JUSTICE, MERCY, REVENGE, AND FORGIVENESS

I've been thinking about a discussion in which I participated recently. Some friends and I were discussing the nature of forgiveness; how does one forgive and what does it mean to forgive. The discussion got interesting when we considered how we, as Christians, should respond to true evil. For the purpose of this discussion let's think of a particular evil act, say the murder of a child that is unknown to us. How should Christians respond? Should we forgive the murder of an innocent child?

It's here where we get confused between the related concepts of justice/mercy and revenge/forgiveness. Justice and mercy are the two potential societal responses to evil while revenge and forgiveness are potential personal responses. While they are related, they are not interchangeable.

I assert that societies do not have the ability to forgive. Societies are human constructs that can only act within the scope of law. Therefore, they can pursue justice and show mercy but they cannot offer forgiveness. Forgiveness comes from the heart, which society does not possess. And while we may think of the death penalty as the ultimate form of revenge, at its core it represents society meting out the ultimate form of justice as defined by law.

Individuals, on the other hand, can respond to evil either by seeking revenge or offering forgiveness. Revenge is the purview of the Old Testament, the Law, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. It condemns society to endless cycles of action and reaction, evil compounded by evil. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is a central tenet of the Kingdom of God as demonstrated by the life and teachings of Jesus. Forgiveness frees us from the burden of carrying anger and hatred throughout our lives. It leads to inner tranquility and, by extension, societal peace.

The interesting thing about pursuing revenge individually is that it usurps a societal responsibility, seeking justice, and distorts it to our own ends. As victims of a transgression, we cannot approach justice and mercy impartially. Any attempt to do so will be jaded by our experience and emotions. 

The act of forgiving by an individual, however, does not preclude seeking justice through society. Hypothetically, I can forgive a person for a transgression against me while simultaneously seeking societal justice. The power of forgiveness lies in breaking the cycle of revenge and freeing us to pursue the Kingdom unburdened the acts of another.


What are your thoughts?