The Boston Marathon bombing on April 15 was a horrible tragedy. Many were relieved when the alleged perpetrators were finally identified. But there was another tragedy related to this. On March 16, a student of Brown University went missing. When the photographs of the suspected bombers were first made public and the authorities asked people to help in identifying them, some “amateur sleuths” thought that the missing student resembled one of the men in the pictures. But instead of going straight to the authorities, they made their gravely erroneous claims by means of a social media site. The “dangerous speculations” and shabby investigations of over-zealous but misguided individuals caused so much unnecessary pain to others. For days the family of the student had to bear the burden of hearing about speculations concerning their son that were making the rounds of the internet social media—Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
While there still is no official report about what actually happened, the body of the misidentified suspect was later found in a river. It was not immediately clear when this student, who was last seen March 15, died. The cause of death has also not been determined. But the speculations about his involvement in the Boston Marathon bombing all proved false. And the hurt these conjectures caused could not be taken back.
While we can understand the concern to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous act, there also is the need to make sure that zeal does not lead to more tragedy. Some, in their zeal, appointed themselves to a role that was not theirs to fill. And they only caused more pain.
Even in the context of the spiritual life, zeal can be misguided. “I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal” (Romans 10.2 NLT). Paul even describes his own earlier religious experience: “I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church” (Philippians 3.6 NLT).
Christian zeal is the kind that must be in keeping with the gospel of Jesus Christ, reflecting his character and his mindset toward others (see Philippians 2.5-8). It is in the context of this gospel that zeal can be truly Christlike: “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2.13–14 ESV).
Zeal is good. But it must be tempered with wisdom and discernment. It must reflect the purpose of God to restore the world to what is right and true.
—Keith Y. Jainga