I am lucky to live in a world with both justice and mercy.
It would be horrible if every infraction of a rule or law, regardless of how small and regardless of intentionality, were punished to the fullest possible extent. Pure justice would be unbearable.
On the other hand, I would not want a world where no one was ever held accountable for their actions, where the response to all misdeeds was always, “You’re forgiven,” regardless of magnitude and regardless of intentionality. Pure mercy would also be unbearable.
It is good that I get to choose how to balance justice and mercy.
Seeking justice makes me work to assure that everyone on this planet has the same opportunities. To crib from our Declaration of Independence, no one should be denied life, liberty, or happiness because of their skin color or religion or sex… or anything else.
Seeking mercy makes me seek the good in everyone. It lets me look at someone who does something that I do not like, and assume that, in their view, they are doing the best that they can at that moment. My task is to be merciful and try to understand their perspective.
