Thursday, January 12, 2006
Even With Justice - No Peace
Yesterday, A-Team blog had a fascinating post about the memorial service for Tookie Williams, calling it "morally repugnant."
Fortunately, most of us are not confronted with such grevious acts as multiple, vicious murder in our lives. But the source of our peace is the same. Repentance, humility, submission - these words, so rarely mentioned these days, are the source for the peace that William's mourners - and the rest of us - seek.
The fact that thousands demandefd clemency for this man is morally repugnant enough, but in addition to the proponents having no regard for the victims, they also celebrated William?s life. At the memorial service, Jesse Jackson compared Williams to Moses, King David, the Apostle Paul, Job, and several black leaders. He referred to him as a hero, with several allusions to Jesus Christ.I agree with Roger's label, and I believe that justice was served by William's execution. But I was struck by how the memorial service showed that such justice brought no peace to the mourners.
About twenty minutes into the service Snoop Dogg was cheered onto the stage, much like he might be at an award ceremony. He recited a poem entitled ?Until We Meet Again,? noting that, ?I feel him. I feel like we?re the same kind of people.? In other words, black. Snoop reported that, ?It ain?t easy being a black man? If he black like me, you?re guilty till proven innocent!?How can such find peace? In, to answer that question, rides Brad at Broken Messenger.
If we are not wounded by our sin in our consciences or hearts, and if we do not weep over the grieving it causes our Lord, then we probably have never realized repentance at all. We may be operating like the devil himself, who knows well of his error but who does not believe that God will overcome him. Or we may be so thoroughly blinded by the devil that we believe that we can live like the him but will still have enough time to turn to God late in life; or we believe that at the final hour before death we will repent or that we will find God?s forgiveness because of a prayer once said to Jesus.God, and His son Jesus, are the only source of peace for the world. Instead of comparing Williams to Christ, Jackson should have submitted to Him.
Fortunately, most of us are not confronted with such grevious acts as multiple, vicious murder in our lives. But the source of our peace is the same. Repentance, humility, submission - these words, so rarely mentioned these days, are the source for the peace that William's mourners - and the rest of us - seek.
