getting whatever he wanted. He saw Dinah, and instead of treating her with respect of courtship, he raped her. A Johnson does not take “NO” for an answer. It was ugly, it was violent, and it was wrong, but for a Johnson, it was expected. Yet afterward, in a bizarre twist, Shechem claimed he was “madly in love” with her. Imagine the audacity: you harm someone, then declare undying affection. More like robbing a bank and then asking the cashier out to dinner. Crazy, right? But not to a Johnson.

Shechem, then runs to his father, Chief Hamor Johnson, whining, “Dad, I want her, I love her, marry her for me……please make it happen.”

“What da-heck son, why did you do that in the 1st place, if you loved her….”, the father shouted perplexed

“She won’t give me the time of day, I wanted her so badly,” the knuckle head whined

Chief Hamor sighed sadly, but for his son, nothing was impossible. So, ever the politician, he went to Jacob Abraham to negotiate. He tried to spin it: “Look, our families should unite. Think of the benefits (business partnerships, shared lands, cultural exchange). My son is head over heels for your daughter. Let’s make this official. We will offer restitution with whatever you want……name it”

Jacob was undecided, he sat quietly on his porch, his heart breaking, but his mind was racing. How can he say No to them politely and how can he make them pay for violating his daughter without a full-scale war? He was a man of peace, and as much as he hated what they did to his daughter, he didn’t want to go to war with them.

Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons (Simeon, Levi, and the rest) had a different perspective. On return from managing the family’s business, they heard what happened and exploded with rage. Father Lord, I can imagine a group of protective brothers storming into the living room, fists clenched, voices raised: “Dad, this is intolerable! He raped our sister, and now they want us to smile and shake hands? Never! It’s never going to happen. He should be dead already.”

“My sons, please, let’s not kill a fly with a sledgehammer, we will get through this. But not with violence”, he consoled his sons.

But instead of outright refusal, the brothers played it cool. They sleeved their swords, put on their poker faces deceptively and said to the would-be-in-laws: “Alright, we’ll consider it. But there’s one condition: every man in your community must be circumcised. No exceptions. We cannot be unequally yoked with unbelievers”

Chief Hamor and Shechem actually agreed. They were excited, they had just struck a goldmine. Shechem will be married to the most beautiful girl in the city, and from the richest family too. That would give him immense prestige and political elevation beyond their widest dream. They marched into the town square, selling the idea like it was a business deal of the year: “Gentlemen, (they said to the people) this is a win-win! We get access to their wealth, their businesses, their daughters. All we have to do is… well, undergo a little surgery, just a small circumcision…… that’s all (3 days max, and everything they have belongs to us).”

The townsmen, perhaps blinded by greed, nodded along. “Sure, why not?” (Half the people of the city were envious of the great wealth of a common stranger that came to live amongst them. Getting a hold of even one/third of that wealth was worth any pain). And so, every man in the city submitted to circumcision. Now, pause here, Dad, and imagine the depth of greed man can orchestrate. What human folly, what vicious greed!

Three days later, while they’re all lying in bed groaning in pain, Simeon and Levi stormed the town with swords. They killed Shechem, Hamor, and every man in sight. They rescued Dinah from their estate, looted the city, and took everything (livestock, valuables, even families – women and children…all).

When Jacob heard of the massacre, he was horrified. He scolded his sons:
“How could you do a thing like this? You have made our name stink to high heaven! The neighbouring cities will hate us and come after us and if they unite against us, we’re finished. What have you done?”

But Simeon and Levi, still burning with righteous anger, were unrepentant: “Father, what does that matter? Are we supposed to let our sister be treated like trash? No one does that to our family and walks away. Let the war come.”

Hmmn.

The absurdity of schemes human can generate always baffles me, Dad. Imagine a whole city agreeing to circumcision just to get their hands on someone’s riches. It’s like, in today’s modern dynamics where young adults submit themselves to ridiculous rituals and cults because they’re blinded by the smell of wealth. A native doctor who has not been able to make himself or his family members rich is asking you to get the head of your mother so you will be rich and you submit? The brothers’ cunning condition is both brilliant and darkly comic, using their greed and desperation to set them up for destruction. Same principles, different dimensions of execution.

But beneath the absurdity is a sobering truth for me: when injustice happens, our reactions as humans can swing wildly, honestly. Take for instance that rape incident. Some people, like Jacob, prefer diplomacy, fearing consequences (they would rather cover the shame to protect the name). Others, like Simeon and Levi, demand vengeance, even if it means burning the whole system down (an eye for two eyes). And to be honest, Dad, I have been asking myself this question, If I am Dinah’s parent, what would be my reactions? I wont lie to you, Lord, I will burn the system down too. I will burn it…. whole (I will take an eye, two hands and two feet). So, I am not in any position to judge Simeon and Levi. Period.

And Shechem? (The twisted son of a gun). He represents all the twisted narcissists who have the tendency to confuse desire with love and hurting you with affection.

But seriously Lord, how do you see this? The brokenness of humanity, the violence, the greed. Dinah’s personal violation is the heart of this story, yet, like always, you kept quiet and watched the anarchy unfold. Do you understand the justice that Simeon and his brother delivered? Do you see how one act of violation erased a whole city, with unchecked rage? Can we ignore Dinah’s pain and wish it away? Do you see how easily humans can trade their dignity for profit? How would you have navigated this? What would you have done?

I am asking you all these questions because this is what we see in today’s world, this story plays out in different forms. A young woman is raped, and society debates how to respond. Some push for quiet settlements, fearing scandal. Others demand loud justice, sometimes crossing into destructive retaliation. The most agonising is when the young girl is blamed for speaking up. Corporations, politicians, and communities often make absurd compromises for profit, ignoring the human cost, ignoring the ethical moral face of it all.

So, what is the learning point in this my story?

That when injustice strikes, our first instinct may be rage or fear, however, let our quest for justice be rooted in compassion, not in vengeance.

That we should protect the innocent, seek justice for them, but we must not let our anger destroy what we purpose to build.

That Dinah’s story is a mirror for us all, showing us how humans stumble between greed, anger, fear and pain, however, it is not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it that is the ultimate you.

And please and please, next time someone offers you a “great deal” that requires a “little circumcision”, “ a little compromise” maybe ask a few more questions before signing up (just in case he is hiding a sword behind the cross).

This is your daughter Lord, I am checking in.