The People's Court

     This clip is all kinds of wonderful crazy:

     Why do I love shows like this? No. Not shows where people frequently pass out. But shows that deal with justice.

     I think because, within the core of who we are as human beings, we want things to be fair, we want things to be just. Because when they are, everything is in its right order. The beauty and essence of something is in its prime and in its true purity.

     And what do we do to try and maintain such purity and such justice? We become judges.

     I'm more than aware, that the words "judge" and  "judgement" in our day and age have deep negative connotations. But before you and I start to get defensive, about how we are not judges, let me paint the picture of what a beautiful and righteous judge looks like:

God makes everything come out right; 
 he puts victims back on their feet. 

He showed Moses how he went about his work, 
 opened up his plans to all Israel. 

God is sheer mercy and grace; 
 not easily angered, he’s rich in love. 

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, 
 nor hold grudges forever. 

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, 
 nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. 

As high as heaven is over the earth, 
 so strong is his love to those who fear him. 

And as far as sunrise is from sunset, 
 he has separated us from our sins.

Psalm 103: 6-12 (MSG)

     Because, see, I don't think being a judge is a monstrous profession. In fact, I think a good judge must have a sturdy backbone, a good heart, integrity, and the ability to see the right in the wrong, and the wrong in the right and redeem those often ill-fated choices, without these characteristics, one might get drunk off of the power, and bring a severe perversion to the profession of being a judge.

     When the position of a judge is not a perversion of itself, a judge is able to set things right. To make things beautiful again, allowing justice to truly be served.

     So you see, we are like judges. We judge and discern things and people around us everyday. Our discernment and judgement does not need to be for the sake of tearing someone down, but instead for the sake of building back up what was lost and dilapidated, in the hopes of making it beautiful once again. Justice.

     But to get to justice, we must recognize what or who stands in front of us at the present time. We don't need to lie about it to ourselves or anyone else. We simply need to start with the truth.

     Are you a good judge of character?

     Honestly, I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. But lately, people have been surprising the heck out of me. Friends that I would have never guessed, have shared with me that they've stolen, cheated with married people, lied to government officials, and so on, and so on.

     I'm not gonna lie, at first, I was a bit disgusted with these people. Okay, actually a lot disgusted.

     But then, I realized my disgust couldn't be solely placed on the souls and conscience of these people, that would not bring justice back in any way. But instead, my disgust belonged on the lack of justice that had been absent their entire lives. Because often, we act unjustly, because injustice has already been done to us.

      So how do the scales of justice begin to tip correctly once again, especially when great perversion and offense has already occurred?

     I'm learning...that justice gets restored, oddly enough.... by mercy and undeserved love.

Wisdom's Knocking:

"An extravaganza before God as he comes, As he comes to set everything right on earth, Set everything right, treat everyone fair."

-Psalm 96:13