THE FOURTH DAY OF LENT

March 9, 2019

[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  – Matthew 7:43-45

“Justice Christianus” is an even-handed justice which shows no preferential treatment to certain persons but rather providentially to all persons.  And with this we learn that Christian justice is an aspect of God’s Providence.  As much as air and water, sunshine and soil, justice is provided to one and to all, and never to these and not those.  We need justice for both an individual and a community to endure.

“Justice Christianus” is never prejudice as to who stands before courts of justice, choosing not to prejudge because of the past, but to judge fairly in the case before it.  Justice is a right of humanity bestowed upon us by the One who has created us.

Too often worldly justice is applied selectively and quite often, for political purposes.  These rules apply to this ethnic group or to this particular gender or to this social strata … so often this is the manipulation of justice to serve unjust purposes.

Who merits a fair hearing?  We all do.  Who has need for mercy?  We all do.   Upon whom does God’s Providence fall, the rain and the sunshine?  The righteous and the unrighteous, the good and the evil, every one of us and all of us.

Equal and equitable justice along with equal and equitable mercy  is an aspect of the Providential Realm of God.  And thus … in Christ … we are stewards of such a quality of justice with mercy.

Always in Christ’s Service,

j. e. mcwhinnie