Justice or mercy? This is a fundamental question, not only when we consider God's character, but when we consider how we should treat others. If you are anything like me, the first thought to come to mind when considering how we should act is usually dictated by what we perceive to be just. However, I think we can all agree that we would prefer mercy when others make decisions that affect us.
I teach a molecular biology lab class at BYU. I have about 40 students and we meet once a week to discuss and practice various techniques in molecular biology. One of my students had been absent for two weeks in a row and I was concerned that something might have happened to him. I sent him and email to see what was going on. He responded yesterday and explained his situation in part. My initial reaction was one of justice. I didn't understand how he could simply neglect his class and fail to contact his teachers. Was it so hard to write an email or to better plan his time? Aren't we all are busy? Don't we all have difficulties that we are facing?
Then I asked myself an inspired question, "What would Jesus do?" I wasn't thinking in abstract terms, I was trying to imagine the Savior in the same situation that I was in. What response would He give? After some thought I determined that He would act with mercy. So, I wrote a response encouraging my student to give added effort to the class and I indicated that I would be excited to see him in class next week.
Back to my first question: justice or mercy? I don't know that there is always a hard-and-fast answer, but in most cases I think we should be markedly merciful without neglecting justice. We should give people a chance to do better, while still making known our expectations and inviting them to live according to truth, for this is the way that Jesus Christ has shown.
If you have had a recent experience regarding facing the decision to be just or merciful in your interactions with others, I invite you to comment on this post and share!
What a great post, and a wonderful thought, Lance! I love it. I think for me, I have to decide between justice and mercy every time I interact with someone, because I get to use my agency to choose how I think about them and judge their personalities. I can judge them and write them off as being lazy, or not putting the right priorities on the right things, or I can accept that they came from a different situation than I and they are trying their best. Everyone wants to be good. I think in situations of how we judge others in our minds, mercy is always the better option. But I may not be right... :)
ReplyDeleteAlana, thanks for your comment! I think you're right, that mercy is always the better option, because we can only see the here and now. We don't know where someone is coming from, what their intent is, or how well they understand the consequence of their actions, but God knows all of these things and that's why He can make perfectly just and merciful judgments.
ReplyDeleteWhen I firs arrived in Armenia to serve as a missionary, I found it difficult to understand certain cultural practices and mindsets, but as I spent more time around the Armenian people, I came to understand and even love their culture. Sometimes we just need a little time, patience, and prayer to help us understand and love other people. Have you experienced anything similar during your internship in Romania?