Justice and Mercy

I recently had the opportunity to see the inside of a Midland County courtroom – my first such experience as a pastor.  This particular courtroom features a mural on the wall behind the judge’s bench; the mural depicts Native Americans coming together for a tribal council, a fitting scene to honor the history of the justice system in this part of the country.

photo by SeeMidTN.com

What struck me the most about the courtroom, however, were the words that were emblazoned across the bottom of the mural:

Justice and Mercy – the Alpha and Omega of Human Attainment

As you may know, on Sunday evenings we are studying the Book of Revelation together while our high school youth group meets with Pastor Jerry.  This study has been fascinating and challenging for us.  (Remember, it’s never too late to try it out!)  When I saw the courtroom’s motto displayed across the wall, I couldn’t help but think of Revelation 1:8 (NIV):

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; they are like our English letters A and Z.  To say that something is the alpha and omega means that it is before and after everything else in terms of its importance.  Anything else must be understood in relation to the “bookends” of the alphabet.  Nothing is more important than the alpha; nothing comes after the omega.

In Revelation, we read that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega:  he is before all things, and he is after all things.  Nothing is more important than he; nothing will last longer than he.  Everything that we do as Christians must point to the supremacy of Christ in the universe.  Every one of our decisions, actions, reactions, and relationships should be influenced by the one who was, who is, and who is to come.

So back to the courtroom motto:  can justice and mercy serve as the alpha and omega of human attainment?  I like this as a slogan for our public justice system for a few reasons.  First, we uphold justice as the “alpha” of our court system:  those who have broken the law are to be held accountable for their actions.  Second, we also uphold mercy at the end of the day:  even though the verdict is “guilty,” the judge reserves the right to assign penalties (within the law) as he or she sees fit.  This may very well include true acts of mercy from the judge.  And third, holding justice and mercy together in dramatic tension with each other requires skill, patience, humility, and integrity.

I would suggest, however, that the tension between justice and mercy is not a human invention after all.  We find the perfect and original example of this tension in the biblical God, who demands justice against sinful humanity yet provides mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

–Pastor David

Revelation: Why It’s Important

This fall, our Sunday evening adult Bible study is focusing on the book of Revelation.  We are three weeks into the study, and let me tell you this:  I am really excited about this book and about your interest in it!  We have had strong attendance and good conversations in these first few sessions.  Just a reminder – it’s not too late to jump into this study!  We will gather in the Fellowship Hall every Sunday evening at 6pm, usually for 90 minutes or two hours, to study this complicated book together.

image © Kristina Gehrmann, www.mondhase.de

So why am I so excited about this?  Why is this book so important?  As someone said to me recently, “We have enough trouble understanding and following the other 65 books of the Bible… why all the interest in the last book?”  I see at least three reasons for us to invest in a study of this book during this season.

  1. Revelation is part of Scripture.  It forms part of the Christian canon, those books that we understand to be inspired by God and useful for instruction, training, discipline, and guidance.  This book tells us something particular about the salvation work of Jesus Christ, and as a result we should learn from our Lord through it.  This book was important to the first few generations of Christians, so by studying it (and them) we increase our connection with the work of God throughout the centuries.
  2. Revelation informed our movement’s history.  The Church of God reformation movement, of which we are a part, developed a unique self-understanding early in its existence (in the early 20th century).  This self-understanding was very closely tied to a particular interpretation of the book of Revelation.  We don’t hold to that understanding any more, but by studying Revelation we can learn more about who we were – and we can ask who we should be instead.
  3. Revelation gets us talking about the future.  Many believers today, including some of us, have deep-seated fears and questions about what lies ahead in the future.  Are we in the “end times”?  Is the return of Christ near?  What about the “signs and wonders” that we see?  By studying Revelation – and what it meant to its original audience, who asked similar questions – we will discover the word of hope that God has for his people in this book.  This will directly impact how we approach our own situation in the world.

The book of Revelation is a confusing, controversial, divisive book of scripture.  But we should not be afraid of it; instead, with a mixture of boldness and humility, we will learn from it together in the weeks that lie ahead.  I hope you are as excited about this as I am!  And if you have not yet come on a Sunday evening, I hope you feel welcome to try it out!

–Pastor David