The Heavy Hand of Justice

[deacon blues]

I sat in the Criminal Court to support a family whose son was up for a hearing concerning his probation. I had to wait through a couple of hours of other cases: lawyers asking for more time, legal manuevering that seemed tedious and uninteresting. Then came a man, "Mr. Greely" who was escorted in, wearing a prison jumpsuit and shackles.

He was called to the witness stand by his defense attorney. He took the oath to tell the truth then took his seat. After a series of questions by his attorney, the prosecutor, a short, stout young lady lawyer with long, curly blonde hair began to cross examine.

Mr. Greely was a cocaine and crack user as well as a seller of the substances. He was on probation when he was pulled over by the police and was found with the drugs on his person. It was a violation of his probation that was just the tip of the iceberg of a lifetime of crime. At 37, Mr. Greely had a long list of arrests and run ins with the law.

Since 1991 Greely had been arrested for various drug violations, over 50 traffic violations, usually driving with suspended licenses, a few domestic violence charges and a host of other greivances. The prosecutor was brutal. She grilled him hard and exposed him for what he was: pathetic. In addition, Greely had a 14 year old son by one woman and a baby by another. The prosector pointed out that had the judge who previously had granted Greely probation time punished him with jail time that baby would not have been born, and there wouldn't be a child who was not getting support.

Greely's defense attorney painted a picture of a man who tried to get work, secured a job, got laid off, tried to get student aid to go to school, was really trying and just wanted another chance to get his life straight for himself and his children.

The judge was tough. He lectured for 15 minutes on the wayward life of Greely. He talked about the many people he had put at risk every time he got behind the wheel of a car. He railed on his lack of discipline, responsibility and consistency. There was no mercy from the seat of justice coming to Mr. Greely that day. Mr. Greely was not going to get probation, Greely was going to jail. The judge ended his speech with the characterization that the prosecutor implied. "You, Mr. Greely, are pathetic." The judgment was six years in prison.

Greely was a subdued man. He was defeated before the trial began. He knew it. You could see it on his face, in the tone of his voice, in his body language. After a nearly 20 year pattern of poor choices, bad behavior, crimes and godlessness, Mr. Greely was going to have to face the music. I agreed as a spectator that Greely deserved punishment with teeth. He had exhausted his chances. Yet, as a fellow human being and sinner, I also felt compassion for him.

I thought about the 37 year old man being an infant in the arms of a mother, I thought about him going to Kindergarten, riding the school bus, playing kickball, running around the playground. I imagined a home that had little to no guidance, supervision or good parenting. He'd been called pathetic before I'm sure. He'd probably been called much, much worse. In fact the message he probably heard most of his life from sources who could've loved him and should've loved him was one of little to no value, worthlessness and neglect. He lived up (or down) to those expectations.

I watched them escort Greely out. His head hanging low. His feet shuffling across the floor. The door shut behind him and he was gone.

I looked at the prosecutor. She was satisified. She got what she wanted. She won. I thought about how there was a sense of righteousness exuding from her. She was the stark contrast to Mr. Greely. She was confident, powerful, authoratative. Half the size of Mr. Greely, she reduced the man to a heap of defeated humanity within 30 minutes with her words and her knowledge of his many sins. And yet I couldn't help but wonder what sins she had hidden under all of that hubrus, that shoulders back, head high boldness. Maybe she wasn't guilty of crimes punishable by law, but she was guilty of violating the laws of God. One day, if she doesn't find a right relationship with Jesus Christ, she will be on the witness stand being grilled by The Accuser as he runs off a litanny of transgressions punishable by death.

I thought about all of us, spectators, lawyers, baliffs, deputies, clerks, loved ones of the accused, friends, by standers---we're all guilty. When I watched Greely leave the room I empathized with him. I'm guilty too. I wasn't thinking, "thank God I'm not like him!" I was thinking, "That's me." How many times have a felt the sting of condemnation, guilt and the weight of my many sins? I know that heavy feeling. The feeling that makes you shuffle as you walk. That feeling that causes you to lower your head. That feeling of shame and resignation.

