Justice

From 2 Samuel, 1: 14-16

David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand to desecrate the Lord's anointed? [King Saul]" David then called one of the attendants and said to him, "Come, strike him down"; and the youth struck him a mortal blow. Meanwhile David said to him, "You are responsible for your own death, for you testified against yourself when you said, "I dispatched the Lord's anointed."

How often do we ignore the repercussions of our behavior? How frequently do we attempt to evade responsibility for our own mistakes or faults?

How many lies do we tell in order to make ourselves feel better about the way we behave - to hide from justice?

Like it or not, we are responsible for our actions. When we gossip, lies spread and people slandered. When we lie, others hurt and we hide in fear. Our failures, mistakes, and sins have consequences we must experience and acknowledge openly. We must claim responsibility for our misdeeds.

When we lash out at another, in any way, we not only hurt him or her, but we isolate ourselves from the community that makes us happy and complete. And, if we attempt to rationalize our misdeeds because of general displeasure for someone or something, we fall victim to pride and selfishness.

We are not called to pride and selfishness! We know right from wrong, and regardless of our faith or our beliefs about God, we must live a healthy communal life where we are responsible for our behaviors. We can choose to do so, or we can choose to hide. I believe in responsibility. I believe in justice - not fear.