Reed’s Reads of Wisdom Wednesdays: A Score to Settle: When Justice Feels Denied but Vengeance Isn’t Ours

There are chapters in fiction that read like prophecy.

Moments in novels that bleed into reality so vividly that the line between imagination and truth disappears.

Chapter 10 of Book II of S.O.L.A.D.™ is one of those chapters. Titled “A Score to Settle,” it finds our heroes Angelo and Angeline pressed to the limit, their city in chaos, their enemies multiplying, and every ounce of light within them challenged by the encroaching darkness.

And it couldn’t be more relevant to the world we live in right now.

The afternoon of Wednesday, May 7, 2025, three black Memphis police officers were found not guilty in the violent, senseless killing of Tyre Nichols, a black man. The verdict came not from a diverse jury of peers, but an all-white jury pulled from East Tennessee—far removed from the city where Tyre lived, dreamed, and died.

The outrage is righteous. The pain is real. The wound is fresh. And the question in so many of our hearts is this: How long, O Lord?

Fiction Meets Reality: A City Under Siege

In Book II of the S.O.L.A.D. saga, the streets of Memphis have literally become a battleground. Demons rage. Buildings collapse. Lives hang in the balance. And one of the figures leading this nightmare is Titan—a monstrous, fire-infused villain determined to burn everything in sight.

But his mission isn’t just destruction. It’s humiliation. It’s psychological warfare. It’s about control.

That’s the same spirit we saw in the Tyre Nichols tragedy. Not just the fatal blows, but the systemic permission to carry them out. The historical weight that said, “This is acceptable.” The judicial shrug that followed with a verdict that denied what the world saw on camera.

The streets of Memphis may not be filled with demon soldiers in physical form, but the spiritual parallels are unmistakable.

Oppression is a demon. Racism is a demon. Corruption is a demon. And injustice is a Titan that keeps trying to rise from the ashes.

And let’s talk about what makes this particular injustice even more devastating: every officer involved in Tyre’s death was Black—just like him. This wasn't white-on-Black brutality, and yet the verdict still stung with the same bitter taste. That’s because this wasn’t just about individual racism—it was about institutional power. About a culture that protects the badge more than it protects the people.

It’s about how "Blue Lives" get the benefit of the doubt, but Black lives—even innocent, pleading ones—get second-guessed, vilified, or ignored.

The truth is hard: Blue Lives still seem to matter more than Black lives—even when the faces on both sides look the same. That’s not a skin problem. That’s a system problem. That’s why change must go deeper than diversity. It must dig into accountability, reform, and a shift in what protection really means.

The verdict didn’t just fail Tyre’s family—it failed our faith in fairness.

The Temptation of Revenge

In Chapter 10, Titan pushes Angelo and Angeline to their limits. He mocks them. He taunts them. He nearly kills them. And at several points in the fight, it’s clear that rage could easily overtake the mission.

Angelo especially begins to wonder—what if I just let go? What if I gave into the power of wrath? What if I settled the score not through righteous strategy but through raw retaliation?

That’s the crossroads we all face in moments like these.

When the courts fail. When the media spins. When lives are treated like footnotes instead of sacred. When verdicts mock the evidence.

There is a temptation to say, “Forget peace. Forget process. Let it all burn.”

But that’s exactly what the enemy wants.

Vengeance vs. Justice: A Biblical Divide

The Bible speaks clearly in Romans 12:19 (NIV):

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord."

This verse does not absolve us from the fight—it refines it.

It tells us to remain righteous, not reactionary.

God sees what the jury tried to ignore. God saw Tyre’s cries. God sees our grief.

And as we are reminded in S.O.L.A.D., light does not retreat from darkness—it exposes it.

But we cannot allow darkness to lure us into its methods.

What “A Score to Settle” Teaches Us About Endurance

Angelo and Angeline ultimately win not because they’re the strongest physically, but because they refuse to lose themselves in the battle. They rely on their faith, their training, and their unity.

Angeline’s force fields. Angelo’s sword of faith. Their partnership. Their refusal to give up even when everything seems lost.

That is us, family.

We may not have supernatural strength or energy-infused weapons, but we’ve got:

• The Word of God.

  
  

• Our right to vote.

  
  

• Our right to protest.

  
  

• Our power to organize.

  
  

• Our voice in local elections.

  
  

• Our influence on school boards, city councils, and state policy.

  
  

• Our storytelling, our art, our sermons, our pens, our prayers, our platforms.

And most of all—we’ve got each other.

That’s how we settle the score. Not by seeking vengeance, but by building a future where justice cannot be denied.

The Grief Is Real. But So Is the Hope.

Angeline breaks down in the aftermath of battle. She cradles her father’s badge, thinking he’s dead. The grief crushes her. It’s the rawest moment in the chapter. And many of us, reading that, think of the mothers who have done the same. The fathers. The siblings. The communities.

But then—Angeline rises.

And so must we.

This pain is not the end. It is the beginning of something bigger, if we let it be.

A beginning of renewed activism. A beginning of community healing .A beginning of holding systems accountable like never before. A beginning of mentoring the next generation of Soldiers of Light.

Final Word: We Settle the Score Through the Work, Not the Wound

If you take nothing else from Chapter 10 of Book II of S.O.L.A.D., take this:

When the enemy tries to distract you with personal pain, public outrage, or paralyzing fear—it’s because he knows what’s coming if you stay focused.

Stay focused.

And if your soul feels heavy, your heart broken, your spirit weary after this verdict—know this: your tears are not in vain.

They water the seeds of change.

They fuel your faith.

And they echo in the halls of heaven.

God hears. God knows. God sees. And God repays.

Let us keep fighting—with purpose, not poison.

Because our story isn’t finished.

The score may feel unsettled now, but justice always comes in due time for those who fight in the light.

Want to dive deeper into the world of S.O.L.A.D.?

Both Book I: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™ and Book II: It’s Just the Beginning are available now! These powerful, faith-filled, superhero sagas are inspiring readers of all ages with stories of courage, spiritual warfare, and divine purpose. Order your copies today at www.tyronetonyreedjr.com/the-shop and become a Soldier of Light of Light Against Darkness™ in your own walk of life.