I looked at the judge. Perched high above us all I couldn't help but feel the anger he felt toward Mr. Greely. His words were like blows from a heavyweight. His eyes were sharp and piercing. He spoke with a frown, his moustache accentuating the corners of his downturned mouth. His power was supreme. His authority unequalled. His judgment was the only assessment that mattered. A man's life and future hung in the balance of his words.

Justice was swift. Justice was crystal clear. Justice was severe.

I wondered about how different this judge's demeanor might have been if instead of Greely it was his son or daughter standing accused before him. Or if instead of this judge Greely's father or mother or grandmother or grandfather or someone from his family that loved him, if he had any, sitting in the judgment seat. I bet the words would've been less harsh, I bet the eyes would've had tears filling them, I bet rather than talking down to Greely, the message would be tinged with love. Probably a second chance or a 100th chance would've been granted.

I thought about Jesus Christ. If you are not a child of God, your relationship with Him will be just like what I witnessed yesterday. You will be in the position of Mr. Greely and Jesus will be the God of Justice. The final judgment will be eternal damnation. But if you become His son or His daughter, the relationship is different. He isn't your Judge, He's your Father. And when you stand before Him accused and guilty, there is not the heavy hand of justice, but rather the redeeming power of His grace. We can confidently stand before Him, not because we are guilt-free, but because He loves us and paid the price for our overwhelming guilt.

Rather than hearing the pronouncement "Guilty as charged!" we hear the words, "You are forgiven". I'm grateful that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son.

[rgcraig]

Wow - - once again - - awesome!

[berkeley]

Are there copyright laws here? I want to copy this somewhere else, to save it.

[ILG]

Funny thing about the justice system. Really when you boil it down, it really just amounts to people's opinions of what should be done. Sometimes those opinions are right and sometimes they are wrong.

[mizpeh]

I like it when you're not talking politics!

[ThePastorsCoach]

This made me weep and my heart breaks for this man and his family.
I know how the courts work and the cold hearted prosecutors with their smart alek swagger.
My son has been incarcerated in the county jail since September 1, 2009 with no bond and facing two life sentences. I drive 2 hours one way every Thursday evening to see him for 30 minutes and Sunday afternoons for 30 minutes. No sign of a hearing or a trial.
They lock these boys up and keep them in there to break them and make them talk.
My son has prayed through many in the jail and is teaching Bible Studies daily.
Pray for Aaron. My heart breaks for him. I thank God he is safe and not on drugs and living for God with all his heart.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by AtlantaBishop

This made me weep and my heart breaks for this man and his family.
I know how the courts work and the cold hearted prosecutors with their smart alek swagger.
My son has been incarcerated in the county jail since September 1, 2009 with no bond and facing two life sentences. I drive 2 hours one way every Thursday evening to see him for 30 minutes and Sunday afternoons for 30 minutes. No sign of a hearing or a trial.
They lock these boys up and keep them in there to break them and make them talk.
My son has prayed through many in the jail and is teaching Bible Studies daily.
Pray for Aaron. My heart breaks for him. I thank God he is safe and not on drugs and living for God with all his heart.

I have a son named Aaron too.
I will pray for your dear son.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by AtlantaBishop

This made me weep and my heart breaks for this man and his family.
I know how the courts work and the cold hearted prosecutors with their smart alek swagger.
My son has been incarcerated in the county jail since September 1, 2009 with no bond and facing two life sentences. I drive 2 hours one way every Thursday evening to see him for 30 minutes and Sunday afternoons for 30 minutes. No sign of a hearing or a trial.
They lock these boys up and keep them in there to break them and make them talk.
My son has prayed through many in the jail and is teaching Bible Studies daily.
Pray for Aaron. My heart breaks for him. I thank God he is safe and not on drugs and living for God with all his heart.

I'm sorry to read this, AB. I will pray for you and your son.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Sometimes, I get angry and wonder why God has allowed things to go the way they have gone, but He reminds me that things are not as bad as they could be.

He lets me remember that I have not received everything that I deserve.

I am so glad that GOD has not given me everything I deserve.


Atlanta Bishop,
I will pray for you and your son as well.

[Esther]

Awesome post Deacon.