Isaiah 61:8, CEB - I, the Lord, love justice…
Psalm 130:3-4, CEB - If you kept track of sins,
Lord—my Lord, who would stand a chance? But
forgiveness is with you—that’s why you are honored
“I
can’t forgive her! If I did, that would be the same as saying what she did is
okay.” While this kind of logic is
understandable, it betrays the true nature of forgiveness. In order for forgiveness to be necessary,
there has to be an offense. If there is
an offense, it follows that that what happened was NOT okay. To forgive an offense does not neutralize a
transgression.
This
highlights the distinction between forgiveness and justice. They are not mutually exclusive. We can pursue justice and forgiveness at the
same time. In fact, pursuing one without
the other diminishes both. If we pursue
justice without forgiveness, it sows seeds of more injustice. If we pursue forgiveness at the expense of
justice, it sows fertile ground for more offenses to be committed where even
more forgiveness will be needed. But
more importantly, if we pursue justice and forgiveness together, both the
process of forgiveness and the arc of justice are strengthened. I am better able to let go of an offense if I
know that as I do, the seeds of justice have been planted. Likewise, as I pursue justice, I feel even
better about the result if at the same time forgiveness takes place. The newfound justice stands on more solid
ground than it would without forgiveness.
However,
it is important to note once again that while the processes of justice and
forgiveness can help one another, they are still separate pursuits. An offender can receive a just punishment for
their ,crime and while their sentence may provide some sense of justice for victims,
that vindication does not equate to forgiveness. The offender cannot be punished enough to make
forgiveness occur. Likewise, forgiving someone will not equate to
justice served. To say it more simply,
forgiveness does not “right” a “wrong.”
The
Hebrew notion of shalom (often translated peace) includes both forgiveness and
justice. A more literal translation of
shalom would be “right relationship” among all people. This implies that there is justice and
forgiveness present. Transgressions are
forgiven, but restorative justice is also applied to rebuild just relationships
between all people. The cumulative
effect is multiplied because justice makes forgiveness easier and forgiveness
increases the possibility to work toward justice. Wrongdoers can be both forgiven and held
accountable under shalom.
Question: What is the relationship between justice and
forgiveness for you?
Prayer: God, when it comes to our sin, we like to
focus on your forgiving nature while downplaying your just nature. Help us not to make that mistake. Help us to accept your forgiveness and your just
correction. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray for those who have suffered because of
others’ “-isms” (racism, sexism, ageism, etc.)
Song: Letter to Eve – Pete Seeger – Great old song
about this relationship between love/forgiveness and justice
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