Monday, May 2, 2011

justice is a goal but revenge is a strategy

Tzedakah - meaning righteousness, fairness or justice - Justice, when applied to God, describes the way God is. God's justice is not something external to Him. He is infinitely righteous within Himself. When God acts justly He is not doing so to conform to some outside criteria; some law or principle or standard outside Himself. He is simply acting like Himself in any given situation. God is His own self-existent principle of moral equity.
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Remember justice is a goal but revenge is a strategy. Revenge is a strategy to feed a desire to payback to someone a wrong doing that was done to you directly or indirectly. Revenge is just a way of lowering your self to the standers of the ones who did you wrong.
That is, "justice" is what you’d agree is fair BEFORE finding out what’s going to happen in the world. Justice is unchanging. The “becomer’s Edge” as Jeremy Flagg would say is that we have Grace & Mercy on our side, but that is another post.
While I don’t condone what Bin Laden did I also don’t condone the emotional response from Christians that are hailing his death. Am I glad he is no longer on the Earth; my initial response is yes. Because of the terror he caused. Let’s not ensnare ourselves in something that can be avoided with a little wisdom. I too have to watch my emotional response and desire to feel like this was “Justice”.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

That was very well said....