I love my pets. I love each one of them. Sure, Marge pisses me off when she’s being a bitch, and Sonic gets a swift slap to the butt when he’s chewing the carpet, but I still give them the kisses. I let Serena rest her fat butt on my valuables even though she refuses to get along with the dogs, and I don’t think any less of Creole for trying to eat me. I love them all and I’ll give them the kisses forever!

My love for my pets is unconditional. It’s easy to love them unconditionally, because they are not mean-hearted. When they do wrong, they do it because they know no better. The same can’t be said of human. When a human commits an atrocious act, they know exactly what they are doing and how they are hurting the victim. They are simply bad people, and it’s much harder to overlook their sins than it is to overlook the actions of a dog.

However, I need to live a more Christ-like life, and part of that program involves loving my neighbor and not hoping they suffer an eternity of torment. It’s hard though. How could I not want somebody such as Scott Peterson to suffer for his heinous crime? By trying to think otherwise, I feel as though I’m condoning his actions.

But I realize I’m not. Mercy is not the condoning of perniciousness and mercilessness is not justice. To be merciless is to think I am too good for mercy, and such hubris is probably sin. Love and forgiveness are not sins though. With them, even a terrible man such as Scott Peterson could atone for his crimes and become a positive force in the world, and I couldn’t hate a person who sincerely rid themselves of their wicked ways, no matter how inhumane they previously were.

He and many others probably won’t repent for their crimes though, and I feel foolish for even considering the possibility, knowing that many of them will cause more pain when they get the chance. Still, if it’s possible that a much less vindictive mentality could improve the world, even if only slightly, I should try to embrace it. My conscience would kill me if I didn’t do what I could to improve life.

So, I’ll try to be more loving and forgiving, even if I'm unsure if it'll reap any benefits. I’m placing my faith in you, Lord. Please let this merciful mentality I’m trying to adopt do more good than harm.