Working on the FREEDOM TOUR gets me thinking a lot about urgency and justice.
In an ancient story with modern applications, Paul and Silas were beaten and tossed into prison illegally. God intervened and used the opportunity to convert the jailer and his household. The following morning, officials try to get Paul and Silas to leave without making a fuss about their unlawful punishment.
Why not leave well enough alone? They’ve already been flogged and jailed. Why risk embarrassing the city leaders again?
But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” (Acts 16:37)
Our sense of justice imagines Paul “getting even,” making them pay for their corruption. But Paul wasn’t after retribution or vengeance. He didn’t demand a public beating or some sort of punishment for the officials who broke the law.
He also knew he couldn’t “let it go.” He needed to confront his persecutors. Paul decided to set things right. He decided to seek justice, even at the risk of his personal safety.
The bible says the magistrates were alarmed when they learned Paul and Silas were Roman citizens and came to appease them. Perhaps Paul used the opportunity, as he did earlier with the jailer, to demonstrate grace and forgiveness. I don’t know.
What’s certain is that it’s always the right time to seek justice, to balance the scales and set things right.
The trick, at least for me, is to make sure I’m balancing God’s scales rather than mine. It’s awfully tempting to get self-righteous about my USAmerican sense of justice, which is too often about anger, punishment, and getting even and doesn’t have much to do with what Jesus had in mind.
ALWAYS SEEK JUSTICE
I know there’s society’s justice and God’s justice and they’re frequently different. Society imposes rules for a variety of important reasons: deterrence, punishment, safety. God’s justice is about setting things right in the context of love, grace, and forgiveness. Like most aspects of His character, God’s justice is long-term. And risky. And difficult.
Now all I have to do is be aware of injustice, understand what it means to correct it, and summon the courage to act regardless of risk.
That’s all. Sure glad Jesus is along in case I miss a step or two.
Your thoughts?
(Revised from thoughts originally published April 4, 2016)