A big word at the centre of many peoples belief system is "Fair." I should be treated equally, you need to play by the rules, life should be Fair. A thesaurus puts the word alongside Just, Honest, Trustworthy, Lawful, Legal, and Good.
The average person believes that fairness, or you could say justice, should be enforced in society. In a perfect world, the average person will be treated justly. The problem, however, is that when people think this, they have forgotten that the average person is not perfect. In fact, all of humanity is imperfect, and the familiar phrase "I'm only human" is one piece of evidence that shows we already know this. It's not news, but neither is it a welcome fact.
We are a broken species; we spend as many days behaving badly as we do behaving well, if not more. If you think this excludes you, then I'll add that even if you don't act on bad thoughts, all of your selfish and overly-proud thoughts are as valid for judegment as any actions. Your actions are, after all, only a symptom of the real character within you.
So the natural conclusion of perfect justice- for us to be treated fairly- will be the judgement that we have failed to be perfect.
Do you think that being perfect is too high an aim for a mere mortal? If so, have you considered where you will draw the line of 'good enough'? If you have one such line, let me ponder what has influenced where you have put it. I would confidently guess, for no reason by the way, that the line happens to be just within reach of yourself? That there are people who are morally better than you, and others who are morally worse, but you happen to be associated with the former?
Comparing yourself to those you imagine to be morally worse than yourself is a nice comfort. But that is not who we need to compare ourselves with, because that is not who we have been called to spend eternity in a relationship with. We are meant to be on good terms with our creator, the God of the universe. Unfortunately for us, He is perfect. Comparing ourselves to Him puts us in a very different light. So as I mentioned before, the conclusion of a perfect justice would be that we have failed.
Fortunately for the human race, God is more than justice. He is Fair, but He is also Loving and Merciful. William Shakespeare wrote, in Act 4 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, the following:
"Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy..."
An imperfect population needs a merciful God if any are to avoid hell. Because hell, if you have noticed, is the only place where justice is practiced purely and in solitude from any saving grace. Holding fairness as our best and most important cause steers us in a dangerous direction.
A long face is not needed however, because God really is a God of grace and mercy. Through Jesus, justice has been achieved, but justice is not the ultimate aim- it is love and relationship. The average person is able to trust that fairness, and so much more, is available and garunteed to anyone who asks for it. It is a gift waiting to be received.
See all posts about Morals...
Image source: http://www.sweetnapa.com/2006/04/page/2
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