At the FREEDOM TOUR we believe we’re following Jesus when we advocate for victims of injustice.
I’ve watched three recent high-profile court cases because I wanted to see what happened in an actual courtroom. Spoiler – it’s not much like Law & Order.
In all three cases, victims’ relatives said guilty verdicts didn’t really bring justice. Even though the system worked, the sense of injustice remained.
Does that surprise you?
Justice means “setting things right.” So those relatives are correct – in a murder case, there’s no way to set things right. No human system can ever bring justice.
Society’s “justice system” is really an accountability system. When we can’t set things right, we can hold people accountable for their choices. It’s the best we can do.
Often, only God can bring justice.
We can fuss and argue about issues like punishment and deterrence, but I suspect we can all agree that people ought to be accountable for their choices. And let’s remember mercy and grace and discernment – Jesus talked a lot about those as well.
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So – what does this mean for the 10th year of the FREEDOM TOUR?
We’re called to seek justice. So our task is, as far as we can, to set things right.
We can’t restore our kids to their original families. We can’t wipe away the trauma.
We CAN provide support that allows them to live in freedom, go to school, and have opportunities to become the beautiful individuals God created. And we leave the rest to Jesus.