Day 114
2 Justice, like its opposite, is an interpretation. It is, however, the one interpretation that leads to truth. This becomes possible because, while it is not true in itself, justice includes nothing that opposes truth. There is no inherent conflict between justice and truth; one is but the first small step in the direction of the other. The path becomes quite different as one goes along. Nor could all the magnificence, the grandeur of the scene and the enormous opening vistas that rise to meet one as the journey continues, be foretold from the outset. Yet even these, whose splendor reaches indescribable heights as one proceeds, fall short indeed of all that wait when the pathway ceases and time ends with it. But somewhere one must start. Justice is the beginning.
When I hear people say, “All I want is justice,” I notice that what they really want is some form of vengeance. They want someone to be guilty and to be punished for their guilt. They often want them to be punished now and even in their afterlife. They are saying, “I am in pain and it is your fault and I can only feel better if you hurt worse than I do.” This is, of course, an expression of separation.
True justice recognizes that the one seen as perpetrator is innocent. He may be confused and if he has caused harm in some way then he is confused. But confusion is not sin. It is a call to be healed, a call to be loved. The more horrific the harm, the more need for love. It may be necessary to take this person off the streets before he does more harm, but this too can be an act of love if that is the motivation.
A marriage ends badly with one partner cheating on the other. The wife wants the cheating husband punished, perhaps through the assets being divided in her favor. Maybe she will punish him through the children. All the time she excuses this behavior by calling it justice.
Justice knows only innocence. Love wants everyone to be happy, including the one who is leaving them. And love knows that this other person is not their source of happiness. As she lets go of her judgments and accepts Holy Spirit’s interpretation, there is no pain and no desire for vengeance. As she accepts that all others are simply expressions of her one self, vengeance on another is recognized as vengeance on self, and who would want that?
Justice recognizes that all are innocent, and all are still as God created them, and there are no exceptions to this.
Jesus ends this paragraph with a hint of the indescribable splendor we are to experience at the end of this journey home. I had just the tiniest taste of that experience and it is hard to believe something could be greater. Jesus then tells us that justice is the beginning of this journey. It is where we start. Holy Spirit, please help me today to become quickly aware of those thoughtless moments when I would condemn instead of bless. Please reinterpret each judgment I hold.
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