When something like vigilante justice unfolds in television shows or feature films, audiences tend to find the result satisfying.
Meanwhile, when something similar happens in real life, the person who brought the justice appears no less of a hero, and yet the human tragedy involved in the incident, coupled with the broader circumstances that enabled it, have a way of tempering one’s satisfaction.
According to CNN, Pastor Nick Neves, who has practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu since high school, easily subdued a would-be burglar who broke into First Family Church in Antioch, California, on Thanksgiving morning.
Neves told CNN that he caught the would-be robber in the act and told him to stop until police arrived.
“And he wasn’t having that,” Neves said. “So he tried to run, and I restrained him, and he began to fight with me. And so we tussled for quite a while before the cops were able to get there.”
The pastor added that he never meant “to hurt the man or to do him harm.” Instead, he wanted to “keep him from getting away, so that justice could be done and our church could be protected.”
Neves also expressed no ill-feelings toward the perpetrator and even hoped that he would learn from the mistake.
“If he came to church on Sunday, I’d be happy to share the gospel with him,” the pastor added.
The tone of CNN’s story emphasized concern for the suspect’s well-being. And Neves rightly showed Christian forgiveness. He had no hate in his heart.
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On the other hand, concern for perpetrators should not diminish one’s admiration for a righteous man who sprang into action.
For instance, Neves told KGO-TV in San Francisco that he had to chase the would-be burglar outside the church.
“[The suspect] came at me through the kitchen holding a box of our [possessions]. At that point, I told him to stop. He didn’t want to stop. So, I ran after him, grab a hold of him, but I didn’t get a hold of him until we got out to the parking lot,” Neves said.
Indeed, the pastor also elaborated on the usefulness of his training in mixed martial arts.
“Just using positioning I tried to maintain back control on the gentleman, so that he wasn’t able to strike at me very effectively. And try to keep control of his hands, so that if he had a weapon of some kind, I’d be able to keep him from getting that weapon and using it against me,” he said.
Moreover, self-interest played a role in Neves’s decision to restrain the perpetrator.
“What I didn’t want to see [was just him run off] and then come back later and rob us again. You can find that it becomes a pattern where you get victimized a lot if you don’t do anything to stand up for yourself,” the pastor said.
Neves also elaborated on his Christian charity by rightly noting that love and strength go together.
“Being a loving person doesn’t mean you have to be a weak person. Humility and strength are not antithesis to each other,” he explained.
Neves, therefore, emerged as the story’s hero on many fronts.
The would-be robber, however, might not even rank as the story’s main villain. For his part, Neves thought the man was probably homeless, per KGO.
The role of main villain here belongs to the man responsible for the lack of surprise readers felt when they learned where this incident occurred.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has turned his state into a haven for illegal immigrants and other criminals.
Unfortunately, not every church or home has a jiu-jitsu practitioner to protect it from the baneful effects of Newsom’s policies.
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