I had two thoughts in Sunday school today.
Justice. I worked in Baltimore and Washington D.C. in their schools. I tend to find that many members of the church love mercy—and there are few things more noble. But somehow, in the midst of such things, they have simultaneously started to be uncomfortable with her counterpart: justice. I believe justice deserves a comeback. Not only is justice the source of every good-and-deserved thing, but it is the sacrifice of Christ that makes injustice just again—to finally bring about atonement. When Jesus heals the sin or the sinner, it is undeserved for the sinner only; the one who receives the robbery, the abuse, or the dishonesty is left unharmed because Christ’s sacrifice restores justice. Let me give another reason why I think justice matters: because for those in the poorest circumstances, the greatest mercy would be some modicum of justice. I remember seeing a 7th grader who did not trust authority figures and realizing that their entire life could be adjudicated in small claims court. They have next-to-nothing. When someone broke in and stole their XBOX, it was the only thing of value that they had. Remember: He will reprove with equity for the sake of the meek.
Today, a member of our Sunday School class shared a question that I found quite evocative. “Repentance requires more than just ending sin, it requires humility. How do we build that humility in peoples’ wouls?” I don’t have a full answer, but I’ll give a short answer here. A BYU researcher has found that gratitude makes us happier, but gratitude directed at a person makes us far happier. She calls this “gratitude vs. indebtedness,” and I think the difference is fascinating. There is a difference between being grateful for and being grateful to. Parenthetically, if you want a jolt of wholesome, go watch the youtube videos of people thanking old teachers or mentors unexpectedly. It’s simple: write a note to someone who had a big impact. Make it meaningful. Rather than send it off, show up on their doorstep and read it to them. Then, cry a bit. It’s delightful stuff.
There was one other thing I mentioned, which will be in another post.