Forgiveness has an accountability
partner in Justice.
There can be no true relational
forgiveness without two truths bearing equal significance: the bringing to
light of the truth, including any atrocities committed, and the achievement of reconciliation with oppressors.
The respecting of both of these
truths ensures that all parties, the victim(s) and the perpetrator(s), are considered and the process toward
forgiveness is completed.
And that’s Justice!
Justice is a full portion of truth
in action. Good justice is never partial. Good forgiveness, therefore, has
gotten beyond the emotion of transgression and betrayal. It has weighed up the
facts. The cases of all parties are borne fairly into account.
Justice For The Oppressor
Justice cannot look after the
victim, mollycoddling them without thought for fair dealing for the
perpetrator. It is not a just result to extend a conditional grace to the
aggressor. This is a thing most laypeople cannot come to grips with. Can we
forgive the paedophile, thief, or liar who has done their work of restitution—who
is appropriately remorseful? It doesn’t mean we place people into unsafe
situations, or that we expose people to their weaknesses. But we learn to put
the past behind us.
Justice for the oppressor is
important if we claim to be instituting a godly form of justice. (Is there any
other form?) This is a difficult issue for most people, where sympathy sells us
an easy justice for the victim only; because it makes us feel good.
Justice is a difficult system of
thought. Ethics are never straightforward. But one thing is sure; justice must
be just for all, not just the obvious
ones.
Justice For The Victim
Justice cannot also only look out
for the perpetrator, in a way to desperately extend the second (or a
sixty-seventh) chance—to be so ‘forgiving’ it’s ridiculous. We lose the plot,
and we go against the will of God, when we fail to consider the serious and
stern concerns of those hurt.
Where the consequences of
situations have finality, consequences for the future should be equally
considered. Sometimes forgiveness means we cannot trust again.
The justice of forgiveness must,
first of all, swing into action for the victim. What sort of efficacy for
forgiveness would we have if we didn’t fight for the rights of those
disadvantaged? Anyone who has been transgressed has been disadvantaged. They
have issues unresolved, and without justice how might resolution commence?
***
Forgiveness’ first task is to
achieve justice for the victim. But there is a second task; to check for
justice, overall.
***
Justice is central to forgiveness.
Both the victim and the perpetrator must be fairly considered—in the light of
the truth. Forgiveness remains incomplete if justice is conditional. Where the
truth is taken partially, the justice in forgiveness is betrayed.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
As a recent victim of felony theft by a caregiver, I forgave her before she knew I was aware of the theft. While I'm struggling with the justice aspect for her, she has 2 young children who need their mother, she made a choice. She chose to risk losing them through her illegal actions and possible incarceration. I don't want to "want" her imprisoned, but I do.
ReplyDeleteIn Christian Love,
Berta