"Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one
another." I was driving to work this morning and a swarthy looking fellow blinkerlessly wedged his car in the 11 feet that separated my front bumper and the pick up truck's back bumper. I rained expletives and tirades invoking wanted justice upon the back of his head.
As I cooled down, having realized that I was just coming to a stop light so I should have been braking anyways, I immediately was struck with his obscure passage from... I did not even know really so I had to look it up. It is from Zechariah chapter 7 verse 9, who knew? I pondered this thought. How does one administer true justice and show mercy to others? Now if you disagree with my base philosophical and theological belief, which is that we humans have fallen from grace and are deserving of damnation then we shall perhaps depart rhetoric here and now. I do believe that we have all sinned and rebelled against our maker. This sin is in many forms and shapes but whatever it takes shape as it is enough to separate us from Him. I pray daily that I may not receive my due justice. I also pray daily that I am shown mercy. I find it hard to link the two without them moving in opposite directions. My question is how does one show justice to a condemned populace whilst showing mercy to that same populace? I know this is counter to whatever we have going on in this day and age of self serving, gimme gimme take take society of vultures and ground squirrels who believe that they truly do deserve a ridiculously soft mattress, a shiny car and free health care. Don't stand and yell "Republican Bastard!" at me, I just do not believe we humans have done anything to deserve anything but worms and rotting flesh. (this comes from a person lacking health insurance FYI for all you who were saying it is easy to say that when you have it.)
So what does this look like? I ask it again because as I type I still have not been able to reconcile them. I sure do not believe true justice means frying criminals, no matter what they have done because that is not showing mercy and compassion, and I do not find any place in Christ's teachings where he gives society the right to kill people. On the contrary! He lifts judgements off death in favor of forgiveness and mercy!!! So maybe TRUE justice is the key. Have we fallen away from justice do far that Christ has had to bring the true justice that is only bestowed by Him in the form of compassion and mercy? Is the only way humans can administer true justice is by showing mercy and compassion? Maybe. I am spit balling here.
As I cooled down, having realized that I was just coming to a stop light so I should have been braking anyways, I immediately was struck with his obscure passage from... I did not even know really so I had to look it up. It is from Zechariah chapter 7 verse 9, who knew? I pondered this thought. How does one administer true justice and show mercy to others? Now if you disagree with my base philosophical and theological belief, which is that we humans have fallen from grace and are deserving of damnation then we shall perhaps depart rhetoric here and now. I do believe that we have all sinned and rebelled against our maker. This sin is in many forms and shapes but whatever it takes shape as it is enough to separate us from Him. I pray daily that I may not receive my due justice. I also pray daily that I am shown mercy. I find it hard to link the two without them moving in opposite directions. My question is how does one show justice to a condemned populace whilst showing mercy to that same populace? I know this is counter to whatever we have going on in this day and age of self serving, gimme gimme take take society of vultures and ground squirrels who believe that they truly do deserve a ridiculously soft mattress, a shiny car and free health care. Don't stand and yell "Republican Bastard!" at me, I just do not believe we humans have done anything to deserve anything but worms and rotting flesh. (this comes from a person lacking health insurance FYI for all you who were saying it is easy to say that when you have it.)
So what does this look like? I ask it again because as I type I still have not been able to reconcile them. I sure do not believe true justice means frying criminals, no matter what they have done because that is not showing mercy and compassion, and I do not find any place in Christ's teachings where he gives society the right to kill people. On the contrary! He lifts judgements off death in favor of forgiveness and mercy!!! So maybe TRUE justice is the key. Have we fallen away from justice do far that Christ has had to bring the true justice that is only bestowed by Him in the form of compassion and mercy? Is the only way humans can administer true justice is by showing mercy and compassion? Maybe. I am spit balling here.
