Justice for All

Justice for All

               Like many Americans, I have a problem with our system of justice; which in itself is a misnomer. America does not have a justice system. It has a legal system. The difference being, justice is an equitable application of reward and punishment to all living under its domain. Legality, on the other hand, is the practice of arbitrarily applying the changing whims of legislators, to those represented.

               Justice does not sway with the wind. It is not measured in degrees. Justice states the Law and all who come before it are either innocent or guilty of transgression. At least this is how God sees justice. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” Transgress the law at any point and you are not guilty of a minor infraction—you are guilty of violating the entire law. Right is a solitary plumb line suspended from the hand of God. Wrong is everything else. The guilty are guilty; the innocent are innocent; and there is nothing in between. The liar and the murderer are equally guilty and share the same place of confinement. The innocent are set at liberty. This is right and fair. This is justice. It sounds hard and it is-- to all who transgress.

               The upside is that justice allows for mercy. With all pretense of innocence stripped away, the guilty may see their plight; repent and seek mercy. Likewise, they may stand fast and accept a just reward for their deeds. But whether pardoned or punished, the verdict is the same; all are guilty before the judge.

Right and fairness have little to do with legality in a republic. A legal system has degrees of guilt (and we spend a lot of time determining the degree to which someone is a felon). Some laws are not worth prosecuting. The effort required to convict and the political ramifications of pursuing the guilty do not always suit the needs of those charged with administering the system. Sometimes it is more expedient to give criminals legal sanctuary or aid in their criminal pursuits. At other times pardon may be granted while innocence is maintained. Then again, we may say “Not Guilty.” But, Not Guilty doesn’t necessarily mean innocent—not by a long shot.

While justice may be blind, legality has its eyes wide open. Conviction and punishment are often dependent on the looks, wealth, and friends of those before the court. Restitution gets lip service; social acceptability gets obeisance. Justice rules over all men alike; legality serves those most adept at wielding it. Those same adept warriors say the legal system is not perfect, but it’s the best we have. True enough—for the moment. But moments, courts and governments all pass away. Justice and the Word of God abide forever.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

The Nature of Things

               As you lie awake at three in the morning, what do you think about? I’m thinking about the nature of Man. More precisely, I’m trying to find out how to present the nature of Man in a way that is inoffensive to those who cling to the notion that nurture plays a dominant role in the formation who we are as individuals. The true “nature of the beast” can be unpalatable to many people.

               Sci-Fi fans may recall the story of a man having a very difficult identity crisis. He is told by the respected leader of a group of mutants: “You are what you do.”This was a popular belief of the time and remains so among those who believe that Man is born a clean slate. This theory allows us to hold to the concept that we are basically good; though sometimes misguided. Further, it holds out the hope that, given the right conditions, our basic goodness will prevail. Nurture is the half full glass. Given time and proper guidance we will fill our glass to overflowing. So the theory goes anyway.

               As the father of an adopted child, I can tell you nothing is further from the truth. Nurture is, at its ultimate best, a moderating influence. It is powerless to supplant the seed of nature anymore than living with a family of redheads will change the color of one’s black hair to red. I am Adam. I am made of the same material and carry the same traits in my flesh. We are family. That is not a biblical myth; that is demonstrated experience. There are endless variations on the theme; some are born liars; some are born defiant; some are born witty. But every child of Adam, placed in paradise and given free reign (and rein) will rebel against a single prohibition. We are rebels by nature. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself; experiment with it. If you are a parent—you already know the truth. The truth is, we do what we are. The small town mentality, berated by intellectuals the world over, that casts us in our father’s shoes is not born of prejudice. It is the product of years of close observation. It is scientific method in action.

The glass is half empty. If the water is to be sweet and the glass full, that which is lacking can never come from the tepid heart of Man. God will not swallow it. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb…And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Here’s my cup Lord.