Justice And Mercy

SAT., MAY 2, 1992, 10:43 AM
AIRPORT, PITTSBURGH

It does not surprise you, o son, that I comment this morning, in this unusual place, on the unusual events in your culture these past few days. Justice is an important concept in this earth scene, but it is often difficult to determine who benefits from the justice decisions and who is hurt. The same can be said for the balance to justice – mercy. As some benefit from a merciful decision, others feel “harmed” in some way.

Though I, as the Triune God, am a decider and a provider of both justice and mercy, My actions are not always applauded. Said more accurately, when a person or persons feels satisfied, then I am given positive credit; when My decision seems “wrong” I either am not credited or am the focus of anger, even blasphemy. Here in the earth there is much balancing of justice and mercy, and I am directly involved in only a small portion. Indirectly I influence the spirits of many decision-makers, but I let them decide individual cases, even when I would decide differently.

The issues arising from the incidents of this current time are several. One is the matter of justice or mercy, decided by a jury of 12 persons on the basis of evidence presented. Was a Not Guilty verdict a matter of justice or mercy, or some of each? Did one man receive justice, at the hands of policemen? Do policemen receive justice at the hands of criminals, judges, and juries? Incidents like this one tend to change the balances, not necessarily for the better, as I see it.

The issue you read most about is that related to race, particularly those in your culture who have dark skin and negroid features. Are such persons, particularly young males, given unjust treatment in many ways? Should they have more mercy… and will this be beneficial? What is justice when there is rather objective inequality? Should Darrell be given an A, even if he doesn’t earn it? Should Tara be given a passing grade for what she has done? You shall soon have to decide how to balance mercy and justice in cases like these.

Many merchants and owners of property will feel that justice will be in short supply in the aftermath of these recent lootings and burnings. Too much justice would seem to make the situation worse, but mercy will certainly not be received well by all. For a time the balance will favor more black citizens, but then other injustices will have to be righted.

In a competitive culture such as yours justice may benefit some consistently more than others. In some competitive athletics young black men do considerably better than those who are not black, but in others aspects of life they do not compete as well. Your culture finds it hard to balance this with justice. And you struggle with it, in some small ways.

As Jesus, was My sentence a just one? Christians should say No, but then it becomes confusing to affirm that My death was a blessing, potentially, to all humanity. Out of injustice came great good. Is this a principle or just a unique instance? If Pilate had insisted on mercy would the earth have been a “better” place? Would racial injustice be less? throughout subsequent history? today?

I offer questions to encourage you to think about these issues, for I have no absolute strategy for righting the “wrongs” that come from the poor balancing of justice and mercy. I said that the meek, the suffering, and the downtrodden were blessed, but that doesn’t mean approval of a culture keeping certain people… or groups of people… in such configurations. “The last shall be first” does not mean that it is best to be last. “The first shall be last” is not a call not to try to be all that you can be.

My servant Billy is right in calling this a moral and spiritual matter, but this affirmation does not make clear a single set of actions that will make your cultural situation permanently better. He didn’t say it would, because he realized he had no universal answer, despite his years of personal relationship with Me and My Holy Scriptures.