Justice for the Unjust

This last week, God has been speaking to me about people’s stories and the power of them. Each individual has a series of experiences that make up the way that they are. Because we live in a fallen world, those events usually make up a skewed identity. We were designed to live in perfection so anything apart from that will be tarnished from its true design. When we become Christians, we begin a journey back to our original design. Our redemption and restoration serve as a testimony of who God is and the things He offers to everyone. The thing God has been reminding me of is not judging someones actions without knowing their stories. We are not made to size each other up and determine if a person does indeed deserve to be loved. God commands us to love every individual we come in contact with. So when God asks us to love everyone, how far does that command extend in your own mind? Who are those in your heart that have been deemed unlovable? In our ministry, we serve and reach out to those who have been abused and exploited. When the words “pimp” or “john” come into a conversation, they are often used in a negative way. Even as you read those words you may have had certain negative emotions.

As Gods creations we are chosen to be adopted by Him, all we have to do is receive that gift. There is nothing that we do to deserve it and nothing we can do to disqualify ourselves from that gift always being accessible. When we allow ourselves to become bitter at pimps or johns we are relatively saying that we are more deserving of this free gift. That these men have disqualified themselves from eternity, Gods grace, and His unfailing love. How quickly we can begin to judge without the whole story. We are quick to judge without looking at the young men whose only male figure may be selling women and that is their only image of what a man is. We graze over the countless young men who were introduced to porn at a young age and now suffer from a shame stricken addiction which only escalates into horrific actions. Or what about the boys who were abused, themselves, and left to unknowingly deal with life as it has been tainted by the misconduct of those meant to protect. 

I have a group of friends doing a leadership school in Northern California and for a month they studied the word justice. They prayed and sought God for what His justice was. One of them wrote “God’s Justice is murderers becoming sons, not dead”. This was so powerful to me. God’s justice is so much different than mine. I only see actions, but more often than not, actions are a result of what is on the inside. If a heart is separate from God, it is increasingly easier to allow the evil in this world to over take it. All of these men are God’s beloved sons. He longs to see them restored and living in freedom. He wants for them to have an authentic, intimate, relationship with Him. Is it possible that God does not wish for them to be dead? Rather, He longs to see them free from brokenness just as much as His daughters. 

Sometimes, it is easier to label someone as evil when you hear the horrific things they’ve done. But I challenge you, next time you hear something awful, instead of jumping to anger, pray and fight for their freedom instead of adding to the voices who say that they should be dead. This issue is so big and terrible, filled with brokenness and sorrow. I long to see trafficking become a thing of the past but in order for that to happen, sons need to find their worth in a loving father